New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-18
DIVIDED RESPONSIBILITY.

Amid the flying gossip concerning the Lake
,yood conferences over the division or the mu-
nicipal spoils which Mr.. Platt has generously
thrown into the lap Of Tammany there IS
an occasional rumor touching the prospective
awards OF the small plckings which. under the
hinartsan provisions Of the laws regulating GER
toin anpontments. will be turned over to Re
nubIicans II Is very naturally assumed that
the dismissal of these crumbs OF patronage VIII
he given 10 Mr.. Plat At this no one can com
nIain IT would be the basest ingratitude on
the mart Of Mr. Croker TO refuse this small recog-
nitlon of the ,nestmable service rendered 10
him and TO Tammany by the statesman who
.iommed through" the charter and demOraZed
the anti Tammany forces. 1t has been reported
that Messrs Platt and Qugg have already been
In consultation over the selections to be MADE
for Police Commissioners, and that among the
hopeful applicants whose names were consid-
cred are ex Commissioners Murray and Kerwin.
Platt's former appolntees, who were removed
nv Mavor Strong as hindrances to reform They
demand "vlndication" And as their removal
WAS the PRINCIPAL cause OF Platt's violent out
break against Mayor Strongs administration,
the logic OF the situation seems 10 require that
Platt. through his influence with Croker, should
logical result of the election. in which the two
machines were practically allied against the
opponents of both. 1t would serve to empha'
size the situation by putting the entire respon-
sibillty for police administration where 1t be-
longs upon the Platt-Croker alliance presently
coming into municipal control.
The Republicans Of this city who have re-
pudiated the Platt-Quigg domination have no
-;.h To no
ity of any department of the municipal admin
istraton. They know full well that Tam
many Mayor will appoint as Republican men,
bers Of the bipartisan commissions only such
Republican politicians as can be depended upon
10 act in harmony with their Tammany col
leagues. and that, while no advantage can come
TO the party from anything that they can do. the
party will be saddled with half the RESPONSE
bnity for all the deviltry the PlattCroker com
bination may concoct They recall the expert
ence OF this city with bipartisan commissions
heretofore the dsgraceful collisions and dis
honest dickers and deals. and all the Infamous
practices, only partially uncovered by the Lexow
investigation, by which the taxpayers were
robbed while Justice was defrauded and crime
stalked unpublished. They will not object to
Platt's restoring Murray and Kerwin TO their
| old places, TOT, now tu3t lIies dlo hnO"h -!
their former record and their hostile attitude
toward the Strong administration. there Is no
danger that the Republican party will be held
responsible for them or their acts. They VIII
be charged up to the Rump of the Platt-Qugg
organization.
It is only fair, moreover, that the Tammany
Democracy should have full swing, as they VIII
unquestonably have with Platt-Quigg selections
for the bipartisan commissions II In that state
of affairs they give this poor Boss-ridden city
a fairly honest and decent government they VIII
be entitled 10 the credit Of it-credit OF which
no good citizen would wish 10 deprive them
The Republicans Of this city who fought both
machines al the last election have no other
aspiration than for an honest, efficient, clean
and upright municipal government. And they
are not only willing. but anxious. for the sue
cess in this regard of Mayor Van Wyck and his
administration. They freely admit that they
have but small hopes Of IT, but they Will re-
joice TO be disappointed The fight they made
was not for mere party success but for wise,
honest and clean non-partisan government.
They will look on with interest while the new
rulers undertake the task before them But
they will not permit themselves 10 be made
partners in the responsibility through the appll-
cation OF the demonstrated humbug of bipartisan
| commissions.