Evening journal., 1896-04-22
A susr..,Ion 70 plIeotor Prall.


down at the msstlng Of the Bard OF
Street and Sewer Directors last night.
The simmons Pratt combination was not
effective, because Director Simmons, no
matter what his inclinatioos wsre, was
afraid to follow Director Pratt along his
narrow lines OF p1blic p,licy aud be-
cause Dlrector Chambers forced the
issue upon him.
The last few days hsvS taught
Dirsotor simmons lesson which he will
not soon forget aud which his former
political friends will not permit him to
forget. His action in combining with
Director Pratt TO elect a Democrat to
succeed sx-B Hiding Inspector Daniel
Dohl as superintendent OF fee brick paw
ing raised such howl IN the Rspubli
can caup that he is willing TO do
almost anything 10 restore himself to
pErty and public favor bat his amends
will not do much to rolleve him OF the
embarrasmsnt under which hs labors.
Party and pu5lio condemnation may have
snapped the golden clrd which bound
him to Dlrestor Pratt. but the two loose
ends are hanging out TO show the people
what existed, while Cilonel MsClosksy
is living monument marking the deal
which WAS originally designed to give
Edmund MtcSell. Jr second term rs
city sGx collector.
Whatever credit there is In the action
OF the directors In allowing Horace
G. Knowles 81 600 for his valuable as
distance to City Solicitor Harmsu In de
Tending the city in the Wilckens and
Seward damage suits. belongs TO Director
Chambers. He has always been In favor
Of equitable compensation. Director
Simmons has bsen on the fence most Of
the time, but finally he was compelled
TO get down on one side or the other,
and there was nothing left flr him to do
but to 60 to Director Chambers aud
follow his lead.
w Y, Director Pratt maintained his negative
position to the end. He appears In any
thing but a cceditahle light. The
English case is soon TO be argued to test
the legality OF the collection OF sewer
and other liens duo the Street aud Sewer
Department by delinquents A. short.
time ago the direstors. at the instance OF
Director Pratt publicly requested City
Solicitor Herman to employ additional
counsel to help defend the oity's inter
ebts.
City Solicitor Harman quite naturally
resented this action on the part Of the
Simmons Pratt combination-hrst, be-
cause It was public insult to him as an
advocate; second. bscause II he deemed
Il wise to employ help, he considered
himself the best Judge as to who should
be his associate He informed the
directors that he would not have
outside counsel st their dletatlon.
It Is alleged, with how mush truta we
do not know. that Director Pratt then
declared that Mr.. Knowles should not be
compensated for bis services la the
Wilckens and Seward cases until
City Solicitor Hsrmsn agreed
to employ outside lawyers to assist him
in the Eoglish case He did everything
in his power to keep Director simmons
ia line with him, but the outside pressure
became 50 strong that Mr. Simmons was
compelled to desert Director Pratt aud
cast bis lot with Director Chambers.
We would suggest to Director Pratt
that II he comes out OF his own flee with
the same credit that City Solicitor Hsr
man will come out OF his. the pub ic
interests will have been better served
than they srs bling st present by the
Board Of Street and Sewer Directors