The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-01-04


The Sun thinks it evident that the appoint
ment of two republicans to the places made
vacant by the removal of Police Commission
ers Matsell and Disbecker is the consequence
of disreputable political trade, to which
Governor Tilden is consenting
and probably an active party. The
Sun says, with Characteristic vigor:-
"Messrs. Wheeler and Erhardt may
possibly be very much better Police Com
missioners than Messrs- Matsell and Dis
becker, whom they supplant; still we believe
the change will be injurious to Governor
Tilden. 1t is too transparently the fruit of
political bargain, and if there is anything
hateful and abhorrent to the American mind
it is trade in politics. The instinct of the
American people is against such bargains
and against all engaged in them"
Despite the industrious attempts made to
cover it, it is clear enough that there has
been bargain. But Governor Tildens COM
plicity is not quite so apparent as Mayor
Wickham's. If we look merely to the Gov
ernor's official action, overlooking the secret
understanding on which that action was
based, it might be difficult to convict him of
having been party to the scandalous
bargain. His official concurrence was
necessary to effect the removal of Messrs.
Matsell and Disbecker, but he had no legal
rightful voice in the appointment Of
their successors. Yet these removals, which
Mayor Wickham has desired to make for a
whole year. but dared not attempt lest the
Governor should not support him, were so
unannounced and so sudden as to justify the
suspicion that the Mayor informed the
Governor whom he would appoint, and
thereby gained his consent to the long
deferred removals.
Mayor Wickham's motives in filling these
vacancies with republicans are transparent
1t is bride to the republican Legislature to
take no steps for shortening his term of
Office. He fears the passage of an act
changing the charter election to the
spring, and appears to have made a
bargain with the republicans and to
have sold out to them in the
expectation of staying their hand. He
knows the democrats of the city would
should lose his Office in the spring. he makes
over so much of the city patronage as he
can control to the republican party. He
has cordial understanding with the
GUS ON House republicans, to whom
he has surrendered on the condition
that he shall not be disturbed by
a spring election. Governor Tilden's mo-
tives do not lie quite so near the surface
but he, too, is unwilling that the charter
should be amended this winter, knowing
that the changes to which he stands COM
mitted by old declarations are distasteful to
Tammany, whose support he needs in con-
trolling the choice of delegates from this
State to the Democratic National Convention.
This disreputable bargain has the sanction
of the republican organs of this city, who
see in it temporary party advantage The
Commercial Advertiser, whose editor has
always been power at Albany when the
republicans controlled the Legislature, has
come out in opposition to any charter
legislation this winter, since Mayor
Wickham's fulflment of his part of
the compact. The Commercial says
There is talk in some quarters about
amending the charter of the city of New
York. The republicans at Albany have
heretofore had too much to do in tinkering
New York city charters. The less they have
to do with that instrument this year the bet
ter" This is the quid pro quo for Mayor
Wickham's republican appointments.