New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-26
c1 EvELAND'S SHAM REFORM
HIS TREATMENT OF THE TENURE OF of-
AN FICE BILL.

n,scPAcEFUL ABANDONMENT OF ln'
. pi'O'' 1,,>,r,,rxr WHICH HE PROGRESSED.
-. n.u,ocrats and semi Democrats VINO "io "S
iho .rsusde Republicans to forget CeVe'"""
Ing ~ ~arot and vote for Cleveland the hcl"i"io'
'iie '.tlaa nv his record with reference "
"o - Tho reform measures of the laS' H'H
SUI .,ooiol,v the Tenure Of Office bu
t,'e' ,Iis lass in and ont the state p"oi,a"
a,hortc editorials day after day IN u''cuO.
90, o,A vet they are careful not W an a.,
l-uov the real facts. In TINS a''''i'
III N. stated IN full and then inc I'"u,.
i"'' W" e. himself whether O"Ne'u''
,,,.oionJ,. action with reference
INA. ccrsietent with anything except Ia
.,,,,or, oC the reform sentimen'S "' Nv
- 90 snpport aud trading WITH wv W.
- that sentiment TO obtain Vo'e' ~
Democr1tic Convention.
rus MAYOR AND Arr0IN1MhN'''
t.,.oson essential part OF the sc'o nc
:; 1,o reform inca .urcs prc7entcd 10 l"' '",'
t.,,e thai greatly increased power sho"'" ~" S''
q the Mayor, and that rs 10 apP''' A.
't.,id Lo c,o.nclpated from the control OF the
,,,'-.a,, ~, boing authorized to appoint 70 "l
oec.s without their approval II was hoped that ~,
,i. y,av tho city would get better officers ana
,o. ono person 10 hold responsible for oil 'no w
,.ointnonts Bnt because Mayor Edison had pe'h
,...d with no idea on the pht u
,ho voters that he would possess sncn po"cr
&c ,,oreoycr. h.s acts had not inspired conn
5o,co IN fine wisdom aud purity win Wl'cn no
,,ould exercise the appealing power an" wv,
IL, ,er,, Of Office had nearly expired IL WAS uo' '0'
r.h, T., conGdo thus great power 10 him 10 was
hc,,fore into led thai tho reform
COLO o0cc only after the election Oh MS
inns II was provided that the first great measure
n.at tatiug away the necessity of securing cou
sr,oo,ion by the Board of Aldcrmoh-sno"'u wv
,olo effect until January /, 1889. ms o,'i "o'e'
nor Cleveland approved and accompanied ",' "P
,r,,,aI NV a spccial message, in which ne p'u'n''
himself IA a reformer and declared lhd' " '"e"' "
be followed up by further legislation
A, ,h,s s,aoe of the matter the condition was pc"
liar The term of Office of the existing Commis-
.;onor If Public Works Hubert O. Thompson ana
os tho Corporation Counsel would expire in Decen-
hor 1884 and unless there was some further legls-
Ioton Mayor Edison could I'll these offices by the
ation of successors to hold office until May
! 1899 sucb nominations being subject to con-
fr,n,tion nv the Board of Aldermen. In other
words the Legislature and Governor Cleveland,
having IN effect declared that the plan OF allowing
the Aldermen a voice in the selection OF the heads
of denartments was incuraby vicious, and That
Mavor Edison ought not to have the sole power OF
appointment the anomaly was presented that, I'M
less there was further legislation the TWO most III
nortaUt appointive offices in city would De niled
}or more than four years under the vicious system
Just abolished
THE TENURE OF OFFICE BILL
The friends of reform at first proposed simply to
extend for couple of months the terms OF the
existing incumbents. so that the new Mayor should
appoint their successors. But some question as to
the colsttutionaity of this course was raised, ana
therefore the Tenure of Office act was drafted. As
reported aud passed in the Senate and reported Iii
the Assembly it was in the following form. 1t IS
gven in full because this is the easiest wav OF
showing how thoroughly himsy were Governor
ClevelandS reasons for not approving II, ana the
amendments made in the Assembly are added IN
tales
Section l. Every officer, commissioner head of de-
prment in the city Of New York who shall be apponed
during The for which the present Mayor OF the ely
elected by sad Mayor, with or without confirmation
bv the 30 iri Of Aldermen to fill vacancy unexDired
term or for a full term. shall hold his Office aud
tie appointment and qualification OF his successor
Seei6H . The Mayor OF the city Of New-York to be
elected - the general election IN the year 1854 shS
within thirty days after the mnencenent OF the term
for which elected appoint 20 each officer
commissioner and head OF department VINO may ne APP
pointed during the remainder Of the term for which the
present Mayor Of the City was elected aud the persons so
appointed shall hold Office for the terms respect
tyely that those officers commissioners and heads of
departments whom they succeed would have he'd Office
this act had not been enaeted-TOridcd ma ojV cam
missioner or heat o. dPartHetg appointed nner me pro
ttS net HHH not kOd OUicS for OQ term
0prrod than NE term NJ once ofhe hqgor cy ThoR Set
commissioners hpds Of departments Sh0U be appOinted
ana hrtg days m,rcaner
SCOPE OF THE BILL.
Ii will be seen that by the first section the per-
sons to be appointed by Mayor Edison would hold
Office only till February l. 1888, month after the
new Mayor should come into power. This provision
applied not only % the Commissioner of Pubic
Works and Corporation Counsel. whose existing
h,-l in
but TO all appointments to fill vacancies which might
occur not on among the heads Of departments but
among the police magistrates and others. BY the
second section of the bill passed in the Senate
and reported in the Assembly it in effect pro-
vided that the Mayor who succeeded Mr.. Edison
should before February l. 1885. appoint the suo-
eessors of all the persons temporarily appointed by
Mayor Edison under the first section. aud the
persons appointed by EdsOns successor
should hold their offices for tire same
terms as if the act hal not been passed-that is in
the case Of Commissioner of Public Works AID Cor
poration Counsel until May l, 1880, and in the
case Of persons appointed to ill vacancies until the
expiration Of the original terms.
This WAS TIE entire scope of the bill. 1t related
only to officers thereafter to be appointed by Mayor
Edison, mud TO tho appointment of the immediate
successors Of his app0intees. IL was intended
70 give full scoops 90 the scheme Of reform by
Ing TO the Mayor who should succeed Mr. Edison
power TO mako appointments 70 oil Offices which
should m any way become vacant after the passage
OF the bill. II made no provision 30 tho appoint
ment of tho successors OF tho men appointed 10y the
new Mayor, for tho simple reason that that waa
fully provided Tor by the existing law. which wna
~ that respect left In full force namely section
100 of tho Consultation Act. though modified by
the now law, taking away the oonArmatory power
of the Aldermen.
TnK ASSEMBLY AMENDMENT
When tho bill in the form given. but without the
clause IN italics, came up in the Assembly II was
met by the objection that, if it right that Mayor
Edison should not appoint for the full torn because
H. would thus saddle his appontees upon his sue