New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-07
THE OUTGOING IND INCOMING.

THE OUTGOING md INCOMING.
The enforced retirement from the public ser
vice Of those distinguished persons, Messrs.
Charles II. Murray and Michael Kerwin, was
nreceded. accompanied and followed by three
distinct, unmistakabe walls indicative OF sor'
row. not on their own account, but for the Re
publican party, which has been deceived and
betrayed by Mayor Strong. and for the voters OF
this city, who, by the change In Police Commits
sioners, are deprived Of their only bulwark
against fraudulent elections There were two
walls by Kerwin, one by Murray. Kerwin's first
was delivered on Saturday and foated through
the Sunday newspapers with softening and sub
DUNG influence not inappropriate TO the Sabbath,
but with enough Of tartness TO adapt 1t TO the
intellectual palates Of the orthodox who believe
in righteous anger On Monday Commissioner
Murray emitted wall in which lamentation and
yituperation were commingled In equal parts,
and Commissioner Kerwin let go another OF an
impassioned character, supplementing the soush-
Ing south wind Of his first communication with
the scorcbing blast Of the wild simeon and the
tempestuous bowling OF the devastating north
wester. So they went out; in madness rather
than meekness; not so much sullen as sulphurols;
leaving behind them the impression That III their
belief institutions wonld crumble, parties disln-
tegrate and fail into chaos. and elections In the
future all go wrong. The commingled lamentii-
ton was as OF the voice that cried aloud when
you are arrived at Pulodes take care TO make 1t
known that the great god Pan Is dead"
This wailing was unusual Also unnecessary.
Other persons in official position have been sud
denly cut off from opportunities for usefulness,
posts Of distinction and the means Of subsistence.
That sort Of thing goes on constantly. 1T has
bappened 10 men whose public service was 10
less DISTINGUISHED than that OF the eminent per-
sons who walled so lugubriously Yesterday as
they folded their stationery and went away. But
they took it philosophically as rule. and aid
not wall audibly over the ingratitude Of repub-
lies. lament over impending disasters 10 the pub
lie veal or denouncc In hot and Incorporate Ian
euage the dcccitfuncss and treachcry Of the ap-
pointing and disappointing power. Once hold
Ing IS so prccarious pursuitand IN Il democ-
racy there are SO many citizens of equal gifts
and capacity, while The number of those who are
recognized by their fellows as pre-eminent Is
extremely small that al appearance Of reslgna'
ton and submission t. sudden and unexpected
changes IS generally considered 10 be. II we may
be allowed the expression in such solemn circum-
Stances, |lile DTbp'I 'iD'l. OH' VI 'h' '@''H'
tlal requirements in fact, for men who make "A
business Of holding Office. and are consequently
dependent upon their retention OF popular favor.
IS that they have enough sweetness Of disposition
10 take Il kindly when the People. or the People s
representatives, open the door TO them ana in
yite them to retire And II Is always and every
where held to be In bad form either 10 talk
back" when told to go or Kick back when kicked
out In this view Of the situation, 1t seems 10 us
that Messrs Murray and Kerwin made mistake
in their waillng. They should have prof'ed by
the example Of their patron, Mr.. Plat, who has
recently suffered series Of the most varicgatef
and exasperatlng disappointments, and has never
50 much as emitted an interview about them
1t seems TO us. TOO, that Messrs. Murray and
Kerwin have made other serious mistakes in
/ assuming first, that Mr. Plat Is the Republican
party; second that Mayor Strong had entered
/ into any arrangement with, or made any prom
se to, him concerning his appointments; third,
! that the Republican party Of this city had the
remotest expectation, not TO say the least desire,
that these two Commissioners would be retained
in office. and last, that anything harmful to the
public good or injurious TO the Republican party
will result from the change that has been made.
Both these gentlemen know that, whatever they
may have done to give us an honest election last
November. or whatever they may have RETAINED
from doing 10 cheat US out Of It, the vast major
fly Of voters believed them to be part and parcel
Of the Tammany machine which they rose up
against and demanded TO be overthrow. They
know that their appointments were the result OF
a deal between Mr. Plat and Mayor Gilroy
They know that all the reform legislation desired
by our citizens has been held up at Albany, de
layed. trifed with and botched for no other rea
son than that Mr.. Plat might eXtort concessions
upon which these two should retain their places
And they know. too, most Of all that Mayor
Strong could not have retained them without
bringing about his head storm Of Indignant
protest from the overwhelming majority Of Re
publicans, and from all the organizations which
united with them for the publication Of the city
government and the overthrow OF the Tammany
system. These gentlemen should have accepted
the inevitable gracefully and tried to look pleas
ant under it. In one portion Of his latest wal
Mr. Kerwin says. threatcningly to Mayor
Strong: The patient people Of this city, my
dear sir, will not forget that you remained
! SILENT" under charges which he names He Is
right They will not forget either that Mr.. Ker
win did not remain silent when TO do so would
have been greatly to his advantage. The pa
tent people of this city have much greater re
spect for Mayor Strong's silence than for Mr.
Kerwin's violent and unseemly garrulity
1t is to be regretted that these two nominally
Republican Commissioners should make such q