New-York tribune., 1879-05-21
4 CONSPIRACY FOR OFFICE.

There is a sudden change in the aspect Of
affairs at the City Hail. The Kelly men unite
with the Republicans, the Tiden men are
lett out in the cold, and cOnfirmatIOns and re-
icctions take place accordingly. 1t is too early
10 see vet the full effect of this new deal,
though, considered purely from the par
tisan point Of view which seems to
have been taken by most of the
actors, the Republican interest was plain
enough. Looking only to their own chances
on the larger political field of the State, they
certainly did not want to unite with hlr. Til
den in this city in crushing John Kelly, espe-
cially when it is clear that absolutely
nothing in the way of good government for the
city is to be gained by it. BY strengthening
Governor Tilden they might help him to carry
this State this Fall by more nearly presery-
ing the balance between Iilden and Kelly
they at least avoid that risk
1t is probably already apparent to the in
teIligent public of this city, and ought to be
made equally clear to the people Of the entire
State, that Governor Robinson and Samuel j.
Tilden, more or less aided either by the action or
tbe inaction of Mayor Cooper have for months
past been engaged in Il political conspiracy
to get control of the various departments
of the city government and the county
offices in order to use their i'm
mcnse patronage for their own political ends.
1t is unnecessary that we should state in de-
tail The immense advantages to be derived
from such control Of such active agencies; It
is sufficient to say that under the active
manipuation Of Mr.. Tilden and his prac-
ti5ed coparceneIs these departments could
n u. Of a1o in Ia. iira
State.
The Police Board, with twenty-five hundred
officers under It's direction, can cOntr0l nine
tenths of the floating vote of this city, and it
is seldom less III State election, than twenty
thousand. The Street-Cleaning Bureau en-
ploys fifteen hundred men, all of whom can
be made by an active politician like MIR.
MacIean, who is well known and has long
been recognized as a devoted adherent and en-
ergetic personal agent of Mr.. Tiden, power
full political followers in times of elections.
The new County Clerk, who, il is well
known is merely an agent Of Mr.. Tilden
and Governor Robinson, without special
qualifications for or claims upon the
Office he holds, yields by virtue of
his position IA considerable influence at con-
yentons and at the polls. The Register has
been " Whipped into the traces already; and
the removal OF the Sheriff, in order that n
Tilden-Robmson man may be appointed in his
stead, is now pending before the Governor
himself All these prosecutions of county Off
cials have been conducted 10y Mr.. Macl an,
the present Police Commissioner, and solely
in the personal interest of Mr.. Tilden.
The attempt to capture the Street-Cleaning
Bureau in the same interest has for
the present failed. The rejection of Mr.. Hay
ward as president Of the Tax Commission tie
feats for the time being the effort to control
in Mr. Tidcn's interest the important Board
of Apportonment which annually distributes
S3O, 900, 900 among the various departments.
llr. Daly's rejection as Dock Commissioner
also prevents the prostitution for the moment
of that Department to the base political uses
contemplated.
How much further the Mayor and the
Governor can thus lend themselves to
the purposes of Mr. Tilden remains to
be seen. But the people of the State as
well as the city ought to watch with jealous
eye every new step in conspiracy which
aims to subvert the public service of the Me-
tropolis to the political and personal designs
of candidate for reelection to the Cover
norsmp and rejected candidate for the Pres
idency.