The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-05-23
Refused to Accede to Request to Dismiss Two
Policemen and Cut Down Expenses Econ
Omy Plan of Democratic Members Neatly
Sat Upon BY the Executive Claims
Council Acted Without Authority
in Ordering Officers
Dismissed

Severely rebuking the city council
for it's attempt to cut off 1920 per
month from the contingent expenses
of the city, Mayor Rider has returned
the resolution adopted by the council
without his signature, last Tuesday
ninght, abolishing two Of the city po-
lice jobs.
The democratic members of the
council contended that with the sher-
Iiff's force and two constables constant
ly on duty that the city marshal and
one assistant was all the police the
city required and in order to curtail
as much expense as possible adopted
the resolution authorizing the mayor
to discharge any two Of the city mar
shals assistants he saw fit The
mayor has refused to accede to the
dismissal of his appointees and ad-
dressed the following letter to the
council:
The City Council,
Vinita, Oklahoma.
Gentlemen: l herewith return you
without my signature resolution pass
ed by your body on the 18th day Of
May, 1910, authorizing and directing
the mayor to discharge and drop from
the rolls either two policemen or the
assistant city marshal and one police
man. decline to sign the same for
the following reasons:
First: The Office of assistant city
marshal is created by statute and you
have no authority to discontinue the
same by resolution.
Second. The Office of at least one
of the policemen of this city is Great
ed by ordinance and you have no auth
ority to discontinue the same by reso-
luton.
Third You have no authority to
direct the mayor to discharge one OF
his appointees.
Fourth: Our laws provide that po-
lice officers shall hold their offices
until their successors are chosen and
qualified You have no authority to
discharge one of them except in the
manner provided by law, and in this
resolution you have not followed the
law.
Fifth: In the matter of the general
expediency of this resolution, desire
to call your attention to the fact that
only few months ago council OF
this city, composed of five of the same
members who now compose it, unan
imously adopted an ordinance direct
ing me to appoint an additional police
man as an addition to the force now
existing. I also call your attention tc
the fact that there is now pending be-
fore this very council an ordinance
prepared at the request of the super.
intendent of public health for the ap'
pointment Of an additional policeman
to be known as sanitary policeman
Either these steps were taken in bad
faith or there does exist at this time
necessity for the present police force
Sixth: I have not overlooked the
fact that in this resolution is embodied
the all prevailing ambition of por
tion of this council to discharge sorne
of the officers appointed by mean
ambition that cannotNbe thwarted BY
such trivial matters rs lealxy water
works, wasted fnances or disregard
of public health. l very much regret
that legislation evolved from the la
bors of twelve-month should at the
end of that time find itself beating
against the seIf-same rocks which the
law placed in its way at the beginning
Very respectfully,
o. L. RIDER,
Mayor
The council will refer the letter K
the attorney general Of the state t
ascertain. whether or not the mayors
signature is necessary to put a reso
luton in force It is the opi1ion O.
many that the resolution is simply al
expression 5f the sense of the council
and doesn't require the mayors sigma
ture to become valid. It is simply {
gentle suggestion that unless tht
mayor complies with the provisions