The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-19
AN HOUR OF WARRANT
The Judiciary Committee Talks About
the Mayors Action.
KEETON NOT IN THE PLAY
1t IL Said He Assigned. With An
derson, to Bender-Attorney
Hamilton Assumes Some
of the Blame.
KEETON NOT IN THE PLAY

The members of the judiciary COM
mittee of the city council chewed the
rag for about an hour yesterday after
noon over the warrant in favor of j.
]. Anderson. which was issued by
Mayor Thompson on July IL last. The
aldermen one and all agreed that the
mayor was injudicious and unwise in
not bringing the matter before the
council first of all and letting them act
on 1t instead of assuming all respon-
sibility himself but most of the MEM
bers of the committee were not in favor
of the resolution introduced by Alder
man Pascoe at the last council meet
ing. This resolution instructed the city
treasurer not to pay the warrant until
further orders from the council
IT understand" said Mr.. Pascoe. yes
terday afternoon, that Mr.. Keeton
has a claim for damages and that he
was Mr.. Anderson's partner and was
not satisfied when Mr.. Anderson was
paid. / think that should also be
looked into"
"Mr. Keeton has no interest in the
matter" said Alderman Heilig. Both
Anderson and Keeton assigned to N.
w. Bender and he has the warrant"
Mr.. Pascoe insisted that the warrant
was made out to ]. j. Anderson and
not to N. w. Bender, that Keeton was
an equal partner with Mr.. Anderson,
and had never signed a release of his
claim.
Then followed a recapitulation of the
history of the case from several stand
points. City Attorney Hamilton said:
II want to relieve the mayor from part
at least of the blame If there is any
blame in the matter. The mayor re-
ferred the matter to me and 1 advised
him to do as he has done. Mr.. Dugan
had no authority or right to refuse to
IL - T.. l.aA - \
Is simply a ministerial officer He had
no power to veto it and If he had the
power he didn't do ii. The act of the
| city council remained the same. 1t was
never rescinded and Mr. Thompson had
no choice in the matter. AS Mr.. Du-
gan had failed to sign the warrant, Mr..
Thompson had to do IL. There was
nothing for Mr.. Thompson to do but to
| sign that warrant. 1 think il was
| foolish for him TO bring the matter be-
| fore the council at all. 1 advised him
| to sign the warrant and 1 want my
share of the blame, If there is any,"
In response to a question by Mr.. Pas
| coe as to whether Mr.. Dugan's commu-
nication refusing to sign the warrant
was not a veto, Mr.. Hamilton thought
| not. When the report of the judiciary
committee was presented, the council,
instead of filing II. should have rescind-
| ed its action in issuing the warrant.
| So long as that action was not re-
| scinded the warrant stood.
Mr.. Pascoe said that Mr.. Dugan
| claimed TO have vetoed and every
| IL a veto. Mr.. Hamilton replied that
| IL was no veto.
Alderman Pascoe said the difficulty
| in the whole thing arose from the fact
| that Mr. Thompson did not take the
| council into his confidence and get
them to endorse his action instead of
being so secret about 1t. All the other
aldermen present agreed that this was
| what he should have done. The war
rant would then have been issued with
out any question about IL and nobody
| could have made any kick about IL.
Alderman Carder said he thought there
would have been no opposition at all.
| Alderman Schatzlein moved that the
| resolution do not pass.
THE trouble is" said Alderman Pas
| coe, that that doesn't legalize the
warrant. My object is not to censure
the mayor or anyone else but to legal
ize the warrant"
THAT can't be DONE" said Mr. Ham,
/ ilton. THE warrant as IL stands is
either legal or illegal. Nothing that
we can do now can legalize a signature
he made last July
| Alderman Byrne said he understood
| the veto was written by the acting city
| attorney of the time. and there was
| not a member of the old council but
/ considered IL a veto. II Mayor Thomp-
| son had a right to sign this warrant
/ without asking the council or telling
the council anything about IL. he had a
| right to issue any number OF warrants
without the endorsement of the coun-
ell.
A vote was then taken on the motion
| that the resolution do not pass. -Four
voted in favor and two against. one not
voting.