St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-24

Quoting the investigation of the sad accident
on the West side a year ago, by which two
little children weEs buried alive under fall
ing embankmentE Nothing would have so
grained ReardoIs Avindictive spirit as to
have succeeded i# lying the foundation for
an indictment oE Mr. Rundlett for man
slaughter and it might be mentioned. in this
connection, that esssame spirit appeared to
actuate one Frank B. Doran, who attended
the meeting Of the investigating committee,
ana cross examined some of the witnesses
after the manner Of prosecuting attorney.
But IN spite of the efforts of Reardon and his
political confreres, nothing ever came Of the
investigation, to the detriment Of Mr.. Rund-
lett' VINO was subjected, at the hands of the
committee, tos outrageous treatment.
Scarcely measure relating to the city
engineers department is introduced in the
council that Reardop does not fight it. He
cannot very well refuse to vote for the pass
age or the pay roll, but he succeeded in keep
ing Sewer Inspector W.. II. Simonds out Of
his salary for nearly three months, solely
because OF his enmity against Mr.. Rundlett.
lie mas repeatedly impugned the motions of
the city engineer and spoken in slurring
terms of his ability.
1t so happens that by some unaccount-
able mistake on the part of President Cope
land, who generally exercises commendable
discretion in his appointments Of committees,
mittee on acquisitions. This is a most i'm
portant committee. passing as it does on all
requests from the heads of city departments
ror permission to purchase necessary sup
plies. Unfortunately this committee never
meets, but Reardon convenes with himself
regularly by calling at the city clerks office
once every TWO weeks, securing the requi-
s1t1ons and taking them hoHfc. There he
scrutinizes them severely, and If he sees
requisition asking for any article or work
that ne decides is unnecessary, he rarely
makes any report. He did this very thing
quite recently in the case of a requistion
from Chief Clark, asking for permission to
have two patrol wagons repaired and re-
painted. The requisition reached Rearden a
Ilttle late, and as it was an imperative ne
cessity that the wagons should be repaired,
the work was begun before Reardon looked
into the matter. For failing to report on the
requis1tion to the assembly at the proper
time, President Copeland censured Reardon
In open meeting. His opportunities for ham
per1ng the police department and city en-
g1neer by refusing to grant their acquisitions
are, or course, numerous. He has even de-
scended to such petty conduct as to decline
to grant requistion for towels for the CEN
tral police station. Allowance was made for
MIN IN this instance, however. on the sup
position that he regards towels as a luxury
countess instances 6of his narrow, spiteful
treatment OF all measures emanating from any
official whom he disIkes might be cited to fur
ther establish his aInitness as a member of
the council. No matter how desirable or how
absolutely necessary the passage Of the meas
ure, II 1t is going to benefit assist in admin
istering the affairsaof ANY department that
has happened to incur his displeasure, Rear
don Will invariably vote mo- regardless of
the public interests thereby prejudiced The
just bills and valid claims against the city,
the payment Of which Reardon has opposed,
are too numerous to detail, even though they
may not represent large amount of money in
the aggregate. Nevertheless, his action in
voting against them indicates the character of
the man and the ufifairness of his disposition.
Reardon is an obstructionist in the most
aggravated sense Of the word. He attends
every meeting of the assembly, not to propose
or offer any salutary measures of his own,
but to oppose and obstruct the passage Of
those offered by others. His suspicious mind
sees corrupt motives behind every other mans
ordinance or resolution. The more beneficial
1t Is, the more doggedly does Reardon fight it
by impugnfng the motives of the member who
offered it. or the official or private citizen who
suggested it.
One OF the most important improvements.
because the most necessary ACCOMPLISHED last
year was the repairing and repainting the
Mississippi street bridge Reardon opposed
this work with all the stubbornness at his
command. His chief reason, If he had any.
for opposing the resolution for the repair of
the bridge was that City Engineer Rundlett
had advised the council that the bridge was in
sore need of repairs. Reardon thereupon
fought the resolution in order to dscredit Mr.
Rundlett's advice and technical knowledge.
Reardon, together with the other members of
the assembly committee on streets. viewed the
bridge, and the city engineer pointed out the
weaknesses in the structure clearly, and dem
onstrated the necessity for making immedite
repairs. The rest of the committee at once
realized the necessity, as doubtless did Rear
don, but he voted against the resolution to the
very last and succeeded in delaying the work
for several months
AS previously intimated Reardon has never
introduced any measures of benefit to the
city or its people, and the few that he has
oHered, have, as a rule, been killed by his
own body.
Because Reardon hates Aid. Murphy, he
has opposed every single measure for the
benefit of the Ninthsward, even to the laying
OF a sidewalk on Fairview, from University
avenue to the Great Northern tracks. which
Improvement did not cost the taxpayers a
cent. tS1t
+ But If Reardon hates the mayor, and all
other Democrats, he swears by the watch
dog of the treasury" a stubborn, obstinate,
bull-headed man, after his own heart, j. ].
McCardy. Accordingly, when Aid. Murphy
onered resolution instructing the comp
troller to report the amount of fees received
by him since the year 1892 for signing city
deeds and what disposition he had made Of
those fees, Reardon managed to have it re-
ferred to the committee. on accounts of city
officers, where it has since reposed in obliv-
ion. 1t wouldn't do to compel Mac to ac-
count for anything, according to the notion
of Reardon and his Republican confreres
Reardon's behavior in the matter of award
ing the garbage contracts first for 1895, and
then for 1896. indicated only too clearly that
he was anxious to see one certain mana
friend of his, secure the contract. But Tier
ley was the lowest bidder for the 1895 con-
tract and consequently secured 1t, and last
January the council awarded this years con-
tract to Fielding & Shepley, and again Rear
don's friend was left. All last summer and
fall Reardon was busy stirring up trouble
fer the garbage contractor. Resorting to his
usual tactics he heaped false accusations upon
the contractor and when called upon to SUBJ
stitute his charges, fell back upon his favor
| ite excuse, v3
"Well that's what I've heard, at any rate"
| He has already begun upon Fielding &
| Shepley, charging them with failing to per-
| form their work. although Health Commits
| sioner Stone says that no complaints against
the contractors have been filed except by the
| commission houses and as to these the con-
! tractors had misunderstood the wording Of
| the contract with the city.
| And so this Reardon has been and is an
| obstacle to good government. AS a member
| of the council, he opposes and sometimes
| defeats worthy measures. Grant that he
is honest, yet his whole record shows he
| Is totally unfit to sit in the council. He OBJ