The herald., 1895-07-29
Curtain Upon an Old Municipal
Comedy to Be Raised
COUNCIL AND THE FENCE
Another Warm Time Scheduled Tor
Prompt Arrival
John Webber's Resignation From the Police
Board Has No Strlngs-The vacancy Not
to Be Filled at Present

The feature OF the regular weekly coun-
Gil meeting which Is to be called to or
der at 8 O'Clock this morning, will be the
presentation OF and the assent and dis
cusson upon the latest resolution from
the Ministerial association relative to the
social evil in the Eighth ward. The min
listers are expected to be out in force.
The union has always contended that
while opposed by the board Of police
commissioners in its efforts to purify the
city. the council as Doiy has never
thrown any obstacles in its way. and has
aided rather than impeded it in its self
imposed task. That is the reason that
the police commissioners are no longer
appealed to for assistance. Most Of the
councilmen, on the other hand, feel just
as do the police commissioners. that the
ministers, while perfectly sincere, are all
of them impractical and visionary i'll
their ideas Of eradicating the social evil.
majority of them, dare not SPEAK their
honest convictions upon the subject.
That is the reason why the matter has
been kicked to and fro with nothing SO
far gained in the controversy excepting
the big board fence.
Dy u SOIucWudt ptCullbE COiuCiucuCcs
the resignation of John WebDer as police
commissioner also comes up to day for
action. Like the resignation OF Guy Bar
ham, this latest paper in the same direc-
tion will also be hung up, and that Is to
say it will be tabled. In view OF the pre-
cedent set in the Barham case. the most
OF the council Zen feel that in justice to
Webber the Barham complaint will have
to he respected, although in the instance
OF the latter it was a sincere Tribute.
while Commissioner Webber was one OF
tho offenders who presented 70 the coun-
cilmen tina. celebrated paper which said
in effect mind ycur own business"
The plain truth Is that the council is
hard after the scalps of the whole of the
present police board, with Barnam's ex-
ceptioa. The latter was i'll at South Pasa-
dena when the celebrated def was sent in
and the statement IS now made il he had
been here, the document would not have
been drawn up at all.
So far as John Webbe- is concerned, his
resignation, he states. has no strings at
tached. He is out for good. and will not
attend another meeting OF the board. 1t
is but justice to Webber to say that the
latest resolution of the Ministerial union
had nothing to do with his resignation at
this time. The Herald published the news
of his probable course nearly month ago.
Councilman Snyder. when questioned
on s tl,rday regarding Commissioners
Webber's successor, said that as yet the
Democrats had not agreed upon a course
of action in the matter. For the time
being the resignation will be tabled and
the vacancy will! not be filled. Snyder
did more than anyone else to keep Bar
ham in his place, and he feels that others
Of mis- party colleagues ought to attend to
Webber.
The continued inharmony in the
commission is having its effect upon the
rank and file nf the police force and the
general discipline of the department.
Rev. Will A. Knighten thinks tiat the
whole of the present board ought to re-
tire. What the upshot OF the whole mat
ter will be depends largely upon the out
come of the events before the council to-
day. The council may again order the
board to do its daty. and move the fence.
and if the order is again not complied
with. the general opportunity wanted to
reorgaDize' the commission will be ut
hand and that the opportunity would be
fully taken advantage of. those who have
followed the course Of events have not the
slightest doubt.