The record-union., 1894-04-21

licans have recuperated their forces with
very large number of able, well-edu-
Gated, well-connected young men. They
have been offered inducements very
| tempting to ambitious graduates. They
were given office and opportunities sell
dom conceded to youth IN an old COM
munity. The District Attorneys office
| is filled with these clever fellows and one
| of them explained 10 me once why they
chose the side of the bosses. They de-
| SPARED of success for the reform move
| ment and believed that good government
| as they themselves could define that
| phrase was practical impossi bility. So
| they decided to do their honest duty as
| they best could as subordinates of the
/ machine. Thus the union of the new
| young men to the service of good govern
ment Is a return to nature, for surely
| youth and faith in some ideals are nat
ural.
Anyway, the leaders in the Legislature
| OF the minority between the two old par
| ties are men new in politics. Submerged
| at first, they and their measures and
amendments are now coming to the front.
They are but spokeSmen, il is true, and
the force that enables their triumphS are
far from Albany, but their present prom
inence clears legislation of obscuring
| mystery. There are not many particular
| will take as an illustration the so-called
bipartisan New York City police bill,
which provided for the removal of the
present four Commissioners, three DEM
ocrats and one Republican, and the sub
stitution of TWO from each party. This is
the essential provision in the bill as orig
inally framed.
1t was proposed ostensibly to meet the
demand for reform OF the police depart
ment, in which demand Superintendent
Byrnes and the better element in the de-
partment Joined with the general public.
But Mr.. Platt, the boss" of the Repub-
| lican party, was in control of the ma
jority OF the Legislature, and. as | have
already explained, he is an entirely
''praeticap politician Gf not what he is
called by his enemies). He therefore took
into account the fact that New York is a
democratic State, and, he believed, only
temporarily In the control of his party.
So he guided legislation exclusively to
the principle of division of Offices be-
tween the parties. He has forced meas
ures that will make it legally necessary
for the Democrats when in power to share
most OF the higher Offices and patronage
with his party. This is practical aud
shrewd, but it is, especially under exist
ing conditions, not bold nor sagacious.
For the Republicans have had an oppOr-
tunity such as comes seldom in this State
to regain by fair, honest and far-sight-
ed policy of legislation, control OF the
State.
That is what the younger men wanted
to do. They accordingly tried to defeat
such measures as the bipartisan police
bill. Platps control was too strong, and
they failed. So that now they are max
ing a new tack and very dangerous one.
Sheffield moved an amendment TO the po-
lice bill which left the division of offices
intact, but which Increased the power of
the Superintendent very materially, and
Will make of Byrnes very effectual
check on the Board OF Commissioners.
Now resorts of this nature are well
known in all legislation by reiormers.
They are forever inclined to give up
fight for right legislation, and to compro-
mise by tying up to some man. In this
very typical case they have sacrificed
what should have been done, have picked
out the one man already in office in whom
they have confidence, and have increased
his powers. So long as Byrnes is the Su-
perintendent the reformers believe they
can through him check the plans of the
politicians. They work, like Platt, tor
temporary advantage, forgetting that
Byrnes may be retired in short time,
when, Of course. the politicians will see
that no other Byrnes fills place with
such exaggerated powers. Still, this kind
of work is common both in this time and
in others like it in the history of New
York legislation. The reformers have
increased and diminished the powers of
an officer according to the man in it or to
be put in it. Even now bill is pending
giving the Mayor of New York power to
remove all the heads Of departments. The
bill may pass, for the epublicans begin
to see that they may carry the city next
fall. They, therefore. expect to be able
TO elect their candidate, and thus with