St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-04
Gossips Are Guessing Who
Will Be President Of the
New Council,
And Hold the City's Keys
When His Honor, the Mayor,
Is Away.
Few Changes Are Anticipated
by Reason of the Repub-
lican Majority.
Possibly 1t May Take off Mr..
Murray's Head After Next
March.

''Who will be the mayor when Bob
Smith is out of the city?''
This question was asked frequently
yesterday on the street corners, in the
hotels and at other places where the re-
suits of the late election were being dis
cussed. The answer to this, of course,
depends on which member of the new
city council majority of that body sees
fit to make its president. To him will
come. not only the honor of sitting in
the highest chair twice a month when
the council meets, but, in the absence
of Mr.. Smith from the city, he will be
the executive head of the municipal
government and hold the keys to the
city. A majority of the council
were elected by virtue of having had
their names on the Republican ticket.
II they hold to the party lines, then
Republican may be mayor for portion
of the next term. This would be only
as it is now, for the late Democratic ma
Jority was bipartisan enough to elect
Col. Kerr,on of the Republicans, to that
position. Four of the new councilmen
have been mentioned as possible timber
for the new president of that body.
These were, o. o. Cullen, William
Hamm, William Bickel and w. ii. San
born. All but MIR. BiclSel are old mem
berS of the council, and there was some
gueSSwork whether Mr.. Bickel, who has
been put down as one of the probable
leaders in the aldermanic doings. would
be boosted to the presidents chair at
once. Aid. Cullen is probably as good
a Democrat as if his name had not been
on the Republican ticket, and it was
questioned whether the Republican
members would see fit to vote tor him
or not, for their presiding officer Aid.
Hamm and Sanborn were mentioned in
connection with the presidency, for no
especial reason, so far as could be heard,
except that they were both capable men
and had the necessary experience.
NO REVOLUTION LIKELY.
An erroneous impression seemed to
prevail somewhat as to the effect of the
Republican majority i'll the council.
Some, not only on the street, but one at
two newspapers, would give the idea
that any man who is in any way con-
nected with the city government was
about to have his official head lcut off.
This is an error.
There has been no change in the
city administration" said one man who
spoke on the subject, in the hearing of
a GLOBE reporter. ''The principal
things the new council can do will be to
take the buttons off the coat of Market
Master O'Reagan, and elect a new
Jallor. The council has nothing more
to do. Democrats still sit in the chairs
of the mayor, comptroller and treas
urer."
OF course the council can make some
changes. On the police department
the chief and the detectives hold until
they are removed by the mayor, for
cause. so the complexion of the council
cuts no figure with them, and even if
the Republican majority wanted to, it
cannot make any changes here. It-can,
however, refuse to ratify the appoint
ments made by the mayor for patrolmen,
if it sees fit. 1t is also the councils
business to elect jailers and drivers of
the patrol wagons. The council elects
city clerk, but it will not be this council
some other councillor the term of
Tom Prendergast will not expire until
nearly year after the next election,
when the majority of the
council will again be Democratic.
SO the new election cuts no
figure with MIR. Prendergast. Building
Inspector Johnson is in the same boat.
There have been loud remarks made by
the Republican press that the chief end
of the late campaign was to secure the
scalp of the Hon, W. p. Murray, the
present city attorney. These remarks
have not vlSibly affected the corporation
counsellor, who is elected by the alder
men, and even when the returns were
all in and the complexion of the council
was known, his pulse was regular, and
his general health apparently good. His
present term will expire next March,
and so the present aldermanic body can
take his scalp if enough of them feel
disposed to do so when the time comes.
The other departments of the city
government the council has little to say
about. The board of education, under
the latest legislative action, is appointed
by the mayor. Their appointments are
not confirmed by the council. The same
is true of the board of public works and
this board elects city engineer with
out help or Endorsement of the council.
The fire commissioners are indorsed by
the council before they become full
pledged commissioners. The old coun-
Gil will hold, probably, two more meet
ings, and early in June the new mem
bers will begin to sit in their chairs and
continue so to do for two years. There
is little business of all important nature
that is likely to come up before that
time, except the canvassing of the re
turns. That will be done at the meet
ing next week.