The Donaldsonville chief., 1905-01-14
An Earlg Raast..

far distant when the real ealibre an
| animus Of the Behrman administratio
! Of the municipal affairs of New Or
| leans would be manifested in sue
shape as to confirm the belief OF
large minority Of the voters of tina
city, and large majority of the peo
pie OF the rem ainder Of the state. tha
deplorable error was committed il
| the election of q professional poll
tielan and ward boss as mayor OF tn
states metropolis: but the manifesto
ton has come sooner than we expected
and in such indubisable form as tt
compel the recognition and acknowl
edgment, not only of those who op
posed the candidate Of the guberna
torial and municipal bosses, but o
some OF his most prominent and zeal
Gus supporters as we'll.
| There's the dell to pay in the camp
OF the faithful and the cause of tht
rnction-the premature explosion, SC
to call twas the selection on Tues
day last OF an inspector of police bJ
the new board of police commission
ers. Half dozen well-known citizens
| had been mentioned in connection with
this important position, the incumben1
OF which will exercise even greater i'm
mediate control of the police force O.
/ Nnw (Ar1nnnC hn ob binF
intendent of police has heretofore done
but the choice OF the board fell upor
the present superintendent, John Jour.
nee. Il was perhaps to be expected
that the other candidates and their
friends would be displeased by this
action, and the adverse criticism Of
| the Times Democrat and Picayune
also seemed quite natural sequence,
| inasmuch as both these papers had
vigorously supported the movement
for the reorganization and rehabilita-
ton of the city's police department,
and quite as vigorously opposed the
election of Martin Behrman; but an
unlocked for development Of the situ-
alton is the fact that the Daily Item,
erstWhile ehiefest champion and de-
fender Of the Blanch ard Behrman com
| bine, condemns and denounces the po-
lice board IS proceeding with far more
bitterness and strenuosity than either
OF its Home Rule contemporaries.
With big seare-heads, red-ink catch
lines, double-leaded editorials and
| other Itemesque accessories the eve
ming paper gives characteristic vent
to its disappointment and indign alton,
i emptying the vials of its wrath mainly
upon the heads Of Mayor Behrman
and Police Commissioner Joseph A.
Hincks, whom it holds responsible for
the alleged miscarriage of promised
reformation in the municipality po-
lice system. The record of recent
judicial proceeding in which Mr..
Hincks figured to much disadvantage
is being published and commented on
by The Item with view of demonstra-
ting that he was not a proper person
to receive the appointment as police
commissioner, and the positive state
ment is made that the mayor knew all
the circumstances of the case when he
selected Mr.. Hincks as one Of the ap-
pointees.
It is further specifically asserted that
Mr.. Behrman told The Item that one
OF the principal objects sought to be
accomplished BY the enactment of>the
new police law was to get rid OF
Superintendent Journee, who was con-
sidered inefficient and incompetent;
hence it is not strange that the paper
should wish to know how the mayor
can explain or defend his course in
permitting and presumably conniving
at the promotion Of such al Official to
a position Of enlarged powers and re-
sponsibilities. A series of categorical
questions on this subject has been pro-
pounded TO Mayor Behrman by The
Item, and his only response up to
Thursday afternoon was tantamount
to confession Of either his inability
or unwillingness to give public and
categorical answers. He is quoted as
having said that he sought a private
interview with Dominick O,Malley.
proprietor of The Item, Sin order to
explain everything" bat that Mr..
O'Mal1eY refused to see him. Accord |
ing to The Item, its proprietor prop
erly takes the position that the matter
is public one and that the people are
entitled to hear whatever explanation |
their mayor has to offer.
It's a pretty spectacle as it stands |
and the denouement will be awaited |
with general curiosity and interest.