New-York tribune., 1890-08-29
THE MAYOR PAYING OFF MR. GIBBS.

Mayor Grant has made another of those
blunders which are as bad as crimes for a
man in his position In the place of Jacob
NJ. Patterson, citizen OF weight ana sub
stance a man of influence in his party and iii
the community, he has appointed clarence
w. Meade, ward politician, whose following
is composed of the lower and baSer elements
of the party in which he has worked injury
for years. The Mayor might far better have
named an ol,t-and-out Tammany man OF his
own stripe rather than so-called Republican
whose chief aim in politics of late has been TO
help Tammany Hall. Frederick 5. Gibbs,
whose record at Albany in the last session was
noteworthy because he did everything that he
ought not to have done, and left undOne every
thing that he ought to have done, is mere
puppet whose strings have been pulled for
years by Mr.. Meade.
How sadly do profession and practice differ
in the case Of our insinccre and untrustworthy
Young Mayor. Lock at his letters and mes
saccs. Read the noble and high sounding
words about his devotion to public interests
and his desire that every official position shall
be filled by men OF stainless character, who
will use all their energies for the true ad-
yancement of the community. Then see the
sort of appointments that lie makes lie
knows lust as well as does any man on Man
haitian Island how sadly in need of improve
ment and reform is our Board of Police JUS
tices, made up chiefly of petty politicians, and
numbering in its membership some men OF dis
reputable careers and disgraceful records. If
Mayor Grant ever had any intention OF living
up to the exalted sentiments of his public ut
terances he could never have thought for
moment of appointing such a politician as
Clarence w. Meade as Police Justice Mr.
Meade is man of deals and bargains and Of
deals and bargains of the lowest and most
mercenary sort If he ever has accomplished
a really credtable thing for his party, for his
Assembly District or for the city at large, it
has escaped notice, and no amount of delving
is likely to discover it. The mere fact that
Mr.. Meade was the Punch and Judy man that
kept the dwarfed intellect and the distorted
personality of Frederick S. Gibbs dancing at
Albany last winter ought to have been enough
to make it impossible that Mr.. Meade should
receive this appointment.
Mayor Grant is simply paying to Clarence
w. Meade the price which it was understood
Frederick S. Gibbs should receive for his hos
tity to nearly every good measure proposed
in the Assembly of 1890. Tammany Hall
paid off Hamilton Fish, jr., with set of dia-
mend studs. 1t is paying of Mr. Gibbs by
giving his backer, his capitalist his manager,
an office with ten years term at n salary of
$4,000 per year. 1t is astounding and de-
plorable, indeed, that any respectable Repub-
licans could have been found to append their
no,ooc Tn q room, ,mon dation for tho apnOint-
ment of Mr.. Meade. Men who have once been
indicted are not the sort Of men that ought 20
sit on the bench of our police courts, or any
other courts. 1t may be that the indictment
has been withdrawn, though there seems to
be some uncertainty on that point. But that
Mr.. Meade was under serious suspicion for
some time is undisputed. That his habits,
his reputation and his character arc not such
as to commend him TO the support for public
office of citizens who wish to see men of ca
pacity and weight occupying positions of trust
and responsibility will hardly he questioned
on any side. Mayor Grant will have good
reason to regret the appointment of Mr. Meade.
lie has made it even easier TO defeat him for
another term than it was before, and of all
the candidates who are mentioned as likely to
receive the Tammany support for Mayor, Mr..
Grant, ever since the shameful exposure of the
Croker godfather jugglery and cCzening, has
hoen the weakest and frailnst