Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-04
MAYOR AND COUNCIL.

The council meeting last night gave
further evidence that a speedy treaty Of
peace between the mayor and aldermen
can alone avert the indefinite continual
ton OF. hostilities. The situation is one
to excite a great deal of interest. Con-
troversies of this character always do,
regardless of the questions in issue. But
experience has shown that they seldom
result in any material benefit to either
side or to the taxpaying public they are
supposed to represent.
Usually such controversies arise from
mistaken ideas as to the scope of author
ity, the place where official dignity
should begin and leave off, and too high
an appreciation Of the prerogatives of
position. Sometimes. in other cities, there
have been instances where the disease
known as elephantasis, or swelled- head,
has become epidemic among ofice-hold-
ers Immediately after election. Fortu-
high altitude and our people are not
familiar with it's symptoms.
The trouble in the Butte council is not
due to any mistaken ideas on the part
of either aldermen or mayor respecting
the scope Of official dignity delegated to
them by the common herd. His honor
shows that he is not unduly elated over
the opportunity to sit in the mayors
chair, by his readiness to adjourn when
ever the council meets. Were he puffed
up with pride he would have emulatad
Mark Antony's Grafton over Caesar,
when Callan was slaughtered. On. the!
other hand, the republican members of
the council realize they are not the
whole thing" otherwise they would not
so tafnely follow the leadership of the
three democratic members who are MAX
ing war on the official frontispiece of the
city administration.
Inasmuch as the light between the
mayor and the board Of aldermen is not
due to any Of the causes heretofore men
toned, it must be due to something else.
If personal interests are behind the rum
pus, the public has a right to know the
particulars that the people may properly
weigh them, for it must be conceded that
the aldermen, as we'll as the mayor, were
elected to serve the public rather than
the private interests of anybody.
1t certainly would be in excellent taste
for the gentlemen of the city council to
take the public into their confidence and
officially state why Mr.. Callan was re-
grounds Of incompetency? Or was that
gentleman compelled to make vicarious
atonement for another? Was it neces-
sary to turn down Mr.. Callan in order to
practice up sufficiently to throw Mr..
Lamb over the balustrade? Is 1t another
example of the old story of the fellow
himself on the family pastor?
All surmises of this character would
be set at rest We're the republican alder
men willing to publicly state the grounds
upon which they base their opposition
to the appointments made by the mayor.
AS their course of procedure is an un-
usual one. and one that is seemingly
inimical to the future interests of the
political party to which they belong, a
general knowledge of the motives that
impel them would doubtless be appreci-
ated by the public.
1t is customary to look upon the office
of a with some degree of respect.
regardless of it's and unless
the appointments emanating from that
Office are VIGOROUSLY unfit and a menace
to the public service, they are usually
confirmed without question, the mayor
being the party responsible for the con-
duct of the executive department Of the
city government.
Had Mr.. Kirk been elected-as he
would have been but for the votes of
Clark democrats who are now fomenting
the fight on Mr.. McCarthy-the republi-
ran members Of the city council would
have felt deeply grieved had n consid-
orable number OF their associates in that