The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-07-10
HE CAN'T BURY THEM
Wellington Council and Mayor
Quarrel Over Sexton.
Councilmen Say No Populist
Shall Bury Them.
MUST BE ORTHODOX
None but Hallowed G.O.P.Hands
to Dig Their Graves.
Mayor Savage Gets VeryIrOnical
His Veto.

WELLINGTON, Kan, July 10.-The
city council has been struggling with
what has proved to be grave" question
indeed Wellington has an official city
sexton, q Republican who has been il
Office two years. The council is Repub-
Iican. bus the mayor, who has the ap-
pointing power, IS not, and the council
beheId their town threatened with the
awful possibility Of Republicans having
their last haIIowed resting place pre-
pared for them by the irrevereut and IN
holy hands CT Z P0puIist grave digger.
The en0rmity of such g contingency
forced them 10 act For an unregenerate
POpulist or Democrat TO so much as open
the earth to receivs the blessed remains
OF q "redeemer" was too great sacriIege
to be permitted These counciImen
therefore conceived the idea Of Iegislat-
ing into perpetual service the ancient
worthy who had 50 satisfactorily filed
the graves Of those who had received
official permission to be buried.
They passed Al ordinance taking away
from the mayor the power to appoint the
sexton, their mayor having bseu elected
from an opposing faith By psrverse vot-
ers- The mayor would appoint Demo
crat or a POpulist, but never z "re-
deemer.7 IN fact he had sent in the
names of 30 different men, who were
qualified to deposit the earth over those
taken away before this vexed question
could be settled The city council
promptly rejected them all, and then de-
cIded 10 give themselves the power to
make their own appointment
The ordinance was passed aud sent to
Mayor Savage There 1t rests, for Mayor
Savage vetoed It aud gave his reasons
for II.
In his veto message Mayor Savage
says to those souncImen who have taken
their politics suto the grave:
Il return without my approval an or
dinance having for it's object the desire
of the council to correct the mistake of
would continue in Office maa whose
term of Office expired two years ago, but
who was continued IN office By the re-
quest or his friends that he might retire
with his debts paid and gratitude IN
speakabIe for the kindness- l not only
allowed him to hold the Office the first
year, but WITHOUT request gave him the
second year also
"SupposIng after our last state election
your party had been told by the state
senate that the appointments made by
our great redeemer' must not be c0a-
frmed, ard thereby deprive you Of the
fruits of that vIcrOry2 The capital that
had been drawn from state By lack of
confidence in the late administration
might not have returned to bless our
peoples railroads, stock yards aud other
corporate Interests would still tIch from
our people their hard earned money for
want Of proper legislation; emigration
that had been turned away would not
now be rushing upon Us; IN fact the
many blessings that we now enjoy would
not now be ours.
If the wise and patriotic course of
our governor IN spending every dollar in
his contingent fund in attempting to re-
move from office the appoIntees Of our
late governor merits, as 1t seems, the ap-
prevail of his party, it seems to ne that
the mayor of your city might be allowed
the rights and privileges that have never
before been denied to any other mayor Of
this city.
1t would cost many dollars to publish
this ordinance, intended solely to en- bar
ass ne personally, without comforting any
benefit upon any ore; therefore l feel
justified IN returning il unsigned"