Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-29
SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 1899.
DUTY OF REPUBLICANS.

Next Monday the city officers-elect will
assume their respective stations and the
new administration will be inaugurated.
The initial work of the incoming au-
thorities will be awaited with interest, as
indicative of tina which is to come. Less
interest will be excited by the roster of
appointive officers thar in the action of
the council concerning them. 1t is fairly
well understood that the mayor-elect has
selected his principal coadjutors in the
administration of the executive duties of
the city government; but speculation is
rife as to whether the names presented
board of aldermen.
Several important conferences ave
been held during the past week by men,
bers of that body and numerous plans of
procedure have been suggested. There
seems to be a disposition on the part of
some of the members-elect to make war
on the appointments of the mayor, when
officially made, and prevent them from
being confirmed. unless his honor will
make certain concessions in the matter
of placing men of their choice in subor-
dinate official positions.
Cooperation on the part of the repub-
licans and Clark men in the city council
Will defeat any end which the mayor may
have in view. The Clark men are es-
pecially anxious to prevent Mr.. Lamb
from securing the position of city attor-
ney, and are trying to induce the republi-
cans to form an offensive and defensive
alliance with them in the council. 1t is
understood hat Mr.. Lambs appointment
will come about as the result of a pledge
that had much to do with the nomination
and election of Mr.. Mccarthy, but it is
limited, perhaps unjustly so, that the
mayor will shed no tears if that gentle
man is not confirmed by the council, in
asmuch as he is distasteful to one wing
of the democratic party.
Be that as it may, there should be no
uncertainty as to the attitude of the re-
b"otiSoi hlcliiptIS u llc tDullcll. 1 lie
republican party made it's light at the
polls. and when a majority of the ballots
placed within the hands of a democratic
mayor the right to name the men upon
whom he must lean, and in whose ability
and fidelity he must trust for the carry
ing out of his plans for a successful adj
miniStrati01 Of n,,nioinoI n fro ;,. "a z,
scribed to the verdict. The republicans
of this city will not approve of any effort
TO embarrass the mayor in the perform
ance of his legal duties, and in the exer-
else of the rights that belong to his official
station, unless an occasion arises in 2
legislative way wherein it becomes the
duty Of the aldermen to applv q vbo,a-
some check to an unwise measure.
There is nothing that Will justify a
combination in the council for the ex-
pressed purpose of defeating the mayor,s
nominee for city attorney, merely to pull
chestnuts out of the fire for one wing of
the democratic party. The republican
party has too much confidence in it's al
dermen-elect to believe they will con-
sent to become animal tanners in the
democratic menagerfe.
If the Clark men desired the defeat of
Mr.. Lamb, they should have defeated Mr..
Mccarthy at the polls. Having confess
cdly given that gentleman enough votes
to insure his election, they need not ask
the republican members of the city cOun-
Gil to perform a work they had not the
original courage to undertake. The re-
publican aldermen We're elected on the
issue of good government, whenever
an issue arises in the council in which the
interests of the taxpayers are endan-
gered they will doubtless Sc found. one
and all, fighting the battles Of the peo-
pie. But with issues that concern only
the two wings Of the democratic party
they should stand aloof.
The responsibility of giving the citi-
zens of this city a creditaaIe administra-
ton rests primarily with the mayor. In
sofar as the question of the selection of
his assistants is concerned, the repubIi-
cans should not attempt to divide the