The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-12

] moment wnen everybody sees that this aos
is not for the benefit of the city so much as
to serve faction of the democratic party
is rightfully regarded as public scandal
If Mr., Cooper had reformed" the Police
Board three or six months ago he might
have carried public opinion with him. But
as the case stands what are the facts The
Police Board had given notice to the
Superintendent of the Election Bureau to
have the lists of Inspectors OF Election as
submitted by the two political organiza-
tons in readiness to be presented to the
Board on the 10Th of August. This implied
| the intention of the Board to act on the
lists on that day. The Inspectors OF Election
are unfortunately universally reco gnized as
exercising potent control over the result OF
the elections in this city. The Board, as
then constituted, would have selected and
appointed the republican inspectors as
submitted by the regular republican organ
| ization of which General Arthur is the
head, and the democratic inspectors sub
mitted by the Tammany Hall democrats,
whose head is Mr.. John Kelly. This would
have been done by the votes of Messrs.
French, Wheeler and Smith.
This being the situation the Governor
suddenly ratified the removal of General
Smith, and the Mayor at the same time
brought charges against Mr.. Wheeler, look
ing to his removal Mr. Morrison, Mayor
Cooper's private secretary, was put in Gen
eral Smiths place, and Mr.. Wheeler is
hung up in the courts.
In his account Of the fight against the
Tweed Ring Mr.. Tilden some years ago
wrote that the manipulation of the Election
law by the Ring was their strongest blow
against honest city government. ''The
Election law" he wrote, ''was the means
by which the Mayor acquired such immense
power over the inspectors and canvassers,
and all the machinery of the elections, that
the Ring began to think that they could
get along without the voters. 1t
suppressed the opposition Of the
practical politicians in the wards,
who saw how it was capable Of being
great local influence openly said it was of
no use to run ticket so long as that power
| could be exercised against them, and so
on. We leave these words of Mr.. Tilden to
be their own comment on Mayor Cooper's
action in regard 10 the Police Board, merely
pointing out that while the law of which
Mr.. Tilden complained has been changed
the Mayor has, as everybody sees, used
what is in some particulars better law for
merely partisan purposes. Mr.. Cooper, it
remains to say, would be grievously
offended if he were not counted among the
most respectable citizens Of New York.
We return to this incident because we hope
to fix the attention of citizens of all parties
upon the evils brought upon the city by the
miserable system OF ruling by commissions,
and worst Of all by what are called nom
partisan commissions Here is Mayor
chosen because he was regarded as one Of
the most eminent and respectable men in
New York, and this system tempts
Office, he would doubtless dehounce
as bitterly as Mr.. Tilden denounced SINH
lar manipulations by the Tweed Ring.
Here is General Smith, whom the Sun de-
scribes as a martyr; but the greatest saint,
the wisest man, would have been powerless
in his place under the commission system.
Here, finally, is that very faction Of the
democratic party whose leaders have in
former times strenuously opposed the sys-
TEN of government by boards and urged the
| substitution of better plan, now using
this system to advance themselves and to
manipulate the elections in their own
behalf.
That is to say, the plan on which New York
is now ruled is SO faulty and mischievous
that even good men cannot be trusted
to administer it that even in the hands Of
reputable citizens it is openly misused. Is
it not time, then, for citizens of oil parties
to demand o change? To insist that
the next Legislature shall secure
to the city real, and not sham,
selfgovernment? The unpleasant incident
on which We are commenting must show
everybody that u change is needed, and as
in the last quarter Of a century every pos
sible plan for governing New York has been
tried. except the plain and simple one of
letting it have responsible Mayor. why not
try that?
The President Of the United States is the
chief executive not OF one, but of over
forty millions OF people. The power he
exercises is immensely greater than that
which could under any system fall to q
Mayor Of New York. Yet it has been found
entirely safe to allow him to appoint all
his subordinates and to remove them at his
own will, and the limited interference of
the Senate in his exercise of these
great powers has long ago been recognized
as much more for evil than for good. Sup
pose the municipal government Of New
York were modelled upon that of tho
United statess Suppose tho people of tho
city. busily engaged in the struggle for