New-York tribune., 1879-10-04
4 SPECIKEy or REFORM.

4
A sPECIKEN or REFORM
Tn the confusion and excitement OF the va
| rious proceedings in the Police Board, mis-
| represented as they are every day by some
of the newspapers, there is danger that the
public may lose sight of the origin and pur-
pose of plot which is now near It's crisis.
! 1t is important. however, that tins matter
| should be well understood, and a brief reea-
pltulation of facts will not be out OF place.
When the Tildcn faction found itself, at
the beginning of the present year, III pos
session of the Chief Magistracy both of the
! CITY and the State, remarkable series OF ma
neuvres was opened for the purpose of Sc
curing the political advantages which such
good fortune might be supposed to imply.
Nr. Tiden, however, though he had the
| Mayor had little or nothing else in the Me-
tropolis He held no patronage in the depart
ments. He was detested in the organization
which represented mt least two-thirCs OF
the Democratic voters of this city, and
which exertod by its numbers, discipline.
money, patronage and skill, n formidable
power throughout the State OF Newly Ork.
The public is familiar with the devices
by which Mr. Iiden set about over
coming these difficulties with his schemes for
Ieorganizing the departments, changing the
personnel of Tammany Hall, and, on his fail
ure to capture that society, destroying its
prestige in State politics The control Of the
machinery of elections was an important part
of these complicated schemes and since the
open revolt of the Kelly Democrats this has
been generally recognized as the pivotal de
vice of the whole arrangement.
Mr.. Tlden undoubtedly foresaw from the
beginning what his chief obstacle would be,
for the attack upon the Police Commission
was made without days delay When Mr..
Cooper entered Office the Board consisted Of
Messrs. Erhardt and Wheeler, Republicans,
and Messrs. Smith and Nichols, Democrats. Mr..
Nichols was Tammany sachem, andmnst be got
rid of at I'll hazards. The position OF General
Smith was not so well defined, and for
while there was an idea that the Tilden fac
ton could make use OF him. The Republicans
were not specially obnoxious, since it would
be necessary in any case TO give their party
! half the Inspectors Of Election. The Mayor,
however, unable to bring charges against any
| individual member singy, was Obliged to draw
m a general Indictment for derelictiOn of
duty " against the whole Board, and TO sum-
mon them all to answer this vague accusation
all except Mr.. Wheeler, who was absent
! from town and sick. The sO-called hearing"
which followed was grotesque evasion of
the requirements of the Charter. There was
no trial there was no precise charge; but
Mayor Cooper found the three Commissioners
guilty. and sent the Judgment to the Governor
for approval. Mr.. Nichols, the Tammany
Commits si0ner, was at once removed, and Mr.
| MacLean, whose relations with Mr.. Iiden
were of the most, confidential character, was
appointed to the vacancy. Tue case of
General Smith was left hanging until mid
summer 1t was hoped that he would act
with Mr.. MacIean. When that hope was DIS
appointed, and the day for naming the In
spectors and Poll-Clerks was only week of,
Mr.. Cooper sent messenger to Albany the
Governor approved the removal of General
Smith on the papers presented four months
before; Mr.. Morrison, the Mayors secretary, was
showed into the seat thus emptied; and at the
same time new charges were preferred against
Commissioner Wheeler. Mr.. Erhardt bad
meanwhile been disposed of without the
folmality of removal; his term had expired,
and MIR. French was nominated and confirmed
in his place.
The Governor had refused TO sanction the
removal of Mr. Erhardt because after his term
had expired the only legal way OF putting
him ont of Office WAS by the nomination and
confirmation of his successor. But Mr..
Wheeler's term had also expired. and when
the 'lilden faction attempted, under the pres
sure of political exigency, TO apply a rule to
his case which they had admitted 10 be wrong
in the parallel ease of his colleague, be OBJ
tanned writ of prohibition from Judge Van
Biunt. The effect OF this order was to make
IL impossible to remove Mr. Wheeler without
the assent of the Board of Aldermen, who
must confirm all nominations 10 vacancies
would not confirm Iilden agent. The Mayor
without the Aldermen can FL vacancies caused
byremoval. Here the present complication may
| lie said 10 have begun. The Tiiden faction
wished TO exclude Tammany Inspectors en-
tilely from the p0lls-for what reason
the public may be left to infer; but
TO do this they needed the votes of
and it was likely they might lose one of
those, for Mr.. Nichols had brought a suit in
the Supreme Court TO test the legality of his
removal, aud Judge Westbrook had granted
a writ of certiorari. returnable at Special
Term on Monday, the 22d Of September To
meet this danger, Governor Robinson called
an Extraordinary General Term of the Su-
preme Court on the 10th. for the purpose of
taking the case out OF Judge Westbrook's
hands, and deferring action, so that If the
result should be III Mr.. Nicholss favor he