Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-12
THE SECOND VOLUME
OF the Story OF the Second COM
missionership Fight.
HIS HoNok's LATEST MOVE
wili Probably Appoint Rev. r. j. aEacKay.
ID. ID. Interviews with the Three In
terested Parties. The Mayor An
nounces the Sine Qua Non,

The first volume of the story Of the
police commissionership has been con-
Guided and the first chapter Of the sec
Nond volume was yesterday completed
when His Honor. the Mayor. an
nounced that he was seriously consider
ing the appointment of Rev. Thomas
j. MacKay, D. d., to the position of
commissioner. vice Mr.. NJ. y. d.
Doughty. whose term has expired.
Some persons have chosen to take
this as another OF the Mayors little
RESTS. bu' It is not. The Mayor is very
much in earnes, about it.
Fact is. the situation has reached a
point where His Honor is compelled to
take another tack. The council has
conclusively shown that it will not con-
firm Mr.. Robinsons nomination. : The
Commonwealth Attorney has specif,-
cally stated that it is his opinion that
MIR. Robinson cannot take his seat I'M
less confirmed by the council. and that
the council has the option of confirming
or not confirming him, as it sees fit
1t has seen fit not to confirm, ana
there is nothing left to MIR. Robinson
but two course. One is to fight the
matter in the courts. the other is a
graceful withdrawal.
Under the circumstances, with the
interests Of harmony at heart. Mr..
Robinson will probably not fight the
matter any further. though he does not
concede that his position is not the cor
rect one.
Il shall not decide what I shall do be-
fore returning from Richmond" said
Mr. Robinson yesterday. speaking of
tn cit,
shall announce my decision DR.. Mac
Kay is good man. He is also a fight
er. Should l decide not to fight. be-
lieve the Mayor will appoint him and
give the council 4 chance to vote on
him. Should the council turn down a
good man like DR.. MacKay 1 do not
know what the Mayor would do. but he
could not be blamed for sending in the
name of some individual better known
in the ring than in the church,"
Said the Mayor:
most certainly am thinking Of APP
pointing DR.. MacKay. I think that if
Mr. Robinson is not good enough for
the council mentally and morally. all I
can do is to go to the pulpit to find a
man. The preachers, YOU know, are
supposed to be better than the rest OF
US. You know my opinion of Mr.. Rob
inson. My opinion, believe. is shared
by every one else who knows him. He
is man of irreproachable morals and
OF more than the usual allotment of
common sense. He is honest, earnest
ana capable. He would make a good
commissioner; but it seems that the
council doesn't want him, so what is
there left for me to do but so to the
pulpit for man. II they turn Rev.
or. Machay down, I suppose I shall
nave to get an angel from heaven for
the job That being impossi BILE" --
and His Honor shrugged his shoulders
which plainly indicated that it was his
opinion that if the council refused to
accept good men, it must prove that the
other kind is wanted
Il have not made the appointuent
yet continued the Mayor. "but / have
had talk with DR.. MaeKay. We
talked the matter over this afternoon.
ana he will accept the position if I or
Ter 1t to him. He will make a good
commissioner: you can count on that.
lie VIII not only see that the police are
gwen proper orders but will see that
those orders are enforced. And he will
see. TOO, that man is put at the head
Of the department who will enforce
them You can make up your mind
to one thing, and that is I shall an
point no man to the position who will
not pledge himself to use his efforts to
have change made in the Office Of
chief of police
Rev. DR.. MacKay was seen by a rep
resentative of the Daily Press before his
consultation with the Mayor
have not heard from the Mayor.''
ne said; "and would not care to
talk much about the matter. I cannot
say until I have heard from him
whether should accept or not. I think
me posltlon is enc in which great good
may be accomplished. It is field for
sooa work. A police commissioner
should be fair and conscientious, ready
70 40 what is right. regardless of any
man or any mans opinion. Tie should
be fair to all men. Personally, I have
nothing against any man in the city.
nave no grudges or old scores to wine
out I am fighting no individuals- All
I ask. and all I have asked, is simply
and only that the laws be enforced:
that, and no more and no less. We
nave made certain laws. They are on
our statute books. They were framed
for purpose, otherwise they would
never have been framed. Those laws
were made for the purpose Of protect
ing society. They We're made in the in
terest of Christianity and civilization.
They were made to be enforced. Nov
what want is to see them enforced
That is all.''
&c may be stated that though the
Mayor has not yet appointed Dr. Mac
Kay, there is little doubt that he will
DO SO. II will remain for the council to
act What will the council do? Tt
was freely predicted yesterday that the
appointment would not be confirmed
One thing is certain, the Mayor is plac-
ing the City Fathers on record. He
mas them, as it were, in a certain cor
ner. He has a proposition for them to