New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-31
HAFFEY'S REMOVAL.

In removing Borough President Louis f. Half
fen Governor Hughes again applies with salu-
tary effect the power lodged in his hands over
incompetent and unfaithful city officials. 1t is
a mower which has not been often used. hut as
check on local maladministration its value TO the
public has recently been thoroughly demon
strated. The removal of Borough President
Ahearn-not yet made effective because of his
defiant reelection by the aldermen Of Man
haitian Borough and the delay which has Oc-
Cured in subjecting TO final test the validity
of the new title thus given him-was notice
40 delinquents in office here that the old days
OF laxity were over and that administrative
shortcomings would hereafter be measured with
a different sort of yardstick. 1t used to be as
sumed that an official could consent to and en-
courage all sorts Of abuses so long as he was
guilty Of no positive transgression. Some overt
act" was Thought TO be necessary 10 condemn
hm-sOme direct personal participation in
crime or corruption. Governor Hughes held In
the Ahearn case that an official need not be
convicted OF personal corruption to make MIN
subject TO removal from ottice-that he could
be disciplined for closing his eyes and not exer-
cising due diligence TO prevent corruption on
the part OF others. The Ahearn precedent left
no hope for Haffen. for II was clear enough
from the results OF the investigation by the
Commissioners of Accounts and the report OF
the special commissioner TO investigate their
charges, and on Mr.. Hsffen's answers thereto
that his administration could not measure up
10 the Governors standards of efficiency and
integrity.
Years ago the findings against Mr.. Hanen
might not have been deemed damaging enough
TO compel his removal. They are deemed so
now. The Bronx Borough President, it may be
admitted, did only what the school of Tammany
politicians in which he was educated held that
il was normal and natural for a city official 10
do. The celebrated George Washington Plum
kit invented the term honest graft" He spoke
only the thought of almost every Tammany
politician that the city owed him living and
that he was entitled 10 use his official position
and his power in politics for his own profit so
long as he did not actually run foul of the let
ter Of the statutes. Using a dummy TO sell
land 10 the city at an exOrbitant price, which
he helped directly or indirectly to fix, was con-
sdered an excusable means Of collecting from
the public the debt il owed statesman for
giving his time and talents to its service-a
debt not adequately met by his payroll allow
ance. When counsel for the Mazet investigating
committee was examining Richard Croker the
Tammany dictator cynically admitted that he
worked for his own pocket all the time. He
argued that be and the politicians in power
under him were entitled TO the spoils. Public
office is & private snap has been the theory OF
Tammany administrators Mr.. Haffen was
only living in his own way up TO the Croker
doctrine.
Governor Hughes maintains, on the contrary.
that public Office is a public trust, and should
be administered strictly in the public interest
without faint of private profit. He intends 10
hold our borough officials up 10 that righteous
standard even though such a course brings 20
an untimely end the terms of majority of the
administrators whom the voters Of the various
boroughs have mistakenly honored. Under the
present city administration the Borough Presi-
dents Office has been the graveyard OF reputa
tons Two incumbents have been removed, a
third resigned in a panic. and charges against
the management OF a fourth are being invesu-
gated by the Commissioners OF Accounts. Only
one Borough President Mr. Cromwell, of Rich
mond. has kept his administration above re-
proach, and he is a Republican, educated in
another school of efficiency and character than
Tammanys. After all, Haffenism is only Tam
manyism and the voters OF all the borOughs
ought 10 be able TO that until they eXtirpate
Tammany and the Tammany spirit they will
get for the city administrators only counter
parts OF Ahearn and Haffen.