St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-29
ng for the best of it. in politics as else


on the face of it that Potter took the
advanced position on this matter which
he did solely because of the polit-
ical weight which it would have.
Potter worked for and secured the
appointment of junketing committee
which went down East to investigate
municipal lighting systems. He went
with the committee. When the COM
mittee came back it reported what
grand thing it would be for the city to
do its own lighting, and recommended
that the proper city officers be author
lied to take steps toward making the
change. Now, while the plan may be
good one, it IS, nevertheless, radical
change, and not one to be made sud-
denly and heedlessly. It's adoption
would entail some expenditure of
money. Some of the aldermen object
ed to adop ting the report of the COM
mittee. because that would settle the
business without its having been given
any thought. They thought that
b fne lighting g companies conn and tSa c be
be thereby saved considerable trouble.
Anyhow, they wanted to see the matter
considered carefully, as BETTING such
weighty subject. Then Potter was
mad. He thought it discourtesy to
the committee. He wanted the city to
make radical, wholesale change on an
important feature Of municipal ecOnO-
my, without one of the men responsible
to the city being given chance to
think over the matter. For once. the
good sense of the council prevailed.
MIR. POtter's action indicates here that
he is not above the
Tricks Of the Politician.
There has been good deal SAID about
D0%t 81 I'll -.
ordinance. Potter has denied strenu-
ously that he voted against that part of
the ordinance prescribing that the
street railway company shall relieve
for damages resulting from the
presence of the poles and wires in the
streets. In measure his denial holds
good. but is an equivocation. While the
ordinance was being read Aid. Hansen
moved to amend a certain section so
that the street railway company might
be held responsible for damages result
ing from falling wires, crossed wires,
etc. Aid. Potter objected to that amend
ment. He spoke against it. He voted
against it. But the amendment carried.
was incorporated in the ordinance, and
in that shape was, of course, voted for
by Potter. He was againstthat amend
ment, and only swallowed it because he
couldn't help himself. This proves
that
He Is Not for the People.
Before the Republican city conven-
ton was held Aid. Potter said to Trib-
une reporter: Il want to be mayor be-
cause it will help my business" That
is the true ''k eynote'' of which so much
has been said. Well, he has done his
best to have his business helped by his
present office. Almost every month,
among the bills passed by the council
committee Oh claims. of which Mr.. Pot
ter is chairman, by the way. there is
bill against the city presented by Pot
ter. Lucas IL Co. E. q. Potter is the
senior partner of the firm of Potter.
Lucas & Co. That firm sells butter and
other produce to the city for use in the
city hospital and the workhouse; Al,
though MIR. Potter is city official, and
city officers are forbidden by law to
| make contracts or carry on business
with the city, Mr.. Potter continues to
sell butter, ETC., to the city. More than
that, he charges the city more for the
butter than he does his other customers.
An examination of the bills in the city
comptroller'S Office shows that when
butter is quoted at one price among the
dealers, Mr.. Potter always charges sew
eral cents more for what the city buy S.
And he scarcely supplies to the work
house and the city hospital better
article than to his gilt-edged customers.
Here is evidence that Potter is
INSCRIPTIONS in a Small Way.
When the 'retrenchment and re-
FORM administration went into power
two years ago it found in effect reSo-
luton providing that all public work
be done by day labor so far as practical
BILE. On this matter the work of reform
began. On the 18th of January, at the
second regular meeting Of the city coun-
Gil, Aid. BarrOwS introduced a reSOIu-
ton repeating the day labor resolution.
The aldermen were new then and
feared action Oh that matter, SO its coll
Sideration was postponed. But the
wheels of the great reform machine could
not thus be stopped. The Democrats
bad, while in control Of the council,
fixed eight hours as full days work on
city work. They had done so in justice
| to the laboring men, and because Senti-
menJ all over the country was growing
| in favor of the eight-hour day. Aid.
| BarrOwS introduced reSOlut ion at that
| second meeting of the council repeating
| the eight-hour act. One alder man
wanted action on this resolution post
| poned until the next meeting. but his
motion to that effect was lost. Barrow's
resolution was passed by vote of
% to 9, and the eight-hOur day ceased to
exist. Aid. Potter was one of the alder
men who voted for the abolish
ment of the eight-hour day. This
would indicate that he is
No Friend of the Laborer.
| Ever since Mr.. Potter became an al
derman he has been chairman of the
committee ON claims. This is one of
the most important committees in the
council. Through its hands all bills
against the city must pass, and
| by it all the bills against
the city must be approved.
For comment upon the work of the
committee on claims, an extract from
the report of the Republican city comp
troller answers admirably. The comp
! trOller, in his report for 1889, says:
Thousands of dollars of claims are
paid every month, which tor want of
system have not been properly exam
1ned-from bill for postage stamps to
| junketing trip East. am quite conf
dent that no member of the city council
would allow his private business to be
thus conducted"
Further OH in his report the city
comptroller says:
sit has been the pleasure of your
honorable body (meaning the city coun-
| CiiD W dpplONC dlu OlucI paul CldlIuS
Which have he yer seen the Inside of the
comptroller's office. Think of the COM
mittee on claims passing upon budget
of 900 claims which they had never seen
before, amounting to $3.50, lin one and
half hours. and all receiving their ap-
| prOval as correct"
A simple arithmetical process shows
that the committee on claims passed
upon claims at the rate of ten per min
ute. If Mr.. Potter can work that rap
idly he would be worth his weight in
gold as lightning calculator. But
neither he nor any other man can do It,
In the same report he calls attention
to the fact that the city char ter makes
it illegal to pass claims not audited
and adjusted by the city comptroller"
Mr.. Potter was chairman of The COM
mittee, so it seems that the Republican
candidate for mayor broke the law. All
this leads to the natural inference that