The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-17
Partisanship Being Injected In
to the City Administration.
More COuncflmen Fall Out With
Mayor Parker.
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE
It is All About a Few City APP
pOintments.
Republicans Think Mayor Shows
Unjust Discrimination.

The community OF interest winch
has heretofore existed between Mayor
Parker and some of the members of the
city council seems 10 have suffered a
severe shock
1t was the Judd case which brought
the trouble to an open rupture Coun-
Gilman Bergundthal of the First ward
led a revolt against Mayor Parker. and
Councilmen Weber and Nichols, both OF
whom have been staunch administra-
ton men, followed Bergundthals lead.
The first sign of this open hostility
was given at the council meeting Mon
day night, when Councilman Grlley, IN
speaking on the Judd case, admin
istered a hot rebuke to Councilman
Weber for refusing to vote with the
administration" in favor of prosecut-
ing the case against Judd.
Weber is to be punished for his dis
obedience in the same way Bergundthal
was punished His voice in the mat
ter of appointments is to be disregard
Two new men were appointed Tues
day at the city electric light plant as
was reported in the State Journal
Councilman Weber is member OF the
electric light plant committee, but the
appointments were made without his
knowledge. He was not asked to help
in making the selections, and did not
know the appointments had been made
until he saw the news in the State
Journal
I do not know who made the ap-
pointments,' said Mr.. Weber today i
have been trying to get a meeting OF
the committee on electric lights, but
none has been called"
The electric light committee is con-
trolled by the Democratic members, E.
b. Snyder is chairman and Joseph Girl
ley and Mr.. Weber are the other mem
bers- Snyder and Griley get together
and talk things over, and then tell
Mayor Parker what to do. Weber is
70 Tf.af7-, TO
ences. 1t is likely that the work of
making all the appointments at the
electric light plant, a total of nine posi-
tiOns. Will be made in the same way.
Councilman Bergundthal, who was
for time in the administration camp,
is now entirely out in the cold. When
asked by a friend the other day to give
him a recommendation for some city
job, he said: I wouldn't ask Mayor
Parker for a pleasant smile. I wouldn't
try to get a job under him for my best
friend on earth"
Councilman Nichols, another admins
tration man, Joined in the revolt which
MI. BergundthaI started on the Judd
case, and it is likely that he is classed
as a rebel by the remnants of the ad-
miniStratiOn forces He was one Of
those who urged that charges be
/ brought against DR.. Judd. and then vO-
ted against prosecuting the charges
] It is unfortunate that partisan poll
/ tics should enter into municipal affairs
to such an extent City positions should
! be held by competent men, regardless
4 Of politics To an outsider, it is a ludi-
I crouS spectacle to see members of the
+ city council fighting each other for dear
/ life for the purpose of landing a job
! and rolling their political log along a
/ few votes. Why not all get together
and work for the good of TOpeka2 May
1 or Parker owes his position to Repub-
lcan as well as Democratic votes and
/ he should continue to make his admin
/ istration non-partisan-that is what To-
I peka wants.
MAYOR PARKER'S STATEMENT.
Mayor Parker is considerably worried
/ by the situation. He said today: It
/ don't see what kick the Republicans can
+ have on me 1 appointed Republicans
/ to nearly all the principal Offices The
! Republicans have the street commits
! siOner. city engineer, superintendent Of
< the food inspector. city physician and
/ license collector. The only men I have
really appointed since / took the Office
We're Tim Donovan and Frank Hen
/ bricks on the police force. wanted
those two men put back on and I let
other people select the others. Our fell
lows only get to the pie counter once in
/ about ten or fifteen years, and it is
/ strange if we can not appoint few
/ shovelers and workmen to suit our
selves.
II have tried to be fair 1ath every
/ body, but it is hard to suit all We left
/ nearly ali TIE LAEB41iltd4t OALltE l4O4uE1H
/ in during the cold winter months, while
our own people were out eating snow
/ balls. While the Republican recipients
Of city jobs were living on the fat of the
land the Democrats were trying to per-
suade me to put them in.
Everybody knows that the Judd case
/ was not decided on its merits. ] had a
notion to tell the council the other night
when they We're objecting to paying an
attorney S25 or $50 to prosecute the Judd
/ case that the city would save a great
deal more than the cost by getting Judd
out of that Office. But that case was
decided by politics. and if it should come
up again. it would be decided the same
way. That's Just the way of it-when
they do anything they expect us to help
them, but when we want to do anything,
they buck US.
Il am very sorry if any of the council
men think that they have not been fair
" treated. I have tried to give all an
equal chance.
$4,000 FOR A RUBENS.