The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-03-13
MAYORS OF ST. PAUI

AZ, succeeded Mr.. warren. He helu
office four terms-sometimes a candi-
date as Republican, at others as
Peoples Citizens candidate-his own
personality elected him; he was great
er than his party. No citizen ever had
| a greater personal following as ply
stefan; his services were at the DISPOSE
ton of every one-the poor without
regard to pay or compassionate
might be said to be city physician
without the Office or emoluments. Dem
| ocrats as we'll as Republicans delight
ed to honor him with their votes. and,
while in office. he made no distinction
between men of different political
opinion in his appointments. His po-
| lice appointments were never changed
| by any subsequent mayor, until the
present executive thought it a good
idea to remove one of his APP
pointees-a poles man who had lost an
arm III the discharge of duty-to make
place for one of his camp followers
Dr. stewards administrations were
conservative and economical; he was
one OF the potent factors in the con-
Strucuon of the Mississippi and Lake
superior railroad-now the ST. Paul &
Duluth. In this connection it may be
SAID OF DIR. Stewart that when he first
came into office as mayor, it was
thought by many that he would run
the municipal government on different
INES than his predecessors had. Many
OF his supporters were men of the radi-
| cal school, men who We're of the opin-
ION that prostitution might be sup
pressed, that saloons ought to be closed
| upon the Sabbath day, and all kinds of
| gambling driven out of the city.
DR.. Stewart was even then an old
! settler-he knew the people of st. Paul,
he had to govern cosmopolitan city
| many of her. citizens of foreign birth
and was satisfied that no drastic policy
ought to be adopte d. After his Inaugural
| ton he had conference with the saloon
keepers of the city, at which he said
| that many of his friends desired rigid
| enforcement of the ordinances in rela-
| ton to the sale of liquor on Sunday;
| that he desired to be conservative; that
| all classes of our citizens must make
| concessions, and if they would close
| their places of business until 2 o'clock
| in the afternoon, and after the close
| Of all the forenoon church services,
| then the rest Of the day If their bust
| ness was run in an orderly way with
doors shut and curtains down, there
would be no police interference. This
| they cheerfully assented to-t..e better
| element, so-called, acqufesced as sep
| in the right direction. This arrange
| ment during his several administra-
tons was carried out in good faith.
Otis in the Chair.
Hon. George L. Otis Q86O succeeded
| Col Prince. serving one term. Mr..
| Otis was a quiet. prudent, careful,
| honest. honorable lawyer among the
| leading members of the st, Paul bar.
| He accepted the nomination and cleo
| ton, more in Difference to the wishes
| OF the people, than from any desire
for office or political preferment. Like
| his predecessors in office, there was
1r,,
while he was in office, nor was man
required to have a political tab on his
pants to secure an appointment.
James T. MaXfield Succeeding to j.
H. StewarD held the office of mayor
from December, 1874, to the 29th of
May. 1873, the date of his death A
few days before his death, being u11-
able to attend in person, he sent d
message to the common council, in
which he said his motto in dealing with
the financial policy Of the city was ''to
go SLOW" Economy in expenditures,
low assessments and a reasonable rate
Of taxation should be the watch word
of the council. Mr.. Maxfield was one
of the best mayors st. Paul ever had
During his term of office he devoted his
entire time to the discharge of his du-
ties as mayor, notwithstanding the fact
! that the salary was but two hundred
dollars per annum. The police force OF
dul never before OF since, nave
attained the high standard of efficiency
as under his ADMINISTRATION; he claim
ed that his police force compared fav-
orably with any in the country, which
was true. His appointments were made
with reference to age, intelligence, ply
steal ability and moral character. with
out regard to nationality or political
affiliations. He had his police drilled
in the,Qanual of arms and in military
movements, as in the regular army
and during his last sickness he ordered
his chief. when he was unable to leave
his room. to drill his men in front of
the Metropolitan, on Third street,
where he lived, that from his window
he might note their movements and
proficiency. The system under the
present administration is changed; they
now use clubs.
Mr.. Maxfield was succeeded in office
at the end of his first term by William
Lee QSI0-7D, who held office for two
terms. He was a wholesale dry goods
merchant, a thorough business man,
and later in life postmaster of st. Paul
His administrations were economical
his constant admOnitions were ''cut
down expenses, and reduce taxes" His
appointments to office were like his
employment of men in his business
the best men that could be secured for
the work they were required to do
DR.. J. II. Stewart QS72) came into
office as third termer, was reelected
for the fourth term and remained III
office until January, 1875, by reason of
change in the de te of election J. T.
MaXfield. reelected November, 1874, re-
elected 1877, and held Office until his
death.
Faithful William Dawson.
William Dawson, who at the time
was president Of the council, was elect
ed mayor by the common council to fill
MaXfield's uneXpired term and was
reelected by the people in 1879 for two
years. Among all of the excellent eX-
ecutiveS which st. Paul has had be-
fore and since Mr.. Dawson's terms as
mayor there has never been one who
more faithfully discharged the duties
of the office than he. His aim was to
decrease salaries, the rate of taxation.
and for the municipality to be more
conservative in public improvements,
and that there should be no further in
crease in the city debt. He was, at
least, If not more so than many of his
predecessors, free from the environ
ments Of ward heelers and political
rouStabouts. An IriShman by birth,
yet a thorough American in all that
the word implies. In one of his mes
sages, where a special favor had been
granted by the common council to a
newspaper published in foreign Ian
guage, he returned the resolution
which had been sent to him for his
official signature, saying: Il am utter
ly opposed to granting any special
privileges to any citizen of foreign
! birth, that is denied to nation born
| citizens. 1 think when we of foreign
birth are treated as well as native