The Portland daily press., 1877-04-24
Our New York Letter.
PersonaI-The Police CemnIssfo onsr !.
Tweeds Confession.

BOSTON, April %. 1877.
Ihe day before left New York Mayor Ely
surprised the community by sending Repub-
llcan nomination for Police Commissioner be-
fore Democratic Board Of Aldermen. Nobody
had been consulted before hand. least of all tba
recipient OF this somewhat equivocal honor.
The Mayor knew very well that he could not
have been consenting party to the movemsnt,
had he been apprised of 1t, for two very conclu.
sive reasons the first being that be would not
under apy circumstances have accepted the Of
nee II he had been confirmed, and the second
that he regards the present incumbent, Mr..
Erhardf, as the best man who could be selected
for the onerous position which he already Oils
so creditably.
However, beyond an hours furry and the
customary gossip the little performance was Of
no consequence. 1t was on the whole com.
plment to have received such an expression of
the Mayors good opinion, and the rejection by
the aldermen on party grounds was quite a.
complimentary. 1t was necessary that soma.
body's name should be sent In that day, for ths
vacancy really existed on the 10th and the char.
ter requires that nomination should be made
within ten days thereafter. The Mayor took
the whole time allotted to him, and has gained
by this sacrifical art respite of ten days moro.
Meantime, perhaps the fate of the pending
legislation at Albany touching munich
pal matters may be determined and
on the passage or defeat of ths
proposed charter amendments hangs the ouex.
ton OF whether the Police Board shall coptain
two Republicans among its four members, or
only one.' If the proposition to merge the
Excise Commission with that of Police Is
carried, the Democrats will take control of thu
Board. They will deem it Q party necessity
to do so. 1t Is estimated In political circles
that 1t will make difference of twenty thous-
and votes against them if the license law In
vigorously enforced as it is not now, and m it
almost certainly would be by non partisan
Police board. 1t is perfectly easy, therefore. to
understand why no Republican Police Com.
missioner can be confirmed while the subject
the administration Of the Excise law is in abey
ance. If Mr.. Erhardt had been nominated
there might have been postponement of sc-
ton in his case, but the chances are he would
have been rejected. I am rather in hopes that
it was because the Mayor wished to hold him
in reserve for more favorable occasion, that
he substituted another name, and that he
means at the proper time to present him az
candidate for the full term of six years. It
would be very graceful and suitable thing to
do and am disposed to believe that If Doll OF
the citizens could be taken, there would be
majority of the people in favor of II, notwIth-
standing the Democrats preponderate here 80
largely There would be no doubt shout IL IL the
voters knew the merits Of Mr. Erhardt, for he
is not only an upright and conscientious officer
but he devotes his whole time to his duties, and
renders far more than an equivalent for the
meagre salary he receives.
The piece-meal scraps Of Tweed's confession
that are being thrown to the public in back
handed sort of way have given currency to
suspicion that the document is being used a. Q
screen for Democrats and scourge for Repub-
licans. 1t is significant circumstance that
thus far no political friend Of Mr.. Tilden's
Attorney General has been implicated. Be
corder Hackstt is unfaYorably mentioned, but
1t must be borne in mind that he headed an
anti-Tammany bolt in the fall of 1875, which
would account for his being offered up a. q sac
rrice to popular wrath. But several prominent
Republicans are pointed out In q vague and
mysterious way as having been mixed up with
the Tweed corruption. Even Judge Folger has
been the subject of insinuatlon, but 1t would
take exceedingly strong proof to convince any.
body who ever knew him, that he could ever
under any circumstances have been involved
in transaction that had the slightest tinge Of
venality. The suggestion Is inherently pre-
posterous. 1t will be entirely unsafe to credit
anything purporting to emanate from Tweed
or his advisers, unless it is supported by docu-
mentary evidence, nor until the whole story In
told lin all its parts and particulars. There
are parties however who assure me they have
seen vouchers in the shape of checks that have
been passed over by Tweed to the prosecuting
officer of the state, that make a damaging
priaa facie case against at least an hundred
men who have hitherto escaped general sus-
picion. 1t is likely therefore that sooner or
later revelations will be made which can be
relied upon as truthful and not fixed up to sub
serve ulterior purposes. YARMOUTH