Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-02-12
A COUNCILMAN'S VIEW
Mr.. Housh Tells About the Dead
lock in the City Hall.

of his honor, Mayor Bashor OF Orahts
Pass at the last regular meeting Of the
common council.
The present condition of city affairs
is public matter 1t is a Legitimate
subject of public comment 1t is one
that does not promise anything but a
continued squabble or row between the
mayor and the council and one which
may entail the city and some Of its
officers in needless and costly litiga-
tion and expense.
As the writer Of this article does not
own a newspaper or rather an equita-
BILE interest in one he must Of course
should he appear in public print at
tach his name to any Communication
which he may desire to send forth.
The writer fully realizes that newspa-
per rows are not usually productive Of
favorable results but as the writer has
had one or two newspaper rows before
his willing to take his chances again
this time and he asks this space in
your paper that some explanation may
be given to those who may not know
all or the true condition Of affairs
In the first place we have a mayor
who was not elected but who is only
acting under color Of title to the-ofIice.
At the time Of his nomination in the
city convention last November the
writer undertakes to say that little or
no thought was given by the political
manipulators who brought about his
nomination rs TO his ability or fitness
for the place. Had there been he
would not have been nominated 1t
is an indisputable fact that the mayor
was nominated by "A small coterie Of
ambitious would be politicians who
are anxious to found a new political
parry in Josephine county, and to start
the building up Of political machine
in the city politics This coterie con
sists of Marcus Robbins, George p.
Jester and telegraph operator by the
name of Isham. Messrs. Jester and
Isham and the mayor are employees OF
the S. p. Company of Kentucky Mr..
Robbins is not a resident of the city
Not one of them pays a dollar of taxes
in the city; not one of them has resi-
ded in this city three years, andI be
lieye it is a safe prediction to say thai
not one of them will reside here three
years hence; not one of them cares &
straw as to what may happen in thii
city so long as his own selfish ambi
tions may be satisfied. This is tn,
condition of affairs which confronted
the common council of the city O
Grants Pass, when the present acting
mayor took his seat on the first Thurs
day in January of this year.
Prior to the time when the mayo
took his seat there was considerabl,
talk among various citizens and tal
payers in the city as to whether h,
would be permitted to take the office
One member of the council called up
on him, and he was told in unmistak
able language that it would be the de
sire of Mr.. Bashor, should he be seat
ed to work in harmony with the coun
Gil and to make such appointments al
would be confirmed by the council anC
to fill the various offices with men ca
pable and at the same time acceptable,
not only to the council but to a ma
jority Of the citizens and tax payers
He Furthermore told the member o
the council referred to that if his ap
pointments We're not confirmed he
would meet the council to discuss the
question of appointments to the varl
GUS offices and would do all in hi.
power to agree with them. He wa,
finally seated At the first meeting il
January he made his appointment.
none of which were acceptable to the
council and all were rejected. At the
next regular meeting he again Offered
certain appointments for the considera.
tion Of the council These likewise We're
turned down and moreover the mavoi
knew they would be. Between the
first and second regular meetings the
mayor met certain members of tn,
council and the matter of appoint.
ments TO the city offices was discussed
and at other times private interviews
were had with him by various mem.
bers of the council but no candidates
were agreed upon If the council had
to deal with the mayor the unfor-
tunato condition of affairs in which
the city finds itself probably would
not prevail but when the council is
compelled to deal with man who is
hut nominally mayor and who receives
all his orders and inspirations from
the depot employees of the Southern
Pacific Company of Kentucky who are
neither tax payers nor have any inter
est in the welfare of the city but
whose sole and only ambition is to
build up political machine in Josy.
phine county FOR their own aggran.
dizomcnt and possible advancement
with the corporation whose servants
they are, the condition is one which to
the business men of Grants Pass IL
not pleasing, That il has been mn at
tempt ON the part of the 5. p employ
cS whose names | have mentioned to
TO put the city government
entirely into the hands of ). r. EN-.
ploycs is almost il not quito an iudis.
putahlc fact We have Southern Pa
cttc mayor who receives his orders
and inspiration from Southern Pacific
employees; he has appointed tne local
attorney for the southern Pacific COM
nny for city attorney; and me- at
tempted To appoint man who is vir-
tually "A Southern Pacific emplove 10
another OF the city offices. The 5. p.
company has always received fair
treatment from this city and should il