Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-05-08
PERSONAL, PREJUDICE.
That Controlling Influence
Again Displayed by
Councilmen.

4 A most vicious enemy any mem
Der .of the city council would not
consider himself justified IN predicting
that the council would deliberately
appropriate hundreds 0f dollars to
reward a newspaper for its support
or for any other reason. But the
action Of the council last evening
showed that some Of the members
have scarcely a limit to their sub
mission to personal feelings III trans
acting public business.
The letting Of the city contract for
printing was the occasion for the
last display Of personal interests.
All the newspapers blu for the city
printing, the different bids being at
the following rates: $
DemOcat-5 cents per folio per first
Insertion, and 2 cents per folio for
each subsequent Insertion.
Herald-37h cents periodic per first
Insertion, and IL cents per folio for
subsequent insertions. ~
Transcript cents per folio for
first insertion, and 2 cents per folio
for subsequent Insertions. =
Tie Democrat and Herald were to
do the work in weekly papers, and
the Transcript in a daily paper.
AS. soon as the bids were read
Aldermen Mecusker and Martin
wanted to accept the bid Of the
Herald ut once. This astOnished
some of the members, and Alderman
Mathieson made some inquiries as to
why contract should he AWARDED
to a bidder whose price " as six times
as high as other bids. Mecusk er
made the statement IL It. had not
been for the Herald the printing
would have been let at the full legal
rate, and that the Herald was to
have it at that rate. The first part
of The statement was false. but the
last part was carried out with that
fidelity which should distinguish all
the acts of trusted public servants.
For the first time in his brilliant
career Alderman Martin objected 20
any discussion, and impntiently de-
mandpd a. vote. The council then
voted by Il vote of four to three to
accept the Herald bid, the vote being
Martin, Mecusker, Moeglein and
SchmitG for the Herald bid, and
Frampton, Carlson and Mathieson
against the high bid.
There is no legal, honest or truth
full excuse or reason for accepting
the highest bid. The claim thn: 1t
was necessary III order 20 break
pool is false. The council has no
right ssor authOrityAto pay hundreds
of dollars to the Herald because 1t
has been Mecnsker's supporter. and
the taxpayers have good grounds to
resent it. The action served to en-
pose in a most brazen way the
motives that have for months con-
trOlled Mecuskcr and Martin. MOeg-
lein is an ambitious Democrat, and
would not hesitate to aid the paper
that has been the organ OF the clique
to which he belongs. The action OF
Casper Schmitt is the strangest OF
all. The Transcript cannot appreci-
ate wat his understanding of the
matter was. His reputation and
record would seem to guarantee that
such an act was repugnant to his
ideas of honesty and fairness.
From public standpoint it is bad
policy for Il city council to have in
it's power the granting of contract
for any price it sees fit to name, and
especially contracts in which news
papers are interested. For that rea
son provisions are made for letting
the work to the lowest bidder, so
that the city patronage cannot be
used to influence the newspapers.
Few councils Will ever override the
law and the city's interests in order
to reward n friend or punish an
enemy. That the present city coun-
ell has done so, and at large expense
to the city, is plain and undeniable.
1t ia about the boldest move yet in
q long record of unfair, dishonorablc
and disgraceful acts.