St. Paul daily globe., 1893-01-18
CLASH OF OPINIONS.
The Board Of Corrections and
Charities Has an Enjoy
able Time.
The Democratic Members Are
in Majority and Re-eleet
Mat Gross.
Joseph Ludwig, Of Golden
Valley, Puts Himself Out
Of Life.
Water Department Commit
tee Meets--Elmer Foster
Sued for Assault.


tions and charities held yesterday after
noon in the Office of the superintendent
OF the poor was highly interesting.
was battle from the beginning, and
the Democratic members had the best
of it. apparently both in argument and
results. The tYe members were present,
President ClOutier, Mayor Eustis and
Commissioners Hove, Martin and Wood
ward. The first matter to come before
the board and the question on which
hinged the whole trouble, was whether
the terms of Office of the superintendent
of the poor, city physician and superin-
tendent of the wOrkhOuse expired Jan.
of the present year or on July l..
1t was maintained by Commissioners
Hove, Martin and President ClOutier.
that the terms of office expired Jan. /,
while the two Republican members,
Mayor EuStiS and DR.. Woodward, COLI
tended they expired July l, and that the
legislature in the act which created the
board so specified. The latter were up
held in their standpoint by an opinion
from City Attorney Simpson, who held
that, especially the superintendent of
the wOrkhOuSe, held over until July l,
because ne was appointed to serve out
the remainder of the term of eX-Supt.
West. The offices Of the superintendent
of The poor and city physician were de-
clared vacant Oh Jan. l, inaSmuch as
they were appointed by the council
previous to the organization of the
board. Appointments could be made
for these two offices, but only to July /,
when their terms would expire.
The first thing the Democrats did was
to pass resolution amending the rules
of the workhouse as passed by the
board last year fixing the time of the
expiration of the SuperIntendent'S term
proceeded to ballot, Mayor Eutis and
DR.. Woodward, however, declining to
vote, claiming that as the whole affair
was illegal they would not be party to
it. So the three Democrats voted and
elected Supt. Gross to keep his present
position as superintendent of the work
house for the next two years. Mayor
Eustis said it would make no difference
because when July l came around and
the terms of Office of Commissioners
Woodward and Martin expired, he
would appoint Republican to fill the
latter'S place, thereby making the board
Republican by the same majority pos
SeSSed by the Democrats now, and hold
another election. Supt. Gross would be
depoSed, and in case the action of the
board at that time was not recognized,
the whole affair would be taken to the
courts. A similar proceeding would be
adopted in the cases of the other offices.
1t was on this point that the fight was
made in the first place, though the Dem
OcratS say they are sure of their ground,
and that any action taken by a majority
Of the board at the present time will
hold good in the courts. Throughout
the entire meeting the two Republicans
sat and looked on, the voting being done
by the three Democrats. The second
officer to be balloted for was the city
physician. Four votes were taken, and
then they switched off to the superin-
tendent of the poor. Nine ballots were
taken, and for the amusement of him
self and the board, Commissioner Hove
voted on one or two ballots for C.. A.
Qulst. On the ninth ballot Supt. Snyder
was reelected, and then the fight on
city physician began. The Democrats
were divided against themselves on
this Office, Martin standing by the pres
ent incumbent, DR.. Chase, and tine
other two inclining to the election of
the eX-cOunty coroner, Dr.. ByrneS.
Up to the sixth ballot the vote stood
lOI 10y llCS tlIIO L LOl OI4oSSs 4Heu LIlG
name OF Dr.. Barber was put in, and
each of the candidates secured l vote.
The voting kept up for several hours,
neither side giving in to the other On
the twenty-lirSt ballot the names of Drs.
Byrnes and Chase were omitted entire
ly, and the vote stood for each of Dr..
Weston and DR.. HOll and 1 for Mr..
Blank. On the twenty-third ballot the
original candidates got back into line,
and for ten more ballots there was
deadlock. 1t was then o'clock, and, as
the commissioners were hungry. an ad-
Journment of fifteen minutes wasagreed
upon. When the board got together
again five more ballots were cast, and,
as there was no hope of the matter be-
ing settled, the meeting adjourned until
next Tuesday.
AT the beginning of the meeting Supt.
Snyder submitted his report for the
past month, also for the year of 1899.
This, with the report of the hospital
and workhOuse, was referred to the
proper committees. The bills for De-
cember were also submitted and audited.