The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-20

charges; the person against whom the charge
are made, must have the opportunity 70 D'
heard, and then. II removed, the removal mus
be approved by the Governor ! was agalns'
giving the Mayor absolute power OF rem0va
when the Charter was framed, and l Were
Mayor ] would not care To have so much power
but l have become almost convinced that Il
would DE- best, all things considered, To ief'
init him TO remove AT will. Then you are ahlf
10 put the responsibility for mnladmlnis'
tration ia onlce where 1t belongs, upon one
man and upon one party. II The poWer be
exercised IN such n way as TO become odIol,
10 the people, the people will see to that the
person exercising IL doesn't have the power
10 exercise 1t but for one term.
Having worked revision along the lines and
70 the extent indicated, ! would then and with
all the promptness possible abolish the present
Board. Of Education. Experience has shown
that the present system does not work well,
It's not good for the schools, and ms not good
Tor the city. The theory Of the charter trainers
was that II the Board Of Education were made
up OF fourteen or sixteen men ! forget at the
moment which IL the correct number all lo
serve without salaries, only such men could
be found 10 accept appointments TO the board as
Wer" eminently qualified on account Of their edu-
cation, their culture and their business, 10 give
their whole time to the cause Of city education.
We have seen that this was a mistaken theory.
lhe men who have been APPOINTED under the
'harter have been very excellent men, a. good
perhaps aSCOuld be found. but they have found
mat II took altogether too much time for them
70 give for nothing. Every now and then we
near 81 some member of the board resigning,
DefunSc OF Inc Time Mnltn the WOTK taxes,
Now, there IL no reason why the schools
should not become a regular department of
the city government, Just Ike any other de-
partment, and administered Ike any other de-
partment, | am strongly of the opinion that
the best possible thing for the schools would
be 10 create a department called the Depart
ileut Of Education, II you like, the head Of the
department to be called the Commissioner Of
EducaliOn. or any other title YOU please.
Let this Commissioner run his department
}lI1t as any other city department /; run and
hold him responsible for It's good or bad manage
i,leht Glye HIM a salary compassionate with
me. duties he must perform, and give him such
assistants "a h. may require, his assistants also
10 be well paid.
Il was not in favor Of tho plan | have out
lined when the Charter was framed. but | have
seen how the scheme has worked In connection
WIN ne FIRE Department, for instance, and |
have become convinced that IL il the only way
IN which Tie schools can be run 10 the best adj
vantage, Commissioner Stannell gives his whole
tiine to therlnnlng Of the Fire Department, and
he has run IT marvellOuslv well ! remember
very well when ] appointed him Fire Commits
sloner that | was damned from the Battery TO
ne Bronx, but ! was quite willing then, as l
always have been, 10 take the full responsibility
for any Of my acts, and | had no reason to regret
the appointment Of Commissioned Scanned.
/ ne FIRE Department was never in better shape
that has convinced me that the schools can
De better and best run as a regular department
OF theclty under "A single Commissioners
Nov ms to the Police Department. As a mat
- - s'''H wv iN-'' hA VI raw INlH NIlflllll INlt
6a under the direction Of the Department Of
Police. The idea is all wrong: but at the time
the Charter was framed | was not in favor Of
dlyorCing the two, because | could not, for the
re of me, see at the time how the Bureau II
Elections could Ne run without the aid Of the
police, | believe | have grown wiser since the
{ harter was framed. | think ] now see how
the two can be divorced and each managed much
better than either is at present because Of the
separation Of The two. Now mind YOU. if the two
Mere not to be-, separated | would never be in
IINfT Oh nnAT11nr nm "A him ~ - .ltA
Board such a one as the present Charter pro-
WOES Tor. II the two'were separated ] would
Pc unqLlalnedly In favor Of IA single-headcd
Gluslon that the Department Of Police and the
Bureau Of Elections not only ought, TO be- sep
grated; but can be separated, IT has occurred
10 me that this plan might be- adopted,
Make the Bureau Of Elections a DEPART
OF the city government. rs | would have
the schools q department. OF the city govern
Ike, or call it the Department Of Elections.
The title doesn't count and that Is a matter
detail. any way. II the principle is right
rs details can be- easily worked out. Al the
head of the bureau or department | would
place a Board of Elections, to be composed
two, three or four Commissioners, to be
appointed by the Mayo II the commits
beers, would have one of the members Of ths
political party from the party OF
the appointing " II the, commission
have the membership equally divided between
Democrats and Republicans. | would give
10 ,thl| commission whole charge and con-
troll of all elections held in the city. II might
be- necessary and. indeed. probably would be
necessary 10 have the assistance Of tho police
IN Canva-Slng and making up the returns and
10 attend to other details Of election. But
for such work the police could be called upon
just a they are called upon To suppress riots
or 10 do other work. But again | say the sug-
Of calllng upon the police at election
times to ASSIST the Department of Elections
Is n suggestion rs to detail, and details | would
not care 10 discuss in more than n suggestive
way without carefully thinking the whole
schem" over and working the details out.
Having put the Bureau OF Elections In n
by itself. | would then. ma said
before. nut the Department of Police in chnrgn
of one Commissioner. and | would hoId INN
absolutely responsible for The good conduct
Of the department. Wherever his has been
tried it appears to have met with the best re-
and I think we could get more satis-
factory results IN his denortnent in Wv W.
Y ork hv adopting this plnn than in INV other
way. As you may infer. | believe in placinn
responsibility where il belongs. The higa,
Thai some u,nule hold M Of aiyina ~
fcials too much power has no terrors for ma
So long as Tho United states ia a raa,,hiic
and SO long as its citizens are frne
they will take yery GOOD care that
iheir nlhlic servants do tIo Tri,,bt tbina "r
viii ind A wa, 10 vet rid ~ hon, Eur
thrrmorr. hrlinva thot in mos, im.,ancas
RESPONSIBILITIES tend Ia bring oit tho
best that there is in n man Al anv rate "a.
the PnIIra nnnartr,nnt nm ,nu LIT,
easy far npo 80 w., r,on - ~, ~ I,LNr
are In hlar,a fnr ~ IN a. :" ~" wv
abuses. and ths otbar falIn.s can nv hot
the frat tro mr., tnikinr through" ,Iaa}r Tmnits.
and tho r.snonsibHitv ran't la Hj,cnS Vi,b
n invla-ha1nd rop,r1issinp s,,o ""s
resnmnsibiHtr Mi ha 9Iin s"'""s VI
"One o,hcr mTnttor "uton, -, roo, &c o,d
then / think have exhausted nv horsebanE
of "a" ubmmin suhinr"t" ~ ~ ch mt I.Srisfav
7, ~. ~ h'L'', ~ ,nnllr' i'Nl7nHh