St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-31
A JOLT BY JOHNSON.
The Assemblyman Thinks He
Knows His Duties and
Powers,
Especially When 1t Comes to
Passing Upon Police
Cases.
Annual Meeting and Election
Of the Ramsey County
Medics.
A Warning From Winnipeg Of
a Certain Very Gallant
Major.

AT the last meeting Of the assembly a
communication from the mayor an
nounced that he had dismissed Capt.
Hanft, Sergeant Dowlan and Patrolman
Conroy from the police department.
The mayor asked that his action be APP
proved, but, instead of so doing, the
board referred the communication to
the committee on police. This action
was taken so that the discharged of1cers
might have all opportunity to be heard,
they claiming to have been unfairly
treated. The reference to committee
did not exactly suit the mayor: and the
MAYORS organ, which keeps close
watch on the executive pulse, Salled INTO
the members of the assembly in an
editorial. Assemblyman w. IL. john
son. as a member of that body,
was not particularly pleased with the
article and addressed a communication
to that paper. For some reason the
communication was put in the waste
basket, and, in order to be placed right
before the public, MI. johnson sent the
following note and copy of the reject
ed communication to the GLOBE:
ST. PAUL, Mimi. Jan. so, 1898.
To the Editor of the Globe.
On the 2Sth inst | sent to the Pioneer
Press the enclosed communication,
which is self-eXplanatory. That paper
has seen fit to entirely ignore this com
munication, and, while seeking no noto-
riety. [ do desire to place my views of
that article before the public, and
would respectfully ask that YOU pub
lish the same. w. r. JOHNSON.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, Jan. %, 1898.
Editor Pioneer Press:
In this mornings issue of your paper
there appears an editorial headed, ION
Trial" in which you take occasion to
pass structures upon members OF the
council for their course i'll the matter OF
the discharge of certain police ofllcerS
by his honor the mayor.
AS YOU have been so kind in reading
us lesson upon this matter and our
duties III general, will you kindly, for
our future guidance, and especially that
of the undersigned. in order that we
may partake of some of your wisdom
and vote and act intel!igently, give us
your opinion On the following points:
FirSt-Ihe law provides that no re-
moyal shall take effect until cOncurred
in by the council. Now, where the law
has made such provision, evidently to
prevent any discharge of old and faith
full employees, without just cause,
should we as intelligent meninyest!gate
the alleged cause, or should we SIMPLY
paraphrase "PinafOre" and all sing III
chorus? We always vote at the mayors
call, and never think of thinking for
ourselves at all.
Second-Are YOU absolutely certainas
to lust who should concur in this case?
His honor the mayor evidently considers
I,,,o hnHU hIIt
the law saws 1.-THE entire number OF the
members-eIect of the common council"
and the Bell charter being silent, law
yers are expressing different opinions.
Now, should this be investigated, or
should we again paraphrase and sing:
1--WE always vote at the Z. z. call, y
ETC.?
rhlrd-Are we to understand that a
correct consensus of public opinion is to
be found only in the little ten-by-
twelve room occupied by the editorial
writer of your paper, OF among the peo-
pie themselves? | have every reason to
know that public sentiment is very
largely in sympathy with the discharged
officers, but so far as | personally am
concerned that cuts no figure III the
present case; if the mayor had cause TO
| remove those men he shall have my vote
to concur, and II he dld not nave gooCl
cause he will not have 1t, and | shall
vote according to the dictates of my
conscience, without fear or favor to any
man or paper, the Pioneer Press includ-
ed. am frank to say that from what L
have heard in the reports of the matter.
the MAYOR would seem to be fully Justl-
fed; but these men ask to be heard, and
IN matter of such vital Importance to
them it is simple justice that they
should De.
The dirty fling you take pains to
make in saying that il it had been a
grocery store instead of a saloon, the
matter would not have been recognized
by the council as worthy Of its atten-
ton, does not merit notice. The mem
bers of that body are generally consid-
cred as upright and conscientious men,
and | am sure are willing to contrast
their reputation with that of the writer
| of that Screed.
l will close by simply saying that
your cold bluff about reversing the ac-
| ton of the mayor may have the same Ell
feet that your wild rantings did i'll the
senatorial contest, drive men like Com
stock away from Davis. that would 9TH
| erwise have voted for him. Very truly,
". X. JOHNSON.