The Portland daily press., 1884-05-20

refused a hearing. There is nothing in
this case since it began more frivolous"
and more significant of confused mind
than this. We reprint the whole document
in order that it may be seen how grossly its
character is being misrepresented by the
partisans of Mr.. Andrews.
(From the PRESS report printed May 1, 1884,
At the close of Mr.. Looney's argument His Honor
took the chair and addressed the Board as follows:
'In personal affairs men find in the line of duty
much that is perplexing. and are sometimes called
upon to the performance Of acts distasteful to them
selves. and often causing unhappness to others. In
the administration of public trusts cases of this
kind necessarily increase and should be more care
fully considered but the demand for action is very
much more imperative.
"Hardly had entered upon the performance of
the duties of this Office before meeting called
by large number of most intelligent and in1uen-
tial citizens irrespective of party. The result of
this meeting was the organization of a society un-
der the name of Law and Order League, title
most significant in itself. Anon, was waited upon
by committees from different temperance organiza-
tions bearing resolutions expressing their gratica
ton at the formation of this league and assurance
of hearty cooperation and support. These move
ments entirely novel and unusual in this comm
nifty, could only be construed by me as a personal
testimony of each member of these organizations,
either to culpable negligence in police depart
ment or want of confidence in my administration
"Very soon complaints were made against the
Marshal, some of them of a very grave character.
have givea them what care and attention L could
and have submitted the result In form of reasons for
his removal to you. L am aware that the magni-
tude of some of these reasons to far overshadows
others, that some persons inclined to treat all
not positively criminal frivolous. This, in my
judhment, is not the consideration they deserve.
You will all agIee that there may be cases of in
efficiency which are not criminal,
SIN this case you not called upon to vote as to
whether every have submitted is fully sus-
tanned by the evidence offered but whether from in
efficiency or other you can vote to advise and
consent to the removal of Benjamin f. Andrews
from the Office of City Marshal. which 1 now re-
commend"
The chair then stated that he removed the City
Marshal and called upon the board for their advice
and consent in the premises.
Whether this document was written i'm
mediately before It's delivery, or the day be-
fore, or at any previous time is immaterial
because it does not discuss at all the ev:
dence, or the arguments, or even the
charges. 1t is a plain and obviously frank
statement by the Mayor of the circumstances
under which he was performing an I'M
pleasant public duty, and certainly it was
justified, if it was not called for, by the I'M
seemly spectacle of public newspaper con-
fusing the public intelligence and mislead-
ing the public conscience by insisting, in ad-
vance of the presentation of any evidence,
that complaints of "culpable neglect of
duty" made by the Mayor against the City
Marshal were frivolous, and that that officer
ought not to be removed unless his offenses
were so rank that he could be convicted of
felony.
In conclusion we may inform the Adver-
tiser that no line in this whole business has
been set up in the PRESS Office in advance
of its official publicity except what was
supplied by friends of Mr. Andrews. But
if it thinks that would be wrong thing to
do, we recommend an investigation of the
circumstances under which the Argus was
enabled to print a long speech By Judge
Goddard which, we are informed, was a
different speech from the one actually made
to the Aldermen,