Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-03-06
TWO ALDERMEN.
r. j. Martin and j.. C. Flynn as
IA Representatives of the
Second Ward.

7SOch OnfAlf anu unFe1SOldDle dCClCS,
; that il was a question Of public in
terest as to what Influences control
led his acts. and his condition and
course were worthy Of public dis
cusslOn. y, H.- ..ss... +, -, >r.g'.
He had taken the lead as public
official in repndiating city contracts
with no effort to hOnOrably or fairly
ri aid the city's interests. -. -. ~, o..
:: He had lead the action to arbitra-
rily and Illegally ignore a duly signed
and presented peCi0n that the law
compelled immediate action upon.
! He had dictated to the council the
appointment Of colleague from his
ward who had not the clean record
asked by the citizens as u quality Of
any man appointed to fill the va
cancy, dictated the selection Of u
man that lacked every attribute
needed in fairly participating in the
important transactions before the
council.
b.. He had dictated the selection of a
man in his employ as an alderman
from another ward, and against the
desire of the representative Of that
ward, and the people of that ward.
In other matters he had shown
eccentricities AID peculiarities that
made him, as councilman. properly
a study for the public. The Tran
script. therefore. stated what it
honestly believes to he the foundation
and cause Of actions that were GER
tainly peculiar. The facts were cited
that some years ago Mr. Martin had
subjected himself to the Kelley cure.
or some such remedy, to protect
him from an uncomfortable appetite
for Intoxicating liquor. Y'he ''cure'
was effective for Il time, but on diff
ferent occasions during the past few
months he had taken to drink again,
and his friends had conveyed him to
Minneapolis at those times for treat
ment. He knows and his acquaint-
ances know that he cannot rally
from one of his sprees without
:nedicnl aid. He gave way to his
appetite again last week. His con-
duct as an individual had never been
commented on in these columns, and
would not be, but that it was a log
icul explanation of his official con-
duct. A recital of the facts as they
are known, are Indications enough
of his mental condition. and the
facts given-the punlic are no longer
at loss to account for his conduct.
Whatever he may be naturally. it is
unsafe and unwise to trust to his
leadership in any public matter at
this time. He has led some of his
colleagues much further than they
shonld have followed, and their hall
hearted revolt at the last meeting
showed that they realized it. The
community has been scandalized
and the city disgraced by other
mem bers of the council submitting
to his arrogant dictation. Only as
far as his sad weakness effects the
best interests of the city does the
Transcript care to mention it-and
only then with entire candOr and
fairness. The despicable Wretches
who caused the publication OF let.
ter in the Democrat over his sigma
ture as alderman are making very
poor sport OF a very unfortunate
man.
J.C. Flynn's acceptance OF the Of
flee of alderman fairly challenged an
examination of his record: as the
people OF the city had asked that
man of clean record, ETC., be selected.
TO show that (under the influence Ut
Martin) the council had ignored
that demand of the people, the
Transcript called attention to Just
one item in his recOrd-his forgery
record at Hastings-which was pub
lished in the Morrison County Dem
ocrat in 1SSS-in which it was shown
that j. G. Flynn had been in jail un-
der that charge, and had been in
dicted for forgery on three different
notes.. No public denial or explana-
ton was ever made by Flynn, and
that record stands without ques-
ton. 1t was not necessary to go
further. The councils action was
not in accord with thepublic demand
or the public interest, and this paper
was entirely justified in demonstrate
ing it. The only man on the coun-
Gil even who wanted Flynn was
Martini and after Mecusker had
nominated L. D. Brown he was in
fluenced to abandon him and vote
for Flynn. Flynn knows how the
people of his ward regard him: and
his childish pretenses to be a candi-
date verge on the ridiculous. Two
years ago he secured an appointment
on the council. and went into the
courts to retain the place. If the