The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-04
THE DISPATCH WARNS THE RE
PUBLICAN MACHINE OF WHAT
1T MAY EXPECT
WHEN VOTERS GET A CHANCE.
HOT EDITORIAL, CROWDED OUT OF
THE LAST EDITION., ON RUND-
LETT FIGHT
ZOIIman Wouldn't Issue Warrant
Trouble Over $50 Received
for Sale of Scrap IrOu

LIE ltSI ulSEL COOh al dW-
full fall out Of Mayor Doran, Assem-
blyman Reardon, the assembly and the
board of public works for the fight
they are making on City Engineer
Rnudlett because he discharged Mayor
Doran's sons father-in-law, Street
Commissioner Carroll. In the earlier
editions of the evening paper appeared
an editorial headed plain Talk" in
which 1t tells the party that a day of
reckoning is coming. AS the editorial
in question was crowded out Of the
last edition of the paper, which is the
n most generally read in the city,
the editorial is here reproduced. 1t
was as follows:
The unfortunate and ill-advised contest
which has been precipitated between the
mayor and the city engineer, with the board
of public works. the assembly and the board
Of aldermen playing minor parts, reflects no
credit upon the city administration or the
Republican party, which is responsible for 1t.
The discharge of Mr.. Carroll was an impera-
tive duty, if that person is as totally incom-
petent as the city engineer says he is, and
the appointment of Mr.. Sjelberg should have
been instantly confirmed by the assembly, If
he is as well qualified as he is represented
as being.
This is a matter Immediately and deeply
affecting one of the most important branches
of the city government, and unless it is
stripped OF paTllSanSnlp ana ulSpOSeu OIL only
in the light of a plain business view, the
Republican party will suffer for it, and suffer
deeply, when it is confronted next spring
done?"-
This imbroglio is one of the unfortunate,
but wholly logical, consequences of the sys-
tenn of promotion from one place to another
by appointment, and is the first fruit of the
mistake which was made when E. L. Mabon
was placed on the board of public works, as
part Of a political deal, to which he and the
| maYOr were the PARTIES. and of which the
public was the victim.
The silly attempt to have the city engineer
arrested on a charge of misappropriating the
funds in his possession need scarcely be al
luded to, except as emphasizing the petty and
altogether inexcusable length to which Mr..
Carroll and his friends are carrying the hight.
A dozen words suffice to state the whole case.
The engineer cannot perform his duties with
out competent street supervision. Carroll was
shown to be totally incompetent. He was
discharged and his successor was appointed
by the only person authorized to take that
action. The refusal of the assembly to con-
firm the appointment means that that body
prefers to see the public service suffer, rather
than that a friend or relative of the mayor
shall be turned out of office for gross incom-
potency.
That is all there is to it. and it is time
that Republicans were awakening to the ne
cessity for a little better public service, a lit
tie less neptoism and a little more attention
to the pledges of the last campaign. A day
of reckoning is coming.
This editorial in the Dispatch follow
ed the developments of the earlier part
of the day in the petty fight that Doran
is making for M. D. Carroll, the dis
charged commissioner Carroll, &C
companied by Mayor Doran, visited
the office of the county attorney yes
terday n demanded a warrant for
the arrest of the city engineer. The
charge made by Carroll is that City
Engineer Rundlett collected $3.50 from
the sale of old material last Deem
| her and f9jln6 tO turn nUor tn tho nitu
$50 of the amount SO collected. The
matter was brought to the attention
of the assistant county attorney Mon
day afternoon by Carroll n Mayor
Doran. About the time the attention
of the county attorneys office was
called to the charge, City Engineer
Rundlett stepped down to the Office of
the city treasurer and handed to the
cashier $50, taking a receipt for the
same. After this had been done the
investigation made by Assistant Coun-
ty Attorney Zollman was commenced,
and after it had been concluded Mr..
Zollman declined to issue a warrant
as asked for by Carroll. Mr.. Zollman
stated yesterday that there was SEEM
ingly an absence Of intent On the part
Of the city engineer to appropriate the
money. ard as it had been turned
over to the city there was no chance
for a case.
The facts in the case are about as
follows: In December, 1896, a resolu-
ton was passed by the council direct
ing the city engineer to dispose of a
lot Of scrap iron and old pipe which
had accumulated at the tool house
near the Robert street bridge. The
junk was sold to Simon Giss, a junk
dealer, for $3.50, and a receipt given to
the junk man by the city engineer for
the money received. The resolution
passed by the council directed the
1 nnn IN h. 4 NO 49,
bridge maintenance fund. This
was the last heard of the matter ur-
til Monday morning. when ex-Street
Commissioner Carroll arrived at the
city ~treasurer's office and commenced
an investigation of the books. After
considerable time Carroll found tina
on Dec. 20 800 had been turned over
to the city treasurer, but he could find
no account of the other $50, which was
paid by Giss for the old scrap iron.
Carroll reported the fact to the mayor
that official at one decided that
here was hi chance he was looking
for Hence the visit to the county at
torney's office.
In ~the meantime City Engineer
Rundlett in some way received an ink
ling of the charges made by Carroll
and called On the assistant county at
torney and gave his side of the affair.
Mr.. Rundlett'S explanation is as fol-
lows:
Regarding the question of the money
received from the sale of old gas pipe
and scrap iron, which had remained a
long time at the city tool house, I'M
der the Robert street bridge, I have
only to say that a resolution was pass
ed by the common council in December,
1896, authorizing me to sell the material
and turn over the proceeds thereof to
the street, and bridge mainte-
nance und The sale was made to some
junkman, whose name cannot remem-
Der, and a partial payment of 500 was
made about the 2Sth of December,
which included a check on the Allie
mania bank. This none 1 took imme-
diately and deposited with the city
treasurer, asking him to credit it to
the street, sewer and bridge mainte-
nance fund, which he said he would do.
"a few days later the balance of the
money was paid in, but the cashier
odd me that the comptroller had refus-
ed to put it to the credit of the street,
sewer and bridge maintenance fund as
called for by the resolution. l made
the remark at the time to the cashier
that 1 would not deposit the remainder,
but would hold it until we could get
some use made of it for the street,
sewer and bridge maintenance fund, as
l thought it properly belonged to that
fund. l took the one received, placed
IL in an envelope, n put it in a
drawer in my desk, where it remained
until yesterday, when, hearing thar
some question was being raised in re-
gard to this money, l turned it over to