St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-04
CAUSES A RED HOT REPUBLICAN
ROW OVER NELSON'S
JOB.
WRIGHT ABUSED RoUNDLy
FOR FAILING TO GUST THE Gus,
TODIAN FORTHWITH LAST
NIGHT.
JOHN H. scHuLTzE IS SLATED
To Take the Place In June-Ameniy
ties of the SpOilsmen Not
Pretty I'm Print,

the city hall and court house, and will
continue to serve in that capacity un-
til next June, when he is TO be sue
ceeded by John II. Schultze, a Repub-
lican
The "shoe was on the other foot"
with the St. Paul Republicans yester-
day when Commissioner Wright voted
against the removal Of Mr. Nilsson and
also against the election of George Ger
ZACH to succeed him. On account of
this action Mr.. Wright was made the
target for abuse not only by his Re
publican colleagues on the city hall
and court house commission, but also
by a gang of Republicans that packed
the lobby. He struck back with equal
force, however and showed them that
he did not propose to be bulldozed.
This being the first meeting Of the
commission in the new year. and the
Republicans having control OF the COM
mission,it was understood that an at
tempt would be made at the meeting to
GUST all Democratic employees around
the building and fill their places with
Republicans. The result was that the
corridors of the building were filled all
day from early In the morning with a
gang of the hungry place-seekers and
their backers-the fellows with a pull.
Every effort had been made to whip
Commissioner Wright into line with his
Republican colleagues. Time and
again attempts had been made to Sc
cure his presence at a caucus, so that
he might be forced to join in the hur-
rah with which the spoils system was
to be inaugurated and every petty
place taken possession of for a Repub-
lican heeler, even down to the position
of spittoon cleaner. But Wright held
aloof, for he could see no reason for
displacine as custodian a man who had
given the best service of any one ap-
pointed to the place since the erection
of the present city hall and court
house. The result was good deal OF
speculation among the Republican
gang as to what his action would be
when the meeting was held.
When the commission was called to
order by Mayor Smith at o'clock yes
terday afternoon, the lobby was COM
pletely filed with spectators, mostly
Republicans. The regular routine busi-
ness was first taken up and disposed Of.
A few bills were allowed. and a bill
OF the st. Paul Gas company for some
thing like 1886 interest on the bills
Comptroller McCardy had refused to
audit until compelled by order of the
court to do so was referred back to
the gas company with the information
that the commission had no more to
do with the matter. Then Commits
sioner Arosin offered a resolution that
G. A. Anderson be granted the court
house cigar stand privilege, and that
Lawrence Fahey be ordered to surren-
der possession of the same forthwith
Mayor Smith wanted to know wheth-
er Fahey had not been granted the
privilege for a space, of two years IL
so, he would rule that the resolution
was not in order Auditor Sullivan be-
San looking through the record to fur
nish the desired information, but be-
fore he found it the mayor said he
would rule the resolution out of order
on the presumption that the privilege
had been granted for two years. Mr..
Wright said he desired to be enlight-
ened on the point, however, and Mr..
Sullivan kept on looking until he found
the minutes Of the meeting at which the
privilege had been granted There was
nothing In the record to show the length
of time for which the grant had been
made. Then Mayor Smith reaffirmed
his ruling, declaring the resolution out
of order, on the ground that the grant
was presumably intended to run two
years
Commissioner Johnson took an an
peal from the decision of the chair. and
the mayor was overruled, Arosin. John
son, Milham and Wright voting against
sustaining the chair. Mr.. Wright ex-
planned that his reason for voting
against the ruling was that complaint
had been made to him that Mr.. Fahey
did not pay his bills, and he thought
the privilege should be granted to some
one more deserving, but he was opposed
to Anderson.
Mr. johnson then took the floor and
sald: We are all friends and will
have no hard feelings Whatever the
outcome of these matters. But we NAV
just as well be plain, and understand
each other. l think we do understand
each other pretty well. This is purely
a matter Of politics. When one poIiti-
cal party is successful, all those who
support the other side and are holding
political jobs expect to be cut off. The
1eSPoDiSdiio NOW nave control or this
commission. and according to the ethics
of politics we propose to appoint Re
publicans to the positions under it. The
Republicans have control, and the Re-
publican candidates are going to pick
whatever plums there are"
Mayor Smith-"You are mistaken
Mr.. Johnson. This is not q partisan
commission and never has been. The
employees have been chosen without re-
gard to party affiliations and you win
find that half OF those at present work
ing here are Republicans Many of
them were appointed during the Wright
administration, and have never been
removed"
A vote was then taken upon Mr..
Arosin's resolution granting the cigar
stand privilege to Anderson, but the
resolution was defeated by vote of
four to three, Arosin, Muham and
Johnson being the only ones voting for
it.
Mr.. Johnson then jumped up and Of
ferred resolution discharging Nilsson
from the position of custodian. but the
mayor declared it out Of order. as no
charges had been made against the
custodian, and therefore there was no
reason for discharging him. Johnson
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