The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-14
IT'S NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

Pioneer Press seems to have rested its
palpabie invocation to the supreme court
TO decide favorably any proceeding that
might come before it for the removal of
present Democratic city officials NAV be
stated thus:
First-That the charter commission in
tended to secure a non-partisan police
administration.
second-That Mayor Smith in APP
pointing members of the police
commission and the commission in
removing and appointing police
officers have set the evident intention of
the charter commission and the intent Of
the charter itself at defiance through the
VIGOROUSLY partisan character Of their
official conduct; and.
Third-That the danger threatened by
the radically partisan disposition of the
present administration threatens such
grave dangers to the city and it's affairs
that the overturning of the will of the
people as expressed at the last city cleo
ton would result to the great advan-
tage of the community.
The G o will be as brief as posi-
BILE in its effort to meet those conten-
tions
1t is not true that the charter commits
sion intended that there should be a non
partisan police commission If it had it
would have embodied such a provision in
the charter 1t did, on the contrary. in
tend that the mayor should have abso-
Lutte power in appointment. and looked
forward in all reason to the appointees
being in all cases of the same party
political faith as the appointing power
If the o b e is not mistaken. an
amendment was proposed to the provi-
sion for the appointment of the mem
bers OF the commission as it now ex-
lists. Thai amendment was that not
more than three members of the same
political party should be chosen to the
police board. Mr.. F. E. Doran. a for
mer Republican mayor and another Re-
publican member of that body treated
the proposed amendment with disfavor,
and it was rejected. There was not at
the time the slightest probable ground
for expecting Democratic success in the
then approaching city election. Would the
charter not have provided for the APP
pointment of an equal number of Re-
publican and Democratic members on the
police board had it's trainers intended
that there should be a non-partisan pc
lice department? Would the trainers of
the charter have rejected such an amend
ment were the police board intended to
be other than a partisan body? 1t is
easy for the Pioneer to enlighten itself
on this general subject by having refer
ence to the stenographic report of the
proceedings of the charter commission,
which are at its disposal.
Unless the G 10 b e is wrong in its
statements regarding the purpose of the
charter commission in leaving the power
of appointment absolutely with The
mayor, the mayor and police commission
in appointing Democrats to Office are
merely doing what the charter gives them
full warrant for doing, what the members
of their party and the general public ex-
pect them to do and what Republicans
have done from the outset. Until the
Pioneer Press can specify some, at least,
OF the dangers which are to ensue to the
community from a continuance by Demo-
Gratis of the policy of partisanship which
has prevailed since the time of Mayor
rT1,--
danger of the appointment of what it
chooses to designate ward heelers'' to
the police force lies principally as we
understand our contemporary, in the
politics of the heelers.
Some very distressing lessons have been
read by our contemporary concerning the
dangerous and altogether scandalous
conduct Of Democratic officials in ap-
pointing Democrats to office in preference
to Republicans. Yet it is an essential
part Of the political history of this com
munity that the reign of partisanship
was started under Republican mayor
Until Mayor Wright was elected partisan
appointment was the exception Repub-
1lCdilS ISIudANSu 1OE years on the DOafQS
to which they had been appointed. Mayor
Smith had continued only the policy in
that respect pursued by his predecessor
Mayor Rice, and he had in his time acted
merely on the usages and traditions
which had prevailed during an unbroker
period of Democratic control extending
back to the earliest days of the city's
existence. The Pioneer Press meets oul
statement that the partisan changes il
the police force had their origin with
Mayor Wright, with the counter statement
that all policemen We're then Democrats
That may or may not be true We rather
think ii is not. But the changes made
concededly operated to the serious detri.
ment Of the force: and when Mayor
Smith was restored to Office his police
appointments were virtually confined t.
the reinstatement of capable officers, wht
had been thrown out on account of thei
politics. The result, as the Pioneer Press
knows and practically admits, was full,
justified by the improved condition O
public safety which ensued. When Mayo
Smith went cut in 1896 and Mayer Doral