New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-05
THE NEW MAYORS EVIL WORh.

-
Mayor Gilroy has begun his administration
very badly. lie has forfeited his claims TO
public confidence and respect at the outset. and
10 Mayor could well afront and outrage de-
cent public sentiment and insult every honor
able person in this community Ill more
fragrant and shameless manner than Mr.. Gil
roy has done in appointing John j. Scannell
"a Commissioner of the Fire Department. Great
pressure was brought to bear on Hugh j. Grant.
while he was Mayor of NewYOrk. to give this
man Scannell an important place in the public
service. TO his credit be it said Mr.. Grant
seadfastly resisted this pressure from certain
leaders of Tammany Hall. John j. Scannel is
a coWardiy assassin. The records Of the New
York com;s leave no possible doubt Is 10 the
blacliness Of his guilt and the dastardy nature
Of his crime lie murdered an unrcsisting man
by shooting him in the head when his victim
was trying t, escape. Domaine, the victim,
fell at the first shot, and Scannel fired four
times into his proStrato body. For this vii
famous murder this man was put Oh trial. He
escaped the gallows OH the ground Of insanity.
and after a short residence in an insane asy-
lum he was released, and returned to New-Iork
10 prey upon this community. lie has been
spending money lavishly here and at Saratoga
for many years. The sources Of his income
have boon mysterious 10 persons unfamiliar
with the Shiny sewers of the under world of
local politics. Scannell is on terms Of intimate
friendship with some of the most notorious law
breakers in NewIOrk. Ii is generally reported
that he has been the agent of Tammany Hall
iii collecting campaign assessments from the
gambling houses and even worse resorts i'll
this city. Public rumor may do him an in
Justice. but if that is not his Occupation-the
collection of campaign assessments Oh faro
banks for Tammany lall-vhat is it, and
whence comes his money? In any place where
politicians gather, when the question OF pro
tec,ion'' to gambling houses is discussed, Sean
nells name is sure 10 come up is man with
such u record and such Il career as this fit 10
be a Commissioner Of the Fire Department of
the city Of New York? And is Il man who is
capable of making such all appointment a. that
of Scannell fit man to be Mayor OF the chief
city Of America?
Some of Mayor Gilroy's other appointments
are almost as bad as that of Scannell. As EX-
else Commissioner and in other public offices,
which no has occupied by the favor OF the
Tammany leaders. Joseph Koch has proved
himself utterly unfit for any position Of trust
and responsibility where fairness, frmness and
a judicial mind are required. 1t would have
been difficult TO find in this city, outside of
its penal institutions. person more grotesquely
unsuitable than Mr.. Koch for such position
as that Of Police Justice. For the great Office
of Commissioner of Public Works, place Of
the highest Importance and the largest oppor
tmites Mr.. Gilroy has selected Michael ".
DAILY who has been acting as Commissioner of
Accounts. If Mr.. DAILY has a sufficient equip
ment Of ability and experience to cope with
tho difficulties of this high office the people
Of Newly ORR have never yet had an OppOr-
tlnity 10 discover the fact. Ii Is evident that
Mayor Gilroy intends 10 manage the Depart
ment of Public Works himself through com
parativcly obscure agent, and has 10 intention
Of allowing any man Of marked force of char
acter of independence and of energy to ac
quaint himself with all the mysteries of the
msmanagement of that department during Mr..
GiIroys torn. 1t might be possible even in
Tammany Hall to discover some public spirited
citizen Of such character that he would not
DO conteNted until he had mastered every de-
tail of this department, and made himself
familiar with all the facts concerning its mai
administration in the past. Michael Il. DAILY
is not likely to give any trouble in this way.
1t is useless to find fault with the choice of
William II. Burke and Thomas l.. Fcitner for
Police Justices. These two men are as well
qualified for Police Justiceships as are most
of the men who are now drawing SO, 900 a
year from the city treasury with Il ten-years'
term, for dispensing injustice in the lowest
criminal courts. Mr.. Fctncr belongs to bet
ter class Of citizens than that in which Police
Justice Thomas f. Grady is found. Charles H.
Smms, who has done useful work in the
District Attorneys office, appears TO be slf1i-
GENTLY well qualified for Police Jusiceshp
But such appointments as those of Scanne
and Koch are SO abomnaby bad that in
disDalt citizens will not be in the least APP
peascd by such an appointment as that of
Smms. Mayor GiIrOy has plainly made up his
mind to put the worst men in Tamlnany Hall
in the Offices in which they can work the
larg st III schief and evil. The prospect before
the people of New York is gloomy indeed. With
such Speaker of the Assembly at Albany as
Suzer, with such "a Mayor as Mr. Gilroy has
now revealed himself, and with such appoint
ments as those already made by the Chief
Executive Of the city and these which nav be
expected hereafter, the city Of New-Yorl is
to be for years in the hands III men who
are certain to deepen her disgrace, to pillagc
hcr treasury. to plumber her taxpayers, and to
work injury and outrage t. her citizens. This
city is about to pass through wild riot Of
misdoing similar t. that from which it suffered
in 1863. 1860 and 1870 when the Tweed RIM