The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-22
RIVER AT 8 A. NJ.
NOT AMENABLE TO REASON.

So Enthusiastically irresponsible has be-
come the policy Of Mayor Doran, with
reference to matters coming entirely
within the scope of positive law, that
criticism almost yields to the sense of
the ludicrous. We have here, indeed,
an executive officer who appears to
have not the most rudimentary concep-
ton of any authority that emanates
from without himself and runs contra
ry to his ideas and desires. In his
little petty pool he swims about, i'm
agining himself lord of a vast domain,
and proud Of his success if he can
awe the minnows into silence. He is
not a formidable figure, this mayor
of ours. No freak of the Imagination
could transform him into the tyrant or
usurper. He has reached the summit
of his ambition, and, fearless of any
thing that he may have in mind to do
hereafter, the public can watch his
antics there, and debate whether it is
best to greet them with indignation or
with laughter He has already, in
tmpressing upon our government the
stamp of his great mind, seen fit to
brush aside contemptuously the plain
provisions of the city charter. He has
made appointments to the police force
that are plainly and unquestionably
Illegal, and has shown no sign of per-
turbation when the fact is pointed out.
He has assumed, on the other hand,
to decide for himself upon the consti-
nationality of the law abolishing the
board of public works, and has refused
to guard the public interest in the. to
him, impossible contingency that his
own opinion should not be sustained
by the courts.
Now he comes again with another
turn of his wonderfully constituted
mental apparatus, and decides to ig-
more another feature of the same law
which he has just held to be superior
to public policy and to the bench.
When he wished to Gust the board Of
public works from place and install
Mr.. Copeland in the post provided for
him by the Republican politicians.
Mayor Doran announced that the law
authorizing this was good enough for
him, and that he did not propose to
question it. In the face of the pro-
tests of taxpayers and citizens, who
care nothing whether there shall be
four men or one to conduct the public
works department, but who do care
very much about the legality Of as
sessments and other proceedings. the
mayor refused to so far countenance
the bare existence of the old board as
to permit official matters to go before
them If he could help it, or to recog-
nize their existence. Now, it happens
that this same law provides, in terms
universally known to be mandatory.
that the mayor shall, after the law
goes into effect, appoint four members
OF the park commission, which shall
supersede the park board then exist
Ing in st. Paul. This, however, Mr.
Doran declines to do. The law that
is good enough for him in one case
is not good enough in the other. He
would not wait for one moment in
the matter Of the board of publa,
works to test its validity, but he an
nounces that he will disregard its
order in the matter of the board of
park commissioners.
This, as we say, will hardly be taken
seriously, because it has such over
poweringly amusing aspects Our lit
tie despot takes it upon himself to saw
what laws and what portions of laws
he will put into effect and what he
will annul, and doubtless feels the
thrill of new fire through all his be-
ing. Practically, as in the case of the
board of public works, this action
amounts to nothing. except a possible
public embarrassment. The duty of
Mayor Doran in one case is just as
plain as it was in the other. He
should, Immediately upon the adoption
of this law by the common council,