New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-06
TILE LATEST PLOT.

Whether Mayor Cooper, i'll the matter OF
the Police Board, cOunsels with his fears III
his usual indecisiye manner or whether he Is
prompted by Mr.. Tilden and his friends from
political motives, it is certain that he Is not
well advised. The circumstances OF his election
far more than his personal choice have sur
rounded him with a clique Of small politicians,
and he has been led into some ill-considered
movements. His action against the Ponce
Commissioners, especially, has been through
out so hating and contradictory that the pub
lie may well be pardoned for expressing doubt
as to whether he has the good of the city or
the personal and political interests of Mr..
Tiden more mt heart.
II is matter for congratulatiOn that Mr..
Cooper has been thwarted in his latest move
ment against the Police Board. The proposed
removal Of MIR. Wheeler i'll the hasty manner
attempted was direct effort to influence
the voting in ths city at the November state
elections. The Police Board, as it exists, is
non-partisan Mr.. Cooper had pledged him
self in the most emphatic terms to keep 1t so
constituted, with two Republicans and two
Democrats. But because the Democrats were
of opposing factions he sought to remove one
of the Republicans and replace him by
Tilden Democrat before the work of appoint
ing INSPECTORS of Election could be accom-
pIished in a nOn-partisan manner. The sue
cess of Mr.. CoOper's scheme meant nothing
more or less than the rejection of all Tam
many nominees for Inspectors and the accept
ance of only such Republicans as Mr. Tilden's
agents in the Board saw fit to admit inside the
polling booths. The power at the polls which
Al. 1,4.Jn plnt hntr
given Mr.. Tilden's faction, to the mutual dis
advantage of the Republican party and the
Tammany faction, may be readily imagined.
That the latest movement, which the prompt
action of Mr. Wheeler has frustrated, was
dictated by partisan motives Is clear from
several minor facts. The charge against Mr..
Wheeler was made within twenty-four hours
after the Police Board had named August 10
as the day for appointing Inspectors OF
Election. 1t was based upon facts familiar to
Mayor Cooper before he tried the other Com
missioners. The Mayor omitted to prosecute
Mr. Wheeler so long as the Republican and
Auti-Tammany coalition in the Board of
Aldermen enabled him to have his appointees
confirmed. He brought charges on facts which
he had previously ignored as soon as the
coalition was broken and if he could have
carried out his plan undistuIbed by the
courts, he would have placed Governor
Robinson in the predcament of doing
precisely what he declined to do in
Commissioner Erhardfs case. In that instance,
the Governor recommended the Mayor TO nom
mate n Commissioner to the vacancy filled
temporarily by Mr.. Erhardt, and Mr.. French
was confirmed. The same legal course re-
NAMED to the Mayor to get rid of Mr. Wheeler,
but. unfortunately for the success of the scheme
10 place only Tilden Democrats at the polls,
ne could not secure confirmation. In the
event, however, of Mr.. Wheeler's removal for
cause the Mayor, it is claimed, could appoint
without regard to the Board of Aldermen.
We have before denounced this whole affair
as a fragrant attempt to seize the machinery of
the polls IN Mr. Tilden's interest. And we again
invite all who feel the importance Of maintain
ing a bipartisan Police Board as the chief Sc
curity, in this city at least, against fraudulent
elections, to look into the evidences of the ex-
istence of plot to control corrupty this
Board and to affect the elections. The ploti
no longer secret conspiracy; its purposes
and its plans are as clear as its movements are
bold and INSCRIPTIONS.