The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-12
IN A CLASH.
Mayor Parker Loses a Friend in
First Ward.
Councilman Bergundthal Thinks
He Isn't Treated Fairly.
STARTED OVER SNYDER
North Side Alderman Voted For
His Retention.
Now Mr.. Blossom is Dispensing
the Patronage.
STARTED OVER SNYDER

There has been a split in the friendly
political relations which have existed
between Mayor Parker and Councilman
W. s Bergundthal of the First ward,
and Mr. Bergundthal now is on Mr.
Parlxer's trail The first unfriendly
demonstration is the attitude which Mr..
BergundthaI has assumed on the Judd
case.
Councilman Bergundthal refuses 10
sign a pledge 10 vote for the employ
ment Of r. F. Hayden. or any other at
torney, to assist in the prosecution of
DR.. Judd. and it is likely that the plan
to pledge a number of the cOunc1lmeil
10 vote for this measure viii be aban-
doned. Councilman Griley. who has
been active in the Judd case, says that
if q majority of the council will nol
pledge themselves to vote for the emf
ployment Of an assistant. he viii de-
mand a special meeting of the council,
and ascertain at once whether or not
the attitude of the council is friendly
or unfriendly to the continuance OF the
Judd prosecution.
1T is nothing to me personally said
Councilman Griley today, If Mr. Ber-
gundthal wants to help Judd retain his
place, that is his privilege. But 1 pro
pose to put the council on record. /
want my constituents to know that 1
am doing all I can to enable them to
get rid of judd
Until recently, the relations which
have existed between Mr.. Bergundthal
and Mayor Parker have been very
friendly. While Mr.. Bergundthal was d
Hughes man, yet he has always been
fair and open in his actions. and has
generally sided with the administration
on questions of policy.
It is said that the trouble has arisen
as a result OF the street commissioner
fight some months ago. when Frank
Snyder was forced to resign In that
fight, Bergundthal, who is a staunch
personal friend of Snyder's, voted in ia
yor of retaining him in his place.
This is said to have 'SOured' Mayor
Parker, and while he did not manifest
any illWiu prior to the election. it was
simply because he did not like Council
man Miller OF the First ward as we'll
as he did Councilman Bergundthal, and
therefore gave Bergundthals opinions
more consideration in First ward mat
tiers.
Now, however, Afiller's place has been
taken by ]. ". Blossom, Democrat.
and he seems to be the whole show
Mayor Parker does whatever Blossom
tells MIN to do in the First ward, and
Bergundthal is out in the cold.
When the new committees were ap-
pointed Mr. Bergundthal expected to
get the craftsmanship of either the
streets and walks committee. or the
ways and means committee, or else the
presidency of the council. None of these
hOnOrs came his way. The Fourth ward
secured them all. Mr.. Bergundthal
thinks he did not get fair shake IN
this distribution.
Next. Mr. Bergundthal worked fol
Abe Fulford for North side street COM
! missioner. Mayor Parker appointed
Dave Herrold, who was recommended
since then Mayor Parker has ap-
pointed T. D. Nash as North side
| Weighmaster. Bergundthal recon-
t7I
naturally would have had a sure
/ thing" This was thrown down No j.
Mr. Bergundthal asked to have q. GER
tain man retained as a member of the
/ North side street force Yesterday the
4 man was let out, and one of Council
man Blossoms friends got the job.
When Mr.. Bergundthal was asked
| today to state what he would do in the
Judd case, he was not inclined to talk
! He said:
Il don't know as I owe Mayor Parker
/ anything. I don't feel under any obi
| cations to help him GUST Judd. I don't
/ believe there is anything in the charges
4 which have been filed against Judd
/ except the one of financial extrava-
gance, and Judd ought to be given an
/ opportunity to explain that"
No one who understands the situa-
/ ton doubts that the vote on the Judo
case will be very close. Judd has some
J friends in the council who viii stand
| by him through thick and thin, simply
to spite Mayor Parker and keep hin
from appointing one of his friends tC
the place. None of the councilmen deny
/ that Judd has made a deplorable finan-
cial record, but that don't count mucf
in politics. The question of Judd Oh
| anti-Judd will hinge largely on the atti-
tude which the councilmen hold toward
the head of the city administration
| Mayor Parker.
This fact makes it unfortunate fol-
the anti-Judd faction that Councilman
Bergundthal should be estranged from
Mayor Parker just at this time.
City Attorney Spencer holds that {
4 majority vote is all that is required t.
| sustain the charges against Judd. This
! being the case, the anti-Judd factor
needs only one vote to carry the day
| There are six councilmen who are al
most certain to vote against Judd L
/ Councilman Bergundthal would stay
1 in line he would give the necessary ons
( vote But the people who are fighting
Judd still have hopes of making tbs
case against DR.. Judd so strong tina
/ they will win over some of the Other
side.