The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-01-22
THE DOCTORS AND Sen. BARR,
The Physicians of AlankatO, in Sup
port of DR.. Hewitt, Receive Let
ter From our Senator.
The Position of Both Set Forth.

The FREE PRESS, a few days ago.
contained communication addressed
to Senator Barr, and signed by mum.
Der of our physicians urging him to
work for the retention of tDr. Hewett
on the state board of health. The
communication was introduced in a
somewhat misleading manner by the
editor of the FREE PRESS in that he
enormously stated that protest
had been forwarded to Senator Barr
relating 20 the appointment of DR..
Reynolds. No reference was made to
DR.. Reynolds, and DR.. Davis, who for
warded the document to Senator Barr
assures US that no such thing was
thought Of, He also says that the
physicians "believe there should be a
veterinarian on the board, "and as DR..
Reynolds is veterinarian of promi-
nence, the complaint does not lodge
against him, but against the action OF
the governor in removing DR.. Hewitt.
Following is the petition sent to
Mr.. Barr:
MANKATO. Jan. Is, 81.
SENATOR GEO. Il. BARR.
| DEAR SIR: We the undersigned
| physicians of the city of NankatO,
| feel that great wrong has been done
| DR.. G. n. Hewitt in not reappOlntlng
| him a member of the state board of
| health, also, that the cause of SANTA
Gion in our state will sustain an ire
parable loss ii he is not reinStated as
member of said board. Hence we
respectfully request that you use
every lawful means in your power to
have him retained, that the great
cause of public health and honor of
our state at home and abroad may be
maintained. -
III James. A l. DOrnberg.
&c Harrington. VIM Jacoby.
e d Steel. g + Warner.
Ella B Everritt. VIM Frisbie
j w Andrews. b j Davis.
D Webster.
The following reply was received by
DR.. Davis from Senator Barr:
DIR. Z. j. DAVIS,
MankaJo, MINI.
DEAR SIR:-I have yours of the 18th
covering the joint communication of
the Mankato physicians asking me to
use every lawful means in my power
to have DR.. Hewitt retained on the
the state board OF health, and the
clipping from the FREE PRESS relat-
ing TO the same subject.
| shall gladly do whatever l may do
to carry out this request so far as it.
seems to me can interfere, If, how
ever, the communication was intend
ed by it's signers to be construed by
me as request to oppose the con-
tirmation of DR.. Reynolds, cannot
promise to comply with their wish in
that respect.
| agree with all that is said in the
joint communication, and by you in
dividually in your accompanying let
ter, as to the injustice done DR..
Hewitt, and as to the great harm
one TO the state, and to the cause of
public health, by his displacement,
but there is no doubt as to the perfect
right Of the governor to appoint one
man or decline to appoint another.
That prerogative is his by law, and
the responsibility for its exercise rests
with him He too must be the sub
ject Of blame for any abuse of the
privilege or any unpopular use of it,
and not the man whom he appoints.
Or course if, when the matter of con-
tirmation is reached, good reasons are
advanced for objecting to the appoint
ment on the grounds Of the appOintee
being unqualified, or not proper per-
son for the position | would be justi-
fed in opposing 1T, indeed it would be
my duty to do so, but, because one
man is not retained is no reason for
declining to confirm another who is,
in my Judgment. | feel that the Man
kato physicians must agree with nv
views as to this when they come to
consider it in all it's bearings
The prime trouble was in the nomi-
nations for state officers. You know
that | made some effort to secure
different result at that time; an effort
to place disappointing power ia other
hands, for YOU did what you could to
that eud also. | am sorry TO say, how
ever, that some, not all. of the gentle
men WAC signed the request you for
ward Ia M, though they admitted
that the effort ought to be successful,
declined 80 give it any active assist
ance when they were solicited to do
so. say this not to blame them, but |
simply to remind them that all citi-
Zens are apt tn discover that if they
do not join in the efforts to secure the |
best p ssible public officers, their in
terests and that of the classes and pro-
fessiOns to which they belong are
liable to feel the evil effects which re-
suit, and to remind them that the re-
sponsibility for the case IN point is. in |
some degree, with themselves, and
cannot now be corrected by doing an
innocent party wrong.
Perhaps the gentlemen signing the
request did not expect or desire me to
vote ag inst the confirmation of Dr..
Reynolds and, in that case, this long
explanation has been unnecessary, but
If such was their desire l feel that
this plain statement is due them as
giving the reasons which compel me
TO say L cannot meet their wish.
1t will not be possible for me to
write reply to each of the gentle
men and, tn refore | must ask You to
'blige me by laying It'll S before them
as my answer TO aIl Thanking YOU