New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-25
PnCTC PFFORuER.


Illustration of Grover Clevcland's hypocTitical
reform pretcnccs. On Monday the Board Of
Aldermen directed attention to the new Civil
District CouIt bill. That wa, Democratic
measure. approvrd by the Governor III defiance
of public protest. 1t will cost the city about
S5O. O0u year. Tor which there viii he ob>o-
lulry no public benefit. But. Grover Glove
lands political associates viii profit to that
amount. which was his purpose IL signing tie
measure.
A short time ago Tony" Hartmann a Tweed
Civil Justice and a Cleveland delegate at SARA
to.a. demanded from the city payment OF MS
outiageou, claim Tor ezra salary. The claim
was d, fcatcd in the Courts and in the Legi~la-
t1rc years ara. But Tim Campbell snug
.,lcd LII through at Albany last winter 10
compel the city to pay such CLAIMS, ana
although the Governors attention was called TO
the natter hr signed the bill. That piece OF
reform zeal in behalf OF 'IwcedS old icutenants
will cost the city about 100000. Now comes
to heh. another act in this peculiar reform
drama, in v ich Grover Cleveland j. the star
actor The extra ianitor~ OF Inc District Courts,
| ILLEGALLY appointed by " Tim Campbell and
other CiyIl Justices, in ISIS, have filed with
the Controller claims fer salary. Under an act
Introduced in the Legislature by Senator
Tim Campbell, and approved by the Gov
crnor. the cit, is required to pay such claims,
although wears ago they were thrown ont Of The
Courts. having no legal standing. There prob
ably never were claims presented against the
city more devoid Of any Foundation in honor OF
Justice than these extra jantor' claims for
salary. But the city will have to pay the
$4,000 they demand. iT order to reward the
men who nominated Grover Cleveland.
Under the charter of 1873 the Commissioner
of Public Works was given the care and custody
| of the municipal buildings with authority
to appoint ianitors. Ii was a valuable piece of
patronage. (which the Aldermen formerly con-
trollcd. While Z. Dciaticld smith was Corpora
ton Counsel the Aldermen asked his advice as
10 whether or not they had the right, 10y oIdl'
nance, to empower each Civil Justice to appoint
| "A ianitor. lie gave an official opinion that under
! the law they had no such right. soon after
! that Allan Campbell became Commissioner ct
! Public Works, and he selected ianljors without
regard 20 the recommendations OF the Alder
men. Euraged at his Independence, they en-
! dcavorcd TO deprive him of his right to make
! such appointments. The AID Of Corporation
| Counsel Whitney was sought But me agreed
with his predecessors adverse opinion, ana
said:
lido not think it Is IN the power Of te Common Council
| to adopt "a resolution which shall deprive the com
miss of Public Work. Of the power toapp'nt 'nor
To have general charge and control OF the buildings ana
rooms in which the police and district courts are ueid
! In utter disregard of that opinion and of the
! statutes the Aldermen passed resolution In
! Scptcmbcr 1878, authorizing the Judges of
| the several Police and Civil Courts to appoint
ianitor,.r Mayor Ely vetoed the resolution and
said that il could create no valid claim for
salary against the city. The Aldermen passed
the resolution over the veto. The same day
= Tim Campbell. VINO was then Justice of the
| Fifth District Civil Court, appointed William
CLANCY a ianit0r, and other justices made like
appointments. The Mayor gave notice that
the city could not pay the salaries OF these eX-
ira ianitOrs, rs there was no warrant in law for
such action. The regular iantors named by
Commissioner Campbell continued to care for
the public buildings. For nearly two years
there were two sets Of janitors but the extra
men had no work To perform. The Courts
having steadily decided against them, and the
Court of Appeals holding that they had no legal
standing. these political adycntulerS finally
retired in disgust.
Ii was not then considered probable that their
claims would ever hc heard of again. Bat when
d" Tim ' Campbcli's term rs Justice expired. he
WIS. by grace of Hubert o. Thompson, made
state Senator lie introduced the bill To pay
his own and the other ianitors. TuE TAM 81
then called public attention to the outrageous
character ol the measure, but Grover Cleveland
wanted "run" Cnmpbcl's support Tor his
rrcaidcrtol aspirations, Hence ho approved
the hll compelling the city 10 pay .hcsc grossly
unjust claims, lid It been reform measure
auch rs the Tenure OF Onico bin. the Governor
would. no doubt have Immediately discovered
mnny defects which warranted "a prompt veto.