Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-06-13

Section /. The mayor, BY and wit
the consent Of the council, shall 81
} point marshal, who shall hold b
Office for the term Of one year or unit
his successor 10 appointed and quail
fed. f8E3Ha 1f 4
Section 2. The mayor, by al
with the consent Of the council, ms
appoint such assistant marshals an
policemen a. may from time to tim
be necessary, who shall hold thei
respective offices during the pleasur
Of the mayor and the council or unit
their successors are appointed ant
QUALIFIED.
Then there is provision that tht
marshal shall be paid $50 month
and the assistant marshal $2b .
month. No other officers are pro.
vided for.
Mayor Rice appointed J. N. Burton
marshal and H. G. Engle assistant
marshal and they were confirmed by
the council. No other name has ever
been presented by him.
Now Mr.. Burton has turned over
his job to Harry George to whom the
mayor has given the city hall for a
residence. 1t is arranged that George
shall draw Mr.. Burton's salary and be
the deputy marshal" In other
words, instead Of the council having
anything to do with the appointment,
MrHRice through Mr.. Burton names
whomsoever he pleases and the coun-
Gil has nothing to say about 1t.
This is the reason for this game:
There are several old soldiers who
have made application to Mayor Rice
for the position under the old soldier
preference law. MIR. Rice has pro-
Iessed deep solicitude and love for the
veterans and they supposed he would
be glad to help them. Instead he has
worked this scheme to make George
he marshal under the name Of his
riend, Mr.. Burton, who is wealthy,
Ioes not need nor want it and who
would not live in the city hall for
$1,000 a year.
But there is no law that gives the
mayor right to appoint an assistant
marshal without formal notice and
by the consent of the council"
his has not been done and 1t is evil
emily not intended that it shall be
one. The marshal has no right
whatever to appoint anybody or to
elegate his authority. !
Suppose the city treasurer appoints /
deputy" and gives him the city {
honey; suppose the street commits 4
oner appoints deputy" and gives, /
i'm the salary; suppose the clerk 9
ames deputy" and let's him run t
Iings-what kind Of a city admins r,
alton would Abilene havep h
Yet either Of these is as regular as
is jobbing out Of the marshalship. d
!. Rice has just as much right to D,
ow his ardent supporters on South il
10 to move their "soup" houses to II
. city hall as he has to turn the m
y building over to one who is not D,
ly appointed by him and confirmed ii,
the council. The very method he re
taken to avoid the plain provision ey
the ordinances, which is that the hi
YoR AND COUNCIL shall appoint the M
y officers, and not an outsider, In pe
ates the uniairness Of this action. IN
George is not blamablc; he will HI
doubt do as well as he can to DO an an
cient officer--but II he is to be be
rshal, make him marshal and pay an
a the salary. Should the city have It.
IVY damage suits or should he be a
able to make arrests because be at,
In fact no more right than any til,
vate citizen to do so 1t will be easy az,
locate the blame. The city hall mi
ongs to the citizens Of Abilene ma
8 not the property Of Mr., Rice to tn,
farmed out to persons not duly Of
,olnted by him nor confirmed by IN,
council, simply to pay his politi- Ma
debts.
Lbilene has not seen In years las
b an exhibition Of cheap politics.
yors Coye, MattesOn, Folk, Nissley,
van, Halleck, Humphrey tried to
Ve the people for thegOod Of the city. thu
Rice, with his wealth, age and pro- ins
. promises to the voters, owes 1t to
city to try to build up the town the
! big, broad, helpful administra- act
}. This is no time for shOddy pol sta
), cheap practices and pettiiogging shs
hods that are calculated to keep thr
city from advancing as It should sta