St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-06
MINNEAPOLIS.
Additional City News Oh Page 4.
TWO PROUD RECORDS.

The new council didn't make proud
record for itself yesterday. The result
of its deliberations is not indicative of
its superiority over the old council. 1t
cut the heads from two public officials
who were more deserving Of commenda-
ton than almost any other public offic
ers in the city. They were F. l.: Stet-
son, of the fire department,
and S. s. KiIvington, of the
health department. In the first
place, the grounds upon which Stetson
was deprived of Office were trivial. lie
votes the Democratic ticFet occasionally
was one reason why he went. He is
not a lickspittle was another. He has
saved the city good deal of money by
taking contract from man who is
now an alderman was another. lie EaS
declined to coddle the representatives
OF any particular nationality, and that
was another. Weighty reasons,
aren't they, when sci up against
ability and faithful service. But per
sonal spite, political jealousy, ignoble
prejudice had to be satisfied. Stetson
was killed. But. admitting that there
were cOgent reasons why he should
have been removed, there was no eX-
cuSe for doing it as it was done and re-
est consideration. The action of the
city council savored of the practice of
the tWO-legged brute who disables an
antagonist with club and then jumps
upon his PROSTATE form with his boot
heels, except that the aforesaid brute
usually has some reason for doing what
he does. Honor or justice has no bust
ness lettering around the city council
chamber.
In the case of Kilvington, some of the
same reasons which operated against
StetsOn were in force. Personal preju-
dice and spite were the causes. And
these existed not alone among the
aldermen. Some individuals who are
wOuld-be political leaders, but who
have no connection with the city coun-
Gil, eXerted themselves to defeat Kill
vington. They have done it, but the ac-
complishment OF their designs rebounds
prived the city of Minneapolis of the
only real heath officer 1t ever
had, the one man TO whom the
city owes the existence Of the health de-
partment. Dr. L. S. Kelley, Kilving-
TOMS successor, is, no doubt, an able
and efficient physician. But no man,
however able in his profession, can take
hold of that health department and con-
duet it as successfully as could the man
who virtually created it and made it an
actuality. 1t was moi by the will of the
people that Kilvington was defeated.
The city council will yet discover that
1t made mistake.
How are the new Democratic alder
men feeling o.day? Have they cause
to shake hands with themselves?
Scarcely. Have they made a proud
record on their first appearance in pub
lie? Not that any one is aware. What
did they do? They helped defeat the
only two Democrats about whose re-
appointment there was any question.
What did they get? Nothing. The Re-
publicans have total Of only six
teen members of the council, two
more than actual majority. They were
in bitter fight over two appointments,
health commissioner and chef Of the
fire department. Both the incumbents
were Democrats and could have been
retained had the Democratic aldermen
exercised modicum of finesse. Both
were defeated. Political sagacity dOesn'
seem to be a distinguishing character
iStic of the new aldermen.