The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-04
O'CONNOR GOES OUT
IF WRIGHT GOES IN
Assemblyman Haas Declares a
Republican Mayor Means
a New Police Chief.

while the Republicans are trying to
make the people believe that the po-
lice department will not be interfered
with If Wright is elected mayor" said
Henry G. Haas, president of the city
common council and acting mayor in
the absence of Mayor Smith, "the fact
remains that If by any chance Wright
should be elected l believe that he
could remove the chief of police as
soon as he takes the oath Of office. And
1t would be foolish to suppose that he
would not do so. In all his speeches
he has shown that he is bitterly OPP
posed to the present police administra-
ton and Will do all in his power to
have a Republican made chief
Il do not believe that the mayor
can interfere with any other Of the
police officials, but feel sure that the
complicated provisions Of the charter
give him authority to remove the chief
And L further believe that if the people
are made aware of the fact that Wright
can remove Chief OConnor they will
overwhelmingly defeat the Republic
ans"
The point raised by Mr.. Haas will
be closely investigated by attorneys.
This week will see much of the pre-
liminary work for the active city cam
palgn under way, and it promises to
be pretty busy season for the men
at the Democratic and Republican city
headquarters
The Democrats have had their head
quarters opened for some weeks in the
Globe building, Fourth and Cedar, and
much Of the detail necessary to the
proper inauguration of a successful city
campaign has been completed. Copies
of the poll lists have been made and
Secretary Frank Battley and his as
sistants have the files of their office
in splendid shape for the beginning
of active campaign work.
With the Republicans, while their
committee was named two weeks ago,
it has scarcely been fully organized
and headquarters were opened for the
first time only last Friday at Fifth
and Robert. Much remains to be done
in the way of preparing necessary
records for Office use, and Secretary
F. G. Warner and Assistant Secretary
Frank Haskell will have a pretty busy
time before the affairs of their office
are in any wise as we'll organized and
complete as are those of their politi-
cal opponents over on Fourth street.
What is true of the office detail is
true in a much larger sense of the
comparative organizations of the two
parties. The Democrats are in splen-
did shape to wage a fast and furious
fight when once the campaign is for
mally opened. They have a fine or
ganization, it is equipped with men
seasoned in local politics and they will
not make any false moves. There is
absolute harmony all along the line,
every interest in the committee is pull
ing in the same way with it's neigh
Dor and if there is anything in unity
Of purpose of the committee and the
candidates nothing short of success and
success of the pronounced type can be
expected.
The prospects in the Republican
camp are far from satisfactory. The
soreness over the selection of the COM
mitteemen is by no means allayed and
men who have always stood valiantly
by the Republican guns in former cam
paigns are sulking in their tents and
refuse to come out and drill. D. F.
Reese and some others have buried
their pride and donned the war paint
in Col. Wright's behalf, but there are
many who are still nursing their wrath
and waiting for an opportunity to get
even with the men who have either
ignored or openly f1outed them.
Col. Wright's speech making cam
paign has thus far not been brilliant
success. He has done more injury to
himself and his associates on the ticket
by his bad break at the Second ward
meeting when he attacked his fellow
Republicans of the county commission
ers for completely in the alleged Jail
steal than he can ever undo in the
months campaign yet to follow, and
his committee was doubtless justified
in insisting that he submit copies of
his speeches to the censor for revision
before he attempted to deliver them.
Naturally, the candidate dOsn't like
it little bit to be coached and schoOled
by lot of men for the most part many
years his Junior in years and politi-
cal experience, but it would seem to
the disinterested that the kids were
right and the colonel wrong.
1t is singularly unfortunate, however,
that Col. Kiefer and the other candi-
dates should be made to suffer for
Wright's indiScretion. The Lake Ger
vais man is said to be in open rebellion
over the committees action, but when
in time he comes to see that it is no
reflection on him, but that he must
obey the order and read his speeches In
advance of their deliverance to w. B.
Webster, of the press committee, just
to make Wright do the same thing,
there will be no hard feelings in the
breast of the honest TeutOn at the
seeming hardship. he Will see the pOIuI
and acquiesce in the arrangement.
Editor Frank A. Day, of the Fair
mont Sentinel, prints a letter from
zone of the most prominent and infiu-
entail Democrats in the West" dealing
with the nomination Of a candidate for
the presidency. 1t is shrewdly suspect
ed that the letter is from no less a
parsonage than Congressman John
Lind, of Minneapolis. who is on terms
of close friendship with the FairmOnt
editor. Days correspondent writes:
regard Hearst's nomination as utterly
impossible. 1t would mean ruin to the
party North and South. The best people
in the South would not repudiate their
well rooted moral convictions for the
sake of party. At least that is what
they say. AS at present advised, 1 am
for Parker. If better and stronger
man is suggested, who is reasonably
available, l am for him. 1 have taken
pains to go through his record. 1 be-
lieve him a great and good man. In a
day or two 1 will send you a print of
some of his decisions on labor. Read
them, and if you think a man Of his con-
victions and his firmness and stamina
(read his dissenting opinions) is the tool