The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-13
II IS OH! 50 SORRY NOW
sPAsMs OF THE PIONEER PRESS
AMUSE DEMOCRATS WITH
GOOD MEMORIES
POLICE COMMISSION
PILL
Prepared as Dose for Democrats,
Proves Bitter, Indeed, When
Forced Down Repub-
Iican Throats.

The Democrats of ST. Paul are getting
more real enjoyment out of the editorial
spasms of the Pioneer Press these days
than they would out Of a high-class farce
comedy. The agony of the newspaper
over the sight Of a Democratic police COM
mission preparing to get rid of some of
the worthless Republican timber on the
police force is what causes the old party
organ to throw fit every morning. The
organ recalls that former Mayor Doran
cut off the heads of sixty policemen, and
former Mayor Kiefer followed this up
with forty more, and the fear seems to
be that large number of the hundred
who succeeded them will find their jobs
gone when the police commission settles
down to work.
The fun Of it all is the Pioneer Press and
the Republicans are now busy swallowing
some disagreeable medicine which they
had carefully prepared for the other fellow
When the charter commission, a major
ity of the members of which are Repub-
licans, prepared the chapter by which the
police commission was created an effort
was made to have a non-partisan COM
mission. But the Republicans had the
swing then, and they wouldn't admit the
possibility Of the Democrats returning
to power in the city this spring. Feeling
this way, the idea Of a non-partisan COM
mission was repulsive to the Republicans.
Why, they would be called upon to reor-
ganize the police force, and why should
they allow a part of the commission to
be selected from the ranks of their en-
emy? No, indeed. They wanted it as par
tisan as it could be made. They got it that
way, and now the Pioneer Press is in mis-
cry over the dose.
If the Pioneer Press wants to show who
is responsible for the partisan commits
sion, let it secure from Stenographer Tay-
lor the discussion on the police chapter
which took place at the meeting Feb. II
That will locate the cause Of it's present
agony.
When the chapter Of the new charter
governing the police was drawn VI. section
read as follows:
'The said police board shall never be
so constituted as to consist of more than
three members Of one political party"
1t was agreed to by the committee, COM
posed of Messrs. Albrecht, Doran, May,
Nelson and Clifford, three of the gentle
men named being Democrats and two
Republicans.
Feb. 2 the chapter as completed was
reported to the full committee, and it was
voted to strike out the entire chapter,
which it did. The members present We're
Messrs. Taylor O'Brten, Albrecht, Fetter
Zimmerman and Nelson Thus four Repub-
licans and two Democrats undid what the
committee with a preponderance of Demo-
cratic votes sought to have embodied in
the chapter.
March the whole chapter, as amended
by the Republican committee, was re-
ferred to the commission and adopted,
five Republicans being present and four
Democrats. These, in all, were Albrecht,
Childs, Fetter, Flandrau McNair, Smith,
Taylor, Tighe and Zimmerman
Then the whole charter was approved
by the commission, which stood eight Re
publicans and seven Democrats.
1t was Republican act throughout to
make the police commission strictly par
usan The politicians had their way, and
now the Pioneer is doing the suffering
for the entire party.
Is it any wonder the Democrats laugh?