Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-03-09
A BEAR GARDEN.
NEW NAME GIVEN TO THE CITY
COUNCIL BY MAYOR SUTTON.
Two stormy Sessions saturday, with
Many Interested Spectators voting
List For Tuesdays Election Iu-
creased by 1873 Names, During
the Week.

The present city council held the stor-
miost meeting of it's career Saturday af-
ternoon, Mayor Sutton charactcrizing it
as a bear garden" The meeting was held
for the purpose of making corrections to
tho voting lists for Tuesdays election.
There was large attendance of political
workers and other interested spectators,
those who desired to get their names on
the list being only small percentage of
the total number present
The first matter brought up for consider
alton was the list Of names prepared ~
city Clerk Allen of those persons who do
not appear on the grand list but who pad
their taxes last year city Clerk Allen was
giving some Information to Alderman
Mason, who was looking over the list,
when Alderman Shea demanded that the
clerk give his Information in Il tono that
all could hear and called on Alderman
Mason for the paper Mr.. Allen, not being
member of the board, made no reply
to Mr.. Shea but Mr.. Mason promptly told
Mr.. Shea that he would give up the paper
when he was through with it and until
that time Mr.. Shea could not have 1t.
The alderman from the third ward re-
piled that he would go around after il,
whcrcupon Mayor sutton called for order
ana told the alderman from the first ward
to put the paper on the table. Mr.. Mason
replied when | get through with it,"
Some warm words then passed between
the mayor and Alderman Shea on the one
hand ana Alderman Mason on the other,
the mayor referring to the proceedings as
appropriate to Il bear garden. BY thiS
time Mr.. Mason had finished the perusdl
of the paper which caused all the Wrangie
and handed it to the mayor.
Discussion of the names on the paper
was then begun, the men themsclve hay
1,,~
their names should not be stricken off the
list Alderman Shea insisted that none
OF the names had place on the voting
lists since none of them appeared ON the
grand list If they had paid their taxes
they had done so illegally The majority
OF the aldermen did not look at the mat
ter in this light and the names of those
whoappeared on the listers stubs were all
b lowed TO remain on the list. Two of these
names We're those of j. G.. Burnes, the re-
publican nominee for alderman in the
First Ward, and j. w. johnson, one of
the democratic aldermen from the Fifth
Ward and Il candidate for recollection on
an indepande 1T democratic ticket. On the
motion to strike Mr.. Burnes' name off AL
dcrnian Edgecumbe asked to be excused
from voting, Alderman Adsit and Kelley
were absent, Mayor Sutton and Alderman
Hayes and Shea voted aye and Aldermen
Gutchell, Isham, johnson. Mason and
remains on the list. when Mr.. Johnson's
name came up he asked to be excuse
from voting. Mayor sutton did not vote
and the only vote in favor Of striking Mr.
Johnson's name off the list was cast by
Alderman shea.
a number of University students were
present in an effort to get their names on
tho voting list. Eleven Of these were add
ed, the vote in almost every case being
I'VE to four, Alderman EdGecumba voting
with the three democrats in the negative
ana Alder'nln Johnson voting with four
republicans in the affirmative.
The most amusing feature of the after
noon session was the examination Of j.
S. Griffin. Mr.. Griffin went from Burling-
ton to barre some time ago md the points
ut issue ware whether he had lost his resi-
dence in Burlington in so doing and if not
whether he could vote the entire ticket or
for mayor only. During the eXamira ton
it was shown that Mr. Grifiin's domestic
affairs Werc somewhat complicated. on
the question whether he had lost his resi-
dcnce in Burlington City Attorney Foster
who was present, WIS asked 10 give an
opinion. He stated the law in the case
but Alderman Shea insisted on getti. =
MI Fosters opinion as to whether Mr.
Griffin should be allowed to vote He
wanted a written opinion. too. Mr.. Fos-
ter stated that it was the business of the
city council to determine the facts in the
case and that the council could not dele
gate that duty TO any one, and declined
10 give such an opinion. Attorney j. A.
Brown took exceptions to a statement
made by Mr. Foster, that a man could not
lose residence in one place without gain
ing one in another, and Attorney T. t.,
Davis ana Judge j. w Russell were also
drawn into the discussion. 1t was finally
decided, by the same vote of to which
prevailed in the case Of tho University
rnn1l he