The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-27
1MPUDENcE0 OF THE CITY
COUNCIL.


Friday morning The Herald said. al
the close Of an article on The Mayor
and the Council:
1t can be said, without fear of sue
oessful contradiction. that in the mat
ter of nominations. the council has
been far more considerate Of the
mayors wishes than the mayor has
Of the councils.
The Deseret News. after quoting this,
says:
Passing by the glazing mis-state-
ment contained in this sentence, the
reader VIII be struck with the impu-
dence Of the broad intimation con-
Veyed by it that the mayor is expected
70 conform 10 the wishes of the coun-
Gil in making his selections of men who
are to be associated with him as heads
of city departments, and other positions
under the Municipality, and for whose
aoministratoa Of public matters he
viii be held responsible. His own
wishes and judgment in the selection
OF his subordinates and associates, and
his own legal rights in the premises.
do not count as against the plan Of
campaign determined upon by the
caucus and its outside manipulators.
There was no .'glaring' or other mis-
statement in what The Herald said
The mayor has desired that certain
gentlemen fill certain offices. and has
sent their names into the council f.,r
continuation. They have all beer. con
firned in accordance with the mayors
wishes except in two instances: in one
cf them-that for chief OF police-the
council, after referring the nomination
back for his honor's reconsideration. re-
jected it when mis- honor sent it in a
second time. In the other case-that of
the nomination for chief of the fire de-
partment-the council has taken no ac-
ton 90 not the facts show that the
council has been more considerate of
the mayors wishes than the mayor has
heen of the councils?
The News says that in its quotation
from The Herald the reader viii be
struck with the impudence of the broad
intimation conveyed by it that the
mayor IS expected to conform to the
wishes of the council in making his
selections Of men who are to be asso-
clGted with him as heads of depart
ments, and other positions under the
municipality, and for whose admins
tration Of public matters he will be
held responsible" If it is ..impudence"
II the council to think that the mayor
should have some regard for its wishes
IN the matter of making his selections
Tor Office, they have legal warrant for
their "impudence." for the state law
says that the mayor, by and with the
advice and consent of the council. may
appoint az such officers and agents as
may be provided for by law or ordi-
nance, and, in like manner. fill all va
cancies among the same. except as
otherwise provided by law" 1t may
be that 1t was 'impudence" on the
part OF the legislature to confer this
power of confirmation on city councils.
II the law contemplates that the heads
OF departments shall be agreeable to
and in harmony with the mayor. it no
less contemDlates that they shall be
agreeable to and in harmony with the
council as well, for the council is
given the power to confirm or reject, as
1t shall deem wise
y
the mayors own wishes and judgment
in the selection Of his sub
ordinates and associates. and
his own legal rights in the premises
Is all the Difference to be paid to the
mayors wishes and none to the coun-
ellis? So far as his own legal rights
are concerned, they are not one whit
greater than the councils "own legal
rights: they are derived from pre-
cisely the same source.
The News says it would have been
quite willing to see the mayor go even
more than half way in compromising
differences with the council for the
purpose of securing such results: but
in the light of recent developments we
are inspired with the hope that he viii /
stand firm There is no objection in |
the world to the mayor standing firm. /
but when it comes to firmness. there is !
no doubt the council will stand lust as /
firm as the mayor. He was elected !
mayor. and not autocrat but he and /
his supporters appear to think he was +.
elected autocrat. And we close this I
article with the same sentence with
which our article of Friday closed:
1T can be said. without fear of sue
oessful contradiction, that in the mat
-er Of nominations, the council has been
-ar more considerate of the mayors
wishes than the mayor has OF the coun-
IFS"
THE POWER OF wEhTTu