The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-08
THE MUNICIPAL DEADLOCK.

Mayor Parker has encountered a stub
born obstacle to the accomplishment of
his plans for a redis tribution of the ap-
pointive offices of the city of Topeka.
All the men who are left in Office have
notified the mayor that he will have to
put them out in order to get them out
This def of the office holders is in
teresting, because it shows that the
power of the mayor of the city of the
first class in Kansas is very limited.
Without the strong backing of the city
council, the mayor is absolutely power
less to remove from Office the men who
are holding on in spite of his requests
for their designations. There is nothing
the mayor can do to force the obstrep-
erous Office holders to abdicate, unless
he can control a majority of the coun-
cilmen of the city. Whether or not he
can do this remains to be SEEN.
Several schemes have been suggested
by which the mayor can get rid of the
obstacles of his administration, but
they all require the cooperation of the
council 1t has been suggested that
charges can be filed against the OBJ
stinate officials. and their heads cut
off by this rather ignominious guillotine.
This system could no doubt be sue
cessfully operated in the case of the
city health officers and perhaps others.
The $4,000 extravaganza of the city ply
stefan and his board is not tending to
improve their official records. But even
by this system, the mayor would need
the help of the council.
Another plan is to abolish the offices
held by the men who are not wanted.
This would require even stronger sup
port from the council than the other,
because it is taking advantage of
members of the council would be likely
to oppose it.
Still another idea is to allow the may
or to appoint a new set of officials to
suit his own ideas, and let the council
take it upon itself to recognize the new
officials as the legal ones, and fail to
recognize in any way the present in
cumbents. This system of cutting the
old officials off from their base of sup
plies would be very effective, but it
would be likely to plunge the council
and the whole city into a great deal of
financial confusion and an endless liti-
CATION, which would drag it's weary
lengths through the courts until the
present city administration had served
it's term and experienced the exigencies
of another election.
Mayor Parker has a hard nut to
crack, ana ne ne0QS the Aelp OIL luS
council to crack it 1t may be true
that the great majority of fair minded
people believe that the present office
holders should in justice to themselves
and to Mayor Parker, retire gracefully,
as several have already done. But
that is not the question. The men
have the jobs, and they are gettins
their pay every month from the city.
They are not likely to surrender after
having fought so long.
Apparently the council is prepared to
stand by Mayor Parker on the general
proposition that the Hughes office hold
ers should retire, but whether the four
doubtful members of the council will
have the courage to stand by this gem
eral proposition in the thick of the com
ing battle remains to be seen.
This Office holding problem may be
solved when partisan politics is thing
of the past but when will that come
t0 naSs7