The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-11-24

the council. And never during these
terms had any veto of his been multi
fed by being afterward voted down. It
was a remarkable record. It was a
record that justified the council in
giving him a grand farewell banquet
by the entire body, and showing that
party preference had no weight In de-
termining questions of individual ex-
~cellence.
Aldermen quite freqr2sY- ~
against n another eyt from
the same ward. AS there gre W
from each ward, and often one Demo
crat and n Republican, there was
sometimes shrewd rivalry as to which
should most nearly suit the constitu.
ency. A new alderman was elected
every year and one alderman held
over" the terms being for two years,
and elections for the "incomer" being
held each spring.
Whenever a very important or
dinance came up, 1t was a battle roy
al. The measure had always been
first offered and then referred to COM
mittee, and then discussed and
threshed out in the newspapers. Mass
meetings in the various wards had
been held, and a good many of the al
dermen had been publicly and private
ly feeling" out their "constits." Com
mittee meetings sometimes were held
in public, and v e witnesses and
experts examined as to the why's and
wherefores Of the proposed measure.
or course the champions of both the
measure itself and the opposite side
had been busy log-rolling, %persuading,
threatening, writing letters. denounc.
ing, praising, and otherwise making
things lively, and aldermen by singles
and doubles and in groups had been
discussing the ordinance with the
mayor and various heads OF depart
ments.
When the night came to take up
such an important measure there
was a sort OF invisible feeling of war.
fare in the air. The gallery gods"
hung far over the railing and front
seats were at a premium. All the
reserved seats were occupied. and
even the empty space behind was
TANNED with spectators. The door
keeper was on the alert to keep out
the mob that surged to get in after
the gallery was filled, The officers in
the gallery had been increased in
number and admonished as to keeping
order. Special newspaper represent
alton was present and photographers
fully bent on taking all sorts of
CHASTITY snapshots were on hand.
And when the proceedings com.
menced, after the p%erfunctory roll.
call and waving Of the reading of the
minutes of the last meeting, there was
something doing" from start to fin.
ish. 1t was then. at times, that the
men grew bitter. elimination and re.
elimination We're banded back and
forth, and real ginger was injected in.
to the speeches, charges and counter.
charges. Yet even then some witty
retort would occasionally clear the at.
m~osphere,
Don't ever ask me for any more
money to help out the party said
n indignant young alderman of pa.
ternally-descended wealth, IF that is
your vote" pointing his finger scorn-
fully at a certain alderman who had
accumulated large gobs of filthy lucre
by means of the contracting route.
The retort came as quick as light
ming: "Oh, | guess I've got as much
money as you have, and l didn't in.
herit it, either"
1t was a solar picks, and the dis.
comited and youthful alderman sank
back in his seat amid the bowls of
the gallery. ERNEST M'GAFFEY.
Copyright, 1905, by Joseph b. Bowles)