The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-12-24
Chapter No, 3

run 'hIuSS, vigorous, tOrceful, Shrewd
immensely popular, politician and q
former successful mayor Not one of
the original movers in the revolution
but a friend of the plan. He was given
the largest ma jority ever given any
man in Des Moines save President
Roosevelt.
y. j. Mathis. mayor "A kindly old
man, plain in speech and plain in hfs
ways, with no particular experience in
larger business or public affairs: a clean
citizel.. and good politician, as attest
ed to by his repeated election to the
police Judgeship on the democratic
ticket by great maorities in an over
wheimingly republican city. He was
an opponent of the Des Mones plan,
but now advocates it warmly.
Wesley ASIA young coal miner of
limited education who three years ago
was made Il deputy sheriff at 5000 a
year salary, aud who suddenly found
himself swept into a high grade public
job worth $1,000 a year on wave Of
popular sentiment. An enemy of the
Des Moines plan, originally, as were a
majority of the labor union leaders
who elected him.
John Hamery-A journeyman paint
er, who, three years ago came into
prominence suddenly through his cleo
tion as a reform alderman. He aided
in arousing the people to revolution by
his repeated exposures of city hall
graft and ineiiciency. He was an ori-
ginal supporter of the Des Moines plan
but rejected by the business mems com
mittee for place on its ticket.
Charles Schramm-A genial good
natured German American who gave
up grocery business some years ago to
become city assessor His administra-
ton in that Office was clean. capable
and just, and his energies were direct
ed towards equalizing taxation between
the big and the little. He forced up
The assessments of corporation property
and franchises. He was not allied with
the Des Mones plan movement, though
not opposed to it.
OLD GANG CLEARED OUT.
1t was not easy for the business mems
committee Of 800 to swallow its defeat
gracefully. but it did So, and it fought
OFF Disappointment with the knowledge
u J. ,il H. 4 Ia
clean men had been put in their places
and that they were squarely nnder the
responsibility of giving the people
honest governmental responsibility no
clean man could fail to live up to. The
business men also knew that they could
recall any man who showed himself in
competent or worse; they knew that
every official act must be public, and
that through the initiative and refer
endum and bad measure could be killed.
The new officers understood this also
and they have labored faith fully from
early to late every day, to live up to
their responsibility. They have also
had the loyal support of every citizen,
business man or not.
But what about the appointments
made by the commissioners:
Has the old crowd of clerks and in
spectors, and other employees, appointed
under the old government on a pollti-
cal basis been turned out to make room
for new civil service employees:
You will find the same old crowd at
the city hail." said former City Solicl'
tor w. II. Bremmer, a successful attor-
ney, who was an opponent of the plan
as matter of principle.
There haven't been any changes
The civil service rules have not been
strictly enforced. and appointments
have been made in some cases without
regard to it. la my opinion, John Mac
Vicar, strong, forceful man that he is'
and politician has had in mind the next
election in selecting his hundreds OF
workmen on the streets, so has Wesley
Ash, ia charge Of parks and the othef
commissioners. Let me call your at
tention to the case of former alder
man who was part of the so-calIed
gang. who was recently appointed a.
inspector Of paving without clvIl SER
vice examination. He is not qualified
10 hold such JOB. There must have
been some politics in his appointment.
Again, take the case of the appointment
of q bartender in d saloon to light in
spcctorship 1t was without STREE
compliance with civil service rules and
he was unqualified. ! understand thai
this FACT became so apparent later thao
the lob WAS abolished and the man Is
posed Of ia this way. do not mean 10
question the competency OF the ei''
ployes who are in the Offices they are
competent but they got there through