New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-08

II lacked only few hours OF the time set
by law for the opening of the registration
lists when the Democratic Police Commits
sioners yielded to the threats of the Supreme
Court and performed in a gracelcss and
evasive fashion so much of their duty as they
couid no longer avoid A full week after the
expiration of the period within which the
statute required them to complete the appoint
ment of Inspectors. and in the last hours Oh
the last night, they wrancled over the lists,
naming some men who were evidently unfit,
and some who could not be expected to serve;
and at last, to the relief of all decent citizens,
they went away about midnight, and left the
clerks in the Bureau of Elections to reduce
TIE disorder rs well as they could before
dawn. There was no possibility OF knowing
how many of the hundreds appointed on Mon
dag were competent. how many were willing
to act, how many were dead. There was no
time to instruct any of them in their duties.
Those who could be collected in the course of
the night were sworn by squads, as many
as could get their hands ON the cover OF
a pretty large Bible rafting off the oath to-
gethcr: and so in the midst of upr0ar
the process of enrolling the legal voters OF
NcW-Y0rk was indecOrously begun yesterday
morning. OF course great many ot the In
spectOrs named i'm this haphaZard fashion
were not to be found when the work COM
menced. the Democratic majority beng thus
without adequate representation at the poll
ine-places-a result which it j. not too much
to assume that the persons responsible there
for contemplated with entire clnanimity
Mcssrs. MacLean and Morrison have perhaps
a satisfaction III rejecting that they went as
near an open contempt of court as they could
without getting themselves into jail, and that
they contrived by the character OF their ap-
poinimcnts and the delay in making them to
disoley the spirit of the judges order, while
they made an insolent sort OF show OF comply
Ing with its letter.
The attentive reader of the proceedings re-
Iorted III yesterdays papers will not have
f,iled to notice that the disorder in the See
sions of the Board was faithfully inflated by
the noisy spectators contemplating the pro-
cocdinrs. Commissioner MacLean made fire.
ouent appeals TO his OWL officers to quiet the
crowd. hut the crowd was not quieted, nor
does it appear that much attention was paid
Iv anybody to the Commissioners requests.
As Mr.. MncLean was the acting president Of
the Board, the cool indifference Of this behavior
might have been, under ordinary circumstances,
"A matter for considerable establishment; but
when the chiefs are themselves disOIdoTly
they can hardly require their subordinates to
prevent Other people from disturbing them.
The Police Board has been in a state Of in
sulrection, and it was only natural thai its
proceedings should be accompanied by riot
and scandal. If Mr. MacLean wished to be
respected by the puDic and the police, he
ought to have taken the hint given him
hv one of his colleagues in the course OF the
wranele. and called himself to order.
What effect the example Of the Commits
sioners will have upon the Inspectors created
by them We can well imagine. Functonaries
appointed by a trick are not likely to be ami
mated 10y very strict sense of duty, or to
neglect any opportunity for gaining a dis
honest advantage over their political oppO-
nents. If the election is not marked on the
part of both Democratic factions by frauds,
bad blood, and violence, it will not be for
lack of encouragement at headquarters. And
that decentralization and laxity in the police
force must follow this riot in the Board almost
goes without saying. There will be pretty
spectacle indeed when policemen are next ar
raigned for delnquencies before Commission
ers who have barely escaped imprisonment
for gross neglect of duty and contempt of
court.