The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-05-18
THE COUNCILS vICE-PRESlDENT.

The action of Mayor Weaver in the
election of a vice-president OF the
CITY council is obtaining for that gen.
tlemen good deal of severe criticism.
1t is well known that his official &C
tions are largely controlled by his
personal prejudices, but his action in
this matter is little more rank than
usual. Even mayor is generally
supposed to be amenable to law. 1t
is not popularity believed that his will
is higher than the state legislature
which passed the law constituting the
charter under which our city has cor
porate existence. If the public has
been laboring under misapprehen-
sion and the charter is secondary to
the will of the mayor it is high time
we found it out and adjusted ourselves
to this condition of affairs.
The clause in the charter under
which yice-president is elected READS
as follows: ''At the first meeting OF
the common council in each year they
shall proceed to select by ballot from
their members, vice-president.
Note that the common council
shall select and that the vote shall
be Shy ballot" Who are the common
council? Chap. 4, sec. l OF the char
ter reads: ''The alderman shall con-
stitute the common council OF the
city," The mayor is not an alderman.
In another portion of the charter the
MAYOR is given vote in case OF tie
on general business, but not in cleo
ton of officers nor appropriations
Again, the vote shall be ''by ballot"
What was done in this case? A bal
lot was taken, the tellerS counted the
votes and found six yotes-three for
one candidate and three for another
no choice, whereupon the mayor, in
stead of ordering another ballot as
he should have done, assumed the au-
thority to reopen the ballot, put In
vote for himself and declare Aid.
Fowler elected.
Who ever before heard of anyone, be
he private citizen or mayor, having
right to open ballot and vote at any
election after the ballot had been
closed. the votes counted and the re-
suit announced?
When objection was made to this
mode of procedure Mr. Weaver
called for decision from City AttOr-
ney Young. That gentleman gave it
as his opinion that under the charter
the mayor had no vote On this ques-
tion, basing his decision on the reason
given above, after which the mayor
coolly disregards the decision OF the
attorney which he himself had asked
for, and announces his determination
to declare the election.
Of what use is the council, the city
attorney, or even the charter, when
they do not accord with the personal
pleasure and prejudices OF Hizzoner?
When Mr.. Pau was mayor this
same question arose. Acting under
the advise of Mr.. Freeman, who was
then city attorney, and also on his
own opinion of the matter, he decided
he had do vote. But then Mr.. Pau
and Mr.. Freeman, although lawyers,
are probably not as well yersed
in law as is Mayor Weaver,
or perhaps being lawyers they have
more respect for law. Truly, "Fools
rush in where angels fear to tread"
Mr.. Weaver has ever since he be-
came mayor exerted more energy in
attempting to interfere with the
business belonging to the council to
transact than he has to the duties be-
longing to his own office.
If he could forget for while his
ante-election prejudices, cease trying