The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-01
SEATTLE. SUNDAY. MAY 4.
rHE ATTACK ON MIR. HE1LBRos.

The animus of Mayor Ronald's attack
upon the Republican members of the
board of public works is too apparent for
any intelligent person to be for moment
deceived by his high professions. 1t is a
partisan move pure and simple, and the
pretense that it is anything else is al
gether too transparent to be seriously con-
sidercd.
Mayor Ronald in his communications to
Messrs. Rinehart and Hebron requests
their designations and assumes an ag-
grieved air when they refuse to comply
with his request. He forgets, apparently,
that the legal right of the members Of the
board of public works to their position is
rs good as is that Of Mr.. Ronald to the
office of mayor. They were appointed for
stated teams, and they hold their po-
sitions by virtue Of the same charter as
that under which Mr.. Ronald was elected.
Take, for instance, the case of Mr.. He'll
bron. He is a gentleman Of wide business
experience. His standing in the COM
munity is most enviable. His integrity
has never been called in question. He
was regularly and legally appointed a
member of the board of public works. He
has performed his duties ON that board
faithfully. But Mayor Ronald decides
that he ought to resign because he hap
pens to be Republican and the Demo-
Gratis are anxious to control the board of
public works, in order that they may
make of it political machine to assist
them in carrying the state for the DEM
ocratic candidate for president
Mayor Ronald asks for Mr.. Heilbron's
resignation in polite note in which he
begs Mr.. Heilbron's pardon for troubling
him about the matter, and says: with
out desiring to reflect in any degree upon
your good intentions or your integ-
rity. and in the most friendly
spirit and without any feelings ex-
cept those Of personal esteem, I most
respectfully request that you will resign
and give mo the opportunity to appoint
your successor as q member Of the board
of public works"
Mr.. Hebron declines to resign, as he
has perfect right to do. Mr.. Ronald
seems to take this as personal affront,
and becomes angry. He formulates
long list Of trivial charges,
not one of which is worthy of
serious consideration, and fires them at
Mr.. Hebron. He solemnly accuses of
"misfeasance, malfeasance and non-feas-
ance in Office" the very man whom he
was few days before assuring of his high
personal esteem. He does not appear to
appreciate the absurdity of assuring a
man of his entire confidence in
his integrity in one breath and of
accusing him of malfeasance and misfeas-
ance in Office in the next. Either Mr..
Ronald knows that his charges against
Mr.. Hebron are false. frivolous and vain,
or he publicly declares himself to be the
friend OF, and to have entire confidence
in the integrity of man whom he I'M
dertakes to remove from Office for
being unfaithful to his trust In either
case, the figure of Mayor Ronald is pitt
full one, and he may well bemoan the day
on which he surrendered his judgment at
the demand of the bosses and undertook
toprostitute his office to the work of max.
ing places for Democratic ward heelers.
While Mayor Ronald is assuring Mr..
Hebron OF his esteem on one day and
accusing him of grave offenses on the
next. the Democratic organ is giving the
whole thing away. In fit of glee at the
prospect of securing control of the board
of public works. it declares what Mr..
Heilbron's otfenses really are. He is an
active Republican. He was chairman of the
Republican city and county committees
on occasions on which the Democrats were
neatly walloped. These are Mr.. Heilbron's
ottenses in the eyes of the Telegraph The
organ is at least more frank than the
mayor, for it does not pretend that the
rand ON the board Of public works is any.
thing but political move