The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-10-03

II H0QI0B0ut the
reoeio Locally ~ p'osonaouts' anu
hev Prestige 10 afterwards, ~
Csine1 ~ Being mayors secretary.
brought me daily IN
- contact with vari-
GUS members Of the city council. This
body had for some years previous to
my sudden elevation to once enjoyed
the reputation Of being ."out for the
stufR." Not that there were no honest
men In the council--far from it--but
there was a clique OF men IN II who
managed. one way and another. to put
over ordinances which carried with
them the strong suspicion Of being
"crooked." BY cajolery. by party lean
tngs, BY straight-out bribery. by trick
cry and by many other methods there
had been smooth work" done. with
out q doubt. But that day had passed.
In my Official existence. the council
had an honest majority. OF course
when say honest. do not mean to
accuse each individual alderman Of be-
ing honest But one thing can be said
for every individual Of them, they
were as honest as their constituents.
They suited their wards, and II an al
derman would not hesitate to take
his bit" whenever he got . chance. you
may rest assured that his "constits'
were Of the same caliber.
It was intensely interesting to watch
the different methods they employed
to gain favor II they wanted one;
and they usually did. Sometimes It
was the hail-fellow-well-met salutation
of "Hello. b." or How are you. pal?'
from the free and easy kind, or the
pouter-pigeon assumption of impor-
lance Of others as they stated their
wishes. Occasionally cigar was
handed out, but when they found |
did not smoke. this avenue of approach
was abandoned.
There was leaven In the council OF
aldermen Of genuine ability. lawyers,
business men, politicians, who really
made up the backbone Of the body.
They were usually the heads of the
most important committees. and were
not only good takers. but men OF az
fairs, executive ability. thinkers and
workers. But these men could be
numbered within score Of the a
members.
1t spoke we'll for the frankness OF
the predatory class among the alder
men that they thoroughly respected
ability. steadfastness and honesty. You
could hear one alderman who was sup
posed to be mo better than he should
be-" break out into praise Of some 9th
or alderman whose reputation wal
hawless. remember my amusement
on one Of these occasions. One o.
the aldermen, giving vent to his feel
ings about honesty. remarked: "Yes
sir, I like an honest man. Give me
an honest man. Give me one that vii
stay honest don't mean merely mon
ey honesty, but outside and inside hon
esty." Then he added rather irrelevant
~: There's no and 30, referring t.
. certain well-known and Justly hon
ored alderman) he's the only homes
man In the council"
Very ignorant and generally newly
elected members of the council hat
an idea that everything was graft
and that q flve-cent cigar was thu
open sesame Of the city hall. and tina
the mayors secretary was person
age Of secretly great power-which h
was NOT, In my time. So they might b
expected any time to drag in q wild
eyed looking "constit," ask for me, show
: cheap black cigar into my hand. in
troduce the "constit" ~ q most par
ticular friend, and then ask to have
city ordinance. violated. or stat
law abrogated. or the constitution o
the United States set aside for tn
benefit Of the said "constit." Az TO
the mayor, these fellows did not be
lieve there was anything on earth b.
could not do II he wanted 70.
In the council you could hear NOR
varieties Of oratory than Demosthene
ever dreamed Of Some Of the alder
men were wind -jammers." making
believing. frothing harangue. such :
they were ID the habit Of making !
their campaigns. but outside of thei
admirers IN the gallery. they neve
amounted to anything. This body Q
70 men, mind you, was shrewd as tn
very devil. They knew hot air." whe
they heard It, and the bunk" tn
"con," the specious argument, wa
something they detected Instantly
Even the most ordinary among ther
hsH hoon od,,Nafod IN t6a achool q