St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-28
A Secret Movement to Remove
Fire Chief Frank L.
StetSOn.
The Scandinavian Aldermen
Want to Control the
Department,
And Demand the Appointment
Of One Of Their National
ity at Once.
Secret Meetings Are Held, and
the Matter Will Come Up
in Council To-day.

a move Is contemplated Dy The he
publican retrenchmenJ and reform
council at the meeting this afternoon
which is expected TO rebound to the
credit, and cover with glory the council
men who are engaged in the scheme. 1t
is nothing more nor less that the GUST
ing from the fire department of Chief
Frank l.. StetsOn, who since 1882 has
given universal satisfaction, but who re-
fuses to pulp his men either this way
or that to suit the wishes of the ward
politicians. The Scandinavian mem
bers of the city council are at the head
OF the movement, and they have for
their allies some of the people who
some time ago were identified with the
movement to OnSt Chief of Police Brack-
EFT. They have no fault to find with
Chief StetsOn'S work. but they are
going to demand his decapitatiOn for
purely political reasons. They say they
want a Scandinavian either as the
chief or assistant. but they
must have man who will do what they
dictate and who can be depended upon
to carry out their political schemes.
This MIR. Stetson will not do, and as he
has refused to appoint men to the de-
partment whose only recommendation
bad rendered political services to their
masters he has incurred the enmity of
the men who are supposed to look after
the welfare Of the city.
The aldermen having the matter in
charge have gone to work carefully and
systematically, and for over three weeks
the matter has been carefully canvaSSed.
Now they expect to declare the office of
chief OF the hire department vacant, and
at meeting held last night it was said
that the following aldermen could he
depended upon to vote for First
Assistant Engineer August II.
Runge for chief and to elect
a Scandinavian as his first assistant.
Aid. Brueshaber, Bradish, Blichfeldt,
Cole, Enstad. Ellingsen, Flaten. Fultz,
Gray, Hunter, McGowan, Meloy. Parry,
Rhode, Reeves. Swanson, Sterling.
Vogt, Vandemaker, Woodward and
Warren. 1t is possible, however, that
some of the above named gentiemt n
will be found OH the other side, as sew
eral OF those who have attended the
secret meeting of the combine are
friendly to StetsOn. Should the schem-
ers discover to-day that they are not
strong enough to GUST the ceef
they will accept the next best thing and
reduce the salary from 5000 to $500,
per annum.
The city charter provides that the
chief engineer of the fire department.
shall be elected to serve for one year,
and City Attorney Russell yesterday
said that the council, at its meeting to-
day, could legally eject a successor to
Mr.. StetSOn or reduce the salary of the
office, if it saw fit TO do so. That 1t is
purely political move, no one denies.
That Chief StetsOn has been an efficient
public servant whose work is appre-
ciated by those who are competent
Judges is shown by the gradual reduc-
ton of insurance rates since he has
been the head of the department.. The
only fault that can be found with him
is that he has refused to allow himself
to be controlled in the selection of mis-
men by such questions as politics, ma
tionality or religion. and that the men
he has appointed have been
selected for their personal fitness
without regard to political influence.
While Mr.. Stetson has always been re-
garded as Democrat, there was no OPP
position to his election year ago by
the Republican council. and he was re-
garded as man who had been tried
and found ever ready to do his duty.
He has been connected with the Mime
apOliS fire department for over twenty
years, and it is to his untiring labors
that the department has reached
its present high state of efficiency,
and discipline. There are many citi-
zens who will view the proposed change
with alarm. Assistant Engineer Runge
declares that he will not accept the
Office If offered to him and that is just
what the councilmen want. Then they
can eject the Scandinavian whom they
have in view for chief. Should he he
an inexperienced man, and it is said
that he is, the insurance rates will
naturally take jump skyward.
and the business men will have to bear
the burden. IL is known that while
President johnson and Aids. Barrows
and Smith have been approached thew
are ready to make a strong fight on the
floor of the council for Chief StetSon's
retention. simply because he is a faith
full and efficient public servant.