The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-02-28
They Will Bring No Charges;
Aldermen Stand By Haynes
CITY ENGINEER IS GIVEN VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
BY THE CITY COUNCIL
Motion Offered By Mr. Atchison Is Defeated Number Of Citizens
Appear on Behalf of Official Who Was Voted Out Of
Position at Last Session.

posed action, malice or politics or
something.
Could Have Resigned Quietly.
Aid. Atchson said that the motion
has been gotten up by the majority
|of the council. The mayor had been
presented a petition privately and Mr..
Haynes given an opportunity to re-
lsign without all this trouble. The
council is honest. Mr.. Haynes had in
lpubic invited an investigation.
what he would think if Judge Cray
was to swear out warrant and want
to try him upon it.
Aid. Atchison said that the council
was proceeding as the city attorney
had advised it to do.
William Budde arose from the au-
dience and added his testimony to
Mr.. Haynes, competence and honesty,
as he knew by experience with him.
Would Obey the Council.
City Attorney Schmitt, said that
he was the servant of the council,
and if the motion was passed he
would proceed to comply with it. The
proceeding was legal.
Mr.. Hughes reminded the council
that its action would be casting a
IDIOT upon one who was over seven
ty years of age He did not think
the council realized what it was doing,
as there was much feeling in the
fer with him and formulate an indict-
ment so that he could try him, it
would be parallel case. Where the
Judge prefers the charges, the Lord
knows that it would not take much
to convict. The judge could be i'm
peached. If any citizen knows that
Mr.. Haynes has been guilty of NAL
feasance or nonfeasance in office, let
him prefer the charge and let the
| council fix the time for the hearing.
If the council does it, every alderman
can be impeached as easily as Mr..
Haynes could be. ''To pass this mo-
ton would be reflection upon you
gentlemen in the opinion of seven
tenths OF the people, and would react
, and be boomerang" said MIR. Geddes.
Il am talking for the good of this
council and of the administration
which l helped to elect. / never saw
or heard a discreditable thing about
Mr.. Haynes. He has been on the
witness stand in some of the most
| intricate and scientific matters, and
his ability has never been questioned.
He is human and errs in judgment,
and the mayor and council have made
such errors and could be impeached,
| if Mr.. Haynes can be-"
Accuser, Judge and Jury.
Mr.. Geddes said that the council
proposed to formulate the charges, set
time for the hearing, and be the
Judge and jury. This was an un-
American way of proceeding. They do
lit in Russia, but not in the United
States. (Applause.) Such an act
would be an insult to Mr.. Haynes.
The motion was in the very worst
city 1t would be shame for such a
motion to be passed, and he did not
think that it would be passed.
Aid. Gary said that it was not
intended to charge Mr.. Haynes with
dishonesty, and if found guilty he
would not be disgraced, as he was
not to be charged with murder or
robbery. If the council had not cause
for it's action it did not know what
cause was. 1t would prefer to try
the charges before anyone else who
was capable to pass upon them, but
the legal steps recommended by the
city attorney had been taken. The
council has to take the blame for
what has been done, and if it cannot
show cause during the past eight
months. Mr.. Haynes will remain in
office. He was glad when Mr.. Haynes
was appointed, but sorry now. When
the figures were printed, many would
change their opinion.
Courted Fullest Investigation.
Mr.. Haynes, who had declined to
speak until now, said that he did not
dread an investigation, but on the
contrary was willing that the full
sunlight should be turned upon every
thing and anything that he had ever
done, but he did not want the charges
to be passed upon by the council,
which had already said that he was
guilty.
Aid. Atchison asked how else the
hearing could be had.
Mayor Andrews said that he had
served for two years in the council |
while Mr.. Haynes was city. engineer,
and he had heard no serious com
plant or known his competence to |
be questioned. He had been called
"bull headed but city engineer has
to have that quality. 1t was charged |
now that the city had paid contrac- |
tors several hundred dollars more than I
they were entitled to on the South |
Fifth street work. This acquisition
was made by the property owners,