The Greeley tribune., 1908-09-09


-tss G. had fvst finished An 'mPas
s,o.ea speech about il, vas something
Instructive; and unique
There Va. L~ays the ordeal OF
learning the ropes" for every incom-
i-r Alderman who had not served Do
ss-- II TIE council. This meant hndins
--t about ,he regular order OF busi'
-ess. learning Row 10 draw and pre-
.s.t orders and ordinances, and In
rre-A 70 get acquainted with tns
-,u,cirs method OF carrying on lo
-nsi,ess. /, usually took Al alderman
..ou, s year to &c, HIMSELF familiar
Win ,Aese' things, 20 that his hrs'
t.cye4r term meant actually one
ras- which would Be Of Any pubic
vA.sA
On any aight when there Was TO b
, lot contest over any particular or
iiuxnoe the galleries would be crowd
u ana police stationed there TO pre-
r.-, disorder. The respective cham
73ons II the different sides would b
sJo.. and they would cheer wildly 1t
=. .oeeches made for their various
stes Sometimes II vas necessary To
-jesr tie galleries on account Of the
s,-na.. but usually . !eroc!ous ham
-e-NS Of the mayors gavel. and
-.-ez, 70 clear, was enough 10 hold
ne galleries in .olerable check. There
ve-@ oIc-tirne-s who always came 20
ne council gallery. Just as people a.
,.od the thea.erx. for the e1citement
E,t 70 hear the speeches These old
timers we're usually on the alert Tor
-e.o-uer, especially II he had the e1n
q, ttr-E SARCASM. and fluent And %
-c-ous o.atory When this was the
use the clans would gather and chesr
heir champion on
U,6e- The mayors raised platform
he reading clerA and the city clerk
and his assistants sat and below them
he newspaper. men were ranged IN
ali moon al the writing desks. The
ages came and went with messages
.ad papers. and the alarms,
xao had nothing II 81 IN the world TO
10 but chew tobacco and draw
hundred dollars month" salary.
lounged easily around the outskirts
TO the right and raised from the
c3uacil doo-. was a Sc, Of reserved
seats placed there for visitors, par
-iculs-ly ladies' There was usually
something on hand that interested
hem. the piece de resistance in my
-ius being cigarette ordinance.
-hich came and went and was mauled
va, .-s sc~. 20 oovr;.,ac-c and gap-
e-zlly hop.oo,ched and battledored
and shuttle-cocked from one year to
another But its lady champions were
always on hand. alert and determined.
and apparently undiscouraged and In
iiScoura geable.
manic courtesy" both in the way the
aldermen addressed one another. and
II extending privileges 70 each other
during the sessions OF the council.
They never thought Of disgracins the
council chamber as the senate and
he house of representatives has oc-
czsionally disgraced itself Personal
we're unknown. and never
even heard the word liar" exchanged.
~ hAHo N The oourtrooanD and else
vAere. There was plenty Of dignity
In this respect. although the irre
pressibilitx OF the "kidders" was n
ways in evidence. The "kidders" were
those aldermen who had made \ repu-
tation in that line in their various
wards, and who rarely lost An oppor-
tunity to raise laugh at the expense
Of an opponent And as ridicule Is
80 potent as a weapon, the "kidders"
often won by joke what = solid argu-
ment would never have gained.
All aldermen who have an eye to
reelection, and most OF them have
are al tenacious as swapping turtles
for the improvement and benefit of
tAsir respective wards. To be good