New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-15


for his own sake at least, if not for that OF
the party, and he has sufficient knowledge OF
parliamentary law, and sufficient skill III ad-
mInistering it, to enable him to preside over a
Democratic House. Altogether, Mr. Randall
was as good rs could be expected.
Mukhtar Pasha, having narrowed his lines
and occupied a strong position, is now enabled
to hold the Russians at bay. Their opportunity
was lost when they failed, last week, to divide
the Ottoman forces while they were making the
perilous movement which has given Mukhtar
pasha a strong line of defence.
Commissioner Erhardt's letter to Mr.. John
Kelly protesting against the Tammany circu-
lar making assessments on The employees OF the
Police Department. is sound and true in every
word. The practice OF ;scsSments is demon
aliz,pg at best, when they are levied upon
those who perform merely clerical duties and
whose neglect or incICicu,y means only
an addition TO the taNpavtrs' burdens; but
when applied to the police farce which has the
lives and safety OF the Whole population IL Us
keeping, it Odclt 20 b. tns' i,cd by every mcaHa
in our power. W. all know what Che pc'icr
e.
politics, and ruw tli1t II hiss hc,1 taken OI,
or nearly out, il oueht to he kept 0u.. There
is no way to do It but to spring to the dctrrce
whenever the politicians make any attempt,
however insidious or crafty, to gain con-
troll of it. The members of the police force
must learn that they can hope to rise by merit
alone, not by politics; and Tammany Hall
must learn to keep its hands off This IL not
the first attempt Mr.. John Kelly has made to
assert dominion over this Department since
the Inauguration Of the system OF a non
partisan Board Of Commissioners. III Mr.
Kelly had had his way, we should have had
now IN authority over our $500 policemen Il
man who was himself guilty of an offence
during this last week, for which, had it Oc-
cnIred in this city, it would have been the
duty of one of his own policemen to arrest
INN, and the duty of police magistrate to
put him in jail and keep him there. Indeed
that is where Mr.. PurrOy ought to he now, but
he points the moral just as we'll where he IS
The ballots have been cast in France that
are to decide the vital issue between the enc
mics and adhercnts of the Republic, but the
actual result is yet unknown. The land wires
connecting with the cable on the other side
have been Frustrated by storms, and 10 dis
patches have been received since Saturday night
So there must be a little patience on this
side of the Atlantic for the outcome of these
five months of angry controversy and threat
enipe manuuvres to be known. The speech
of Victor Hugo, and the manifesto of
the Republican Senators sent forth in the
Of hn bnV
intense the strain wa, almost to the very hour
that ballOting began; and other dispatches
give in outline, picture of the excitement
that reigned in the French Capital. French
papers are warned by the Government against
expressing themselves too freely about the
case Of the American, who allowed his
national taste for politics to carry him
into French campaign; English newspapers are
seized at the railway stations and the Duke
Decazes, having kept his head until the
eleventh hour, loses it then in fanatical
speech, But though the strain upon the French
people has been long and terrible, and the cX
element reached at last great height, it is prob
able that the election has passed off without any
widespread disorder or without any disturb
ance of moment. This of itself would afford
great encouragement TO the friends of Rcpub-
lican France. 1t would mean that the same
self-cOntrcl which has kept the most aggressive
elements of the Republican party within bounds
during a long campaign, in which the peO-
pie have been alternately tempted 10 violence
or subjected to CALLING tyranny, has not
been relaxed in the most trying hour If all.
1t will not be long before we shall know
which has won-the manipulatons, the threats
ard the bids of the Government, or the resO-
lutte determination of a great people to be
free.