The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-11
SEEMS TO BE THE DEAREST AM
BITION or sASSEMBLYMAN
THOMPSON.
CAUCUS CALLED YESTERDAY,
BUT MEMBERS or THE BOARD OF
ALDERMEN WE'RE NOT
PLASTIC.
In the Effort. to Reduce the Police
Telegraph Ito q Political
Basis.

Assemblyn1an Thompson made Sec
end attempt yesterday to get the job
of Thomas Macaulay. the superintend
cnt of the police telegraph patrol sys-
tenn, for a man Of his who lives in the
Second ward Again the attempt
failed. When the question of max
iDg change in the Office was present
ed to caucus of the members of the
common council called yesterday at the
instigation Of Mr.. Thompson, the mem
bers decided by a vote of ten to eight
that there should be no change.
The members of the council with two
or three exceptions were at a loss to
understand the written notices re-
Ceived yesterday forenoon, summoning
them to meet in caucus at D. m in the
mayors office. The notices were made
out on the city clerks blanks used for
calling committee meetings, ETC.. and
bore the printed signature of the city
clerk. AS the call did not state the
object, many of the members did not
know when they reached the mayors
office who had called the caucus nor
why it had been called. Those who did
know were retieent and general air
Of secrecy prevailed among them.
1t was ascertained, however, that the
caucus was called by the mayor at the
request Of Assemblyman Thompson
end Aid. Stutzman, Of the Second
ward, with a. view of ascertaining
whether enough votes could be Sc
cured to dismiss Joseph Macaulay from
lis position as superintendent of the
police telegraph patrol and to elect in
lis place Joseph King, an electrician
CT hh IJor tor
works, who resides in the Second Ward
near Hazel Park.glIe
The advisability Of making a change
in this Office was passed upon last
summer soon after the present council
came in. At that time exSuperinten-
dent Birge of the, police patrol sys-
tom, and the same Joseph King, were
both looking for Mr.. Macaulay's posi-
ton, Mr.. Thompson favoring Kings
candidacy and Mr.. Reardon support
ing Birge. But the caucus voted not
to make any changes and none was
made.
The fact of the matter is that the
office in question has never been sub
ject to political deals. Ex-Superin-
tendent Birge was the first to assume
the Office when it was created some
eight Or ten years ago, and he retained
1t until year ago last May, when the
common council elected Mr.. Macaulay
III HIS place, LII consequence VI cGIIdlQ
| complaints or charges preferred against
Mr.. Birge. The council was Demo-
cratic, but it had been in power almost
one year before .electing Mr. Maeaulay.
There is no definite term of service at
| tached to the office. The incumbent
holding the position at the pleasure
| of the common council 4t .- -
/ After the caucus came to order yes
| terday, the object of calling it was ex-
! planned to ALL There were eighteen
members present. of4the assembly
and nine of the board, Aldermen
Lindahl and Aflard being the absen-
| tees The first question suggested by
! the proposition to elect new superin-
| tendent of police patrol telegraph was.
! what is the matter with Mr.. Macaulay :?
| Some of the aldermen wanted to know
| if there were any charges against Mr..
| Macaulay or any dissatisfaction with
| his work or conduct. Not a charge or
| a complaint was presented against
| him, except that he stood in the way
| of Mr. Thompsons Republican candi-
| date, Joseph King. After some dis
| cussion of this aspect Of the case, the
| vote was taken on a motion that there
| be a change made in the office OF super
| intendent of police patrol telegraph. 1t
| resulted, as previously announced, in
! ten votes against a change and eight
| votes in favore of it. Then the caucus
was broken by the retirement of three
| or four members from the room.
! Mr.. Macaulay owes his thanks chiefly
! to the aldermen who nearly all voted
against making any change, while the
| mostly cast byrqs the aSsemblymen,
though Mr.. Reardon is known to have
! voted no
The board of aldermen seems not
to be SO partisan abody as the assem-
bly,. -