St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-05
CHANCE FOR WAR.
Two Appointments on Which
Councilmen MAY Split.


Caucuses do not settle everything.
There will be some battles in the coun-
Gil meeting to-day. When the Repub-
lican aldermen filed out of the council
chamber Saturday evening, where they
had been in conference on appoint
ments. they were as dumb as the pro-
verbal oyster. 1.-The meeting was har-
monious" was all that they would
say. Further than that, nothing
could be learned They had
evidently determined to keep
all their quarrels to themselves. They
would admit that all the appointments.
everything, had been settled by the
conference. But how? Not a word
came in reply to that question. How
ever, all men were not made to with
stand the melloWing influence of Min.
neSota atmosphere and the holy calm of
Sabbath morning. Aldermen are but
mortal. Yesterday they found it diff
cult to keep their secrets.
The matter of appointments was set
tied by the Saturday night conference
after fashion. But that settlement
was not unlike the settlement of muddy
water-agitate it and it is as bad as be-
fore. There were at least two ''settle-
mentS" which, according to surface in
dications, will be unsettled before this
day passes.
First comes the health commissioner
ship. since it has been the one big fight
of the season. Contrary to all eXpecta-
ton, majority of the Republican men,
berS of the council voted to give that
important place to DR.. E. S, Kelley. A
y<NFN Hn1f 30 II
he did not receive that majority until
decision was reached because the sup
porterS of Leonard were getting tired
and warted to go home. Beard was
never in it. Two was the highest num-
Der of votes received by him. Kllving-
toms friends stood by him and will
continue to do so. The situation
regarding the health commissionership
stands Thus: Kelly is, nominally. the
choice of the Republican members.
Some of the men who voted for him in
caucus did it because they desired to
escape from a distressing dilemma-that
of being closeted all night in a. close,
foul-alred chamber. Theydo not really
desire that Kelley should be the health
commissioner. The men who voted for
Kilvington, on the other hand, did it
from principle. They have nothing to
say against DIR. Kelley. They be-
lieve him to be an excellent phys
ician. They have nothing to say
against Leonard or Beard. But they
are firmly convinced that to DR.. Kill
ngton alone is due the credit for es-
tablishing in Minneapolis health de-
the United States. They believe that
since the health department has been
placed upon a solid basis, Kilvington
should be given one more term as re-
ward. They believe, moreover, that
Kilvington is the best man for the
place, and they will continue to do
what they can to put him there, despite
the action of the caucus. The battle
has not yet been won. kilvingtOn is
stillplaying OH the rush line.
The other place, over which there
was skirmish at the last moment, was
that of chief of the fire department. 1t
had been overshadowed by the war on
public health. But 1t came up last
night, and was ''settled" by the Re
publicans deciding to depose f. l.. Ste
venS and to appoint A. III. Rnnge, the
present first assistant. Here recurs the
same situation which appears in the
contest for health commissioner. The
men who reagainst Stetson are against
HIM on purely personal grounds. The
men who are battling on his side of the
creek are doing it from principle. They
too will carry the fight into the city
council without regard to the decision
of the caucus
1t would be interesting to the public
to know just why Stetson has been SO
bitterly opposed. So far as can be
learned the opposition comes from two
sources. One includes the reasons
which led to the ate mpt last year to
guillotlne him. At the bottom of that
was Stetson's alleged discrimination
against the Scandinavians. That he
had been partial toward other nationali-
! ties was. never proven, hence this
source is but shallow. The other, and
j by far the most potent factor, working