The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-08-20
Removed Commissioner Al
tdCkS Mayor Mcclellan.
AMBITIOUS TO Be A BOSS
"Seized With Desire to Get Contro
of Tammany Hall"-His Lit
tie Game to Win Min
isters."

New York, Aug. 1S.-Gcnera Theo
dore \. bingham is out with another
article telling why he was removed
from office and making the charge that
fifteen men who ran dives ut tOncY
island got to" Senator McCHrrcn. who
was able to influence Mayor Mcclellan
to remove the police commissioner as
Il ScaprgOar who had acted III purSu-
Hnrc of plans made by the mayor.
In making these plans. the former
commissioner asserts. the purpose Of
the mayor was tn capture the Tam
many organization for himself, not
withstandng his assurances that he
had determined to retire from politics
at the end of his term.
General bingham charges that the
mayor cherished an ambitious design
to become the New York boss ana that
in carrying out the design h" sought
To- have the commissioner so run the
police department as to favor political
leaders who wished to protect unlaW-
ful interests
Taking up the recount case. General
Bingham criticiSpS the attitude of the
mayor in that fight, adding:
"The mayors political instincts and
training made the paudits of the
crowd most pleasant. TO find himself
deserted suddenly was shock to the
man who had more than his share OF
vanity. Mcclellan shut himself up like
a cave man and refused to attend pub
I,.. .NHi, .inl
ence was desired
He could not be made to see that he
must pay the penalty Of his own lack
of nerve in welcoming IL recount when
such proceedings became inevitable.
This light on McClcllan's character
was surprise to me. Above all, l
urged hinrNeo show the people that he
was not afraid to lose his job. That
he did not have the nerve to do this
constantly was due to the fact that on
one or two of the infrequent occasions
in which he did appear in public his
greeting by applause was we'll salted
with jeers and hisses."
The former commissioner says that
when he became police commissioner
it was with the promise of Mcclellan
that he would not be hampcrcd by
politicians.
Il was given to understand that he
had made up his mind to quit politics,
When his term of office expired he
would enter some other business he
says. but he soon learned that instead
of seeking to get out of politics the
mayor did not possess strength or
character enough to keep his promise
and keep politics out of my end of his
administration He became seized with
the great idea that in the four years
of office then before him he could OBJ
tain the control of Tammany Hall.
The fight was to begin at once. I'm
mediately contests to displace old dis
trict leaders were instituted in many
assembly districts"
The general indicates that the fight
began to fail because Of his refusal to
lend the police department to the
schemes of the city hall,
$50 bad did his political scheme be,
come," he says. sin some of the dis
tricts of Manhattan after Mayor Nc
Ciellan began his contests at the pri
maries for the leadership of Tammany
Hall that l had to make radical
changes In the personnel of those dis
trictS.
"Many disreputable resorts had
started as if sure Of the right kind OF
protection. and saloon keepers haC
ceased to take the police into theil
calculations.
'Not only" says the general, was
the license bureau found to be dOinG
land office business in graft, but Il
often trebled the cost of show Ii
censes."
He charges that Mcclellan in {
"spasm Of wrath" ordered all moving
picture shows be closed on Sunda!
Notwithstanding that he had ISSUED
seven day licenses to them and coulC
not legally make the order, which th
courts estopped by injunction.
General Bingham charges that Nc
Clellan said to him in response to
question as to the meaning of thi
wave of reform:
81 am playing a little game to vii
the minister's"