New-York tribune., 1899-07-16
. OIL AND EDUCATION.
THE TAMMANY LUBRICANT PROVES MAP
PLICABl.E TO A REPUBLICAN,

i~HbA<E ~ REPuBi<lCAN.
After ALL a good deal would be lost In some ways
IL 'he city were not controlled by Tammany. al
though the taxpayers who TO think that the
world was made for them might gain a little Tam
many Is no amusing. The reform government OF
TWO years ego a sober. steady sort of salts
iaction, but II never diverted the people the way
the present one does. Was there any Asa Bird
Gardiner connected with the reform government ,
NO. indeed. there was not And he Is only one OF
the men who are adding to the gayety OF boroushs
Think OF Police Commissioner York who re-enacts
the charter in the form OF police regulations and
who is said to be reading the Constitution OF the
United States. Think OF Alderman Bridges who
can entertain audience just by moving to refer
proposition to the Committee on Sewers
Indeed, IL is In the use OF language-blarney Is
another for it-that Tammany men excel
Miles NJ OBrien, OF the Board OF Education, struck
out another spark the other day when he said that
machinery ought to be thrown away when oil no
longer did any good. Now, how true thatiis! You
have piece Of machinery your hands. and you
wish that you could have some other piece OF ma
chnery instead of Il. So you oil the piece that you
have. 10 II you will feel any contented
with II. You find that you do not Then.it is natu-
raj to suppose that It is not Tammany machinery
at ALL and there is hope that you will ever like
# any better So you throw it away. unless the
machine gets an injunction TO prevent-but the
metaphor is getting little mixed. and It may be
well 10 explain the parable.
The machine is A Emerson Palmer the secretary
OF the Board OF Education, Republican. Mr..
OBrien hinted that the secretary wanted lubri-
eating and that that would do no good and
that he had better be discarded. Others wanted
him discarded. too. only they could not express It
beautifully. Mr.. OBrlen said that everything
had not been going with the Board II It had been
well oiled You see. Mr.. O'Bren believes I'm oilng
Boards well machinery II is possible that
MT OBriens disposition az the moment did not
f,ot.n nit aoFr
that skilful salad dressers recommend for nicely
laid plan TO do without Mr.. Palmer had already
failed
So sure were the members Of the Board that Mr.
Palmer going walk the creased board and
quietly slip from the end OF it into of oblivion
(aha! isn't that metaphor worthy of Tammany IT.
self? that they had his successor all picked out or,
rather the successor, q man by the name Of Ellis,
had picked himself out. Mr. Ellis has told how he
did this in an amazing newspaper interview which
there is not space to quote here. But at the meet
ing at which it to take place. with Mr. Ellis
present. ready 10 put Mr.. Palmers shoes the
moment the fabricated board was jerked from
under his feet (this Is more Of that same
metaphor) plump into the oilcup came an injunction
restraining the Board from dipping Mr.. Palmer
of. except by three-fourths vote and for cause.
II seems that the silly charter has something In
# 70 the effect that Mr.. Palmer and some others
cannot be got rid OF in any way but this. II the
Board had consulted Commissioner York he would
have told 1t this. he knows the charter backward
But the Board didn't know. and It had no cause
for dismissng Mr. Palmer The Injunction is to be
argued next Thursday, and in the mean time the
Board will have time to look for cause 1t need
not look far Is lot Mr. PalmeTs unsusceptiplity
m lubricati cause enough? or course, court OF
law might fail TO appreciate the imagery which 80
distinguishes Tammany officials. and so the bear
ings might become heated again. But that Is the
thing 10 try. When Tammany cannot gam lts
ends by barney 1t may well move out OF the
City Hall and machine shop