New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-03
THE GOVERNORS POSTSCRIPT
HIS ATTITUDE ON BIPARTISAN POLICE
BILLS.

WHAT HE MEANT BY HIS MEMORANDUM ON THE
WEST TROY BILL. WAS THAT HE DlsAP-
PROVED THE PROPOSED METHOD OF
ELEcrING POLICE COMMISSIONERS
IFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE IKpoN -
Albany. March 2-Governor Merton auueu pos'-
script to-day to his notable memorandum on inc
West Troy Police bill issued yesterday Apparently
some newspapers thought from MS Henio. a'
that he disapproved bipartisan boards OF police out
as pointed out III The Tribune OF To-Day "hat he
does disapprove is a system OF eIec'hs io"ee No"'
missioners by which candidates who receive iar less
votes than others are to be declared elected because
they happen to belong some particular political
party Thomas c. Platt had induced his 1riehd
Iexow TO draw up bipartisan police bill! for New
York containing a provision for the election OF
Police Commissioners which substantially put the
BOARD OF Police forever in the control of Tanmany
Hall and Of the Tammany Republican organization
controlled by Mr.. Plat. This ia the provision 10
which Governor Morton strenvously objects. and he
Alves due warning 10 the Legislature in the course
U1f his memorandum on the West Troy bill that II
the New-York Bipartisan bill contains 1t when II
reaches him he will veto 1t.
Senator Lexow IL be predicted in we" o.
this utterance of Governor Morton when the b.
Partisan Police bill comes up for consderaOoh o'i
Wednesday next. will at once move that the fa''
clause providing for the election OF the Ponce oo
missioners be stricken ont
Governor Morton's utterance to-day ho"eNei'
IS a valuable document in itself. for once more ie
reveals in it his personal support OF tne uoe ,
OF non partisan government for Ne"-1oih ar"
other cities and thus holds up the hahus u No.
Strong He does this by declaring In erect tha''
1n his opinion, the Police Commissioners III
should not be classified according TO their at''uoe
on National or State politics but on their course
nm local matters. He thus shows his behei 'hat
.ha neon,e of New-York might wish to select Ponce
Cor'riss,oners pledged simply 10 carry out local
roforrns of a non partisan nature. and that they
ought not TO be bound TO the selection OF candi-
dates nominated by certain National or state po-
Nt,cal parties The Governors interesting memo
randum is:
There seems TO be msapprehen3on as TO the
scope OF the memorandum filed with the bill re
iaee Of West Troy and the memorandum seems
10 have been construed as an inuieCt CIltC;isil'
or disapproval OF the scheme OF bipartisan ponce
No such criticism or dlsapproNal was INTENDED
nv the memora ndum, and it is not fairly capable OF
any such construction. 1t was only mIenISedd 10
point out apparent defect IN Inc methnod OF
The tac that the political parties existing in No
vember and the vote cast at that lne upon sac
~ selection OF police commissioners instead or the
issues and the votes and the parties eXistlng IN
the municipality at the time the ponce CoiiiiiiS-
The condition of parties IN November should not.
In INV judgment, be taken as a criterion Tor the
selection OF officers OF mercy iocal onS sd,
representing local issues should not De ueprlNeI i
office while receiving more votes than other candi.
dates. simply because they do not belong 10 one 0l
the two political parties into which the state
or Nation may have been divided several months
before and the object OF the memorandum was
simply 10 suggest that If bipartisan boards are 10
be elected the result Of the election should be
allowed TO fairly express and represent the then
existing sentiment on municipal questions