The Republican journal., 1910-04-28
A BOSS AND A BULLY.


No mayor of Belfast until the present
one ever attended the caucus of members
of the city government to nominate Of
ficers. The present mayor not only at
tends but dominates the caucus and die
tates its action. He goes supplied with
ballots, and the nominees are really his
appointees. He rules the caucuses which
nominate the members Of the city gov
eminent in the same way, and only such
candidates as will subordinate themselves
to his will and obey his commands can be
nominated. In ward one this year he was
unable to defeat Alderman Dickey for re-
nomination, but word went out to his fol-
lowers to cut him at the polls, and this
was done. Mr.. Dickey's offence in the
eyes of the mayor was voting as his con-
science dictated and majority of his
constituents approved, thus defeating
one of the mayors pet projects. 1t was
on this occasion that the mayor denounced
the members Of the city government,
collectively, as damned mules" In the
city government caucus this year he de-
feated City Marshal Hanmons for re-
nomin ation-an official who had perform
ed his duty faithfully and conscientiously,
as majority of the citizens will testify.
And that seemed to be his offence in the
eyes of the mayor. City Marshal Ham
mons made no distinction in the cases of
violators of law and disturbers Of the
peace-did not stop to ask as to their
political affiliations. Had he done so he
might have retained his Office; and he
certainly would have done so had the
owners and business men pre-
vailed in the city election.
The same methods are followed in the
meetings of the city government. Until
this year, when we have three Republi-
cans in the board of aldermen, the mayor,
as president of the board. has been the
whole thing. He has presented orders,
advocated their passage and they have
been passed. The committees have been
so made up that the minority which
this year has only one vote less than the
little or no voice; but this
is of little consequence, perhaps, for if
there is anything to be bought for the
city the mayor buys it, practice that
had never prevailed before in the history
IF Belfast. Even in so important mat
Ter as the refunding of STA, 900 of the
,ity's debt the finance committee was
gnored, and contract for lighting the |
city was entered into in the same way
4 private deal by the mayor. 1t was the
luty of the finance committee of the city
government of 1909 to audit the accounts
# the city treasurer, but the solitary
Republican member of that committee
Vas not notified when and where this
luty was to be performed and knew
nothing of it until he was given oppor-
unity to sign the report the night it was
presented to the city government. This
lie very properly declined to do.
The school committee is composed of
zen members, two from each ward, who
ire elected by the people and who hold
,ffice under special act of the legisla-
;ure, accepted by the city councilJ anuary
|, 1894. Its powers are thus defined: "Said
committee shall exercise all the powers
md perform all the duties which are now
conferred and imposed upon superintend-
ng school committees by the laws of this
State. They may appoint such sub-com-
nittees, and make such rules and regula-
ions for the government of the board,
md the performance of its duties, as
nay be deemed best" By virtue of his
,ffice the mayors chairman of the board,
)ut no mayor until the present one has
,oted or taken part in the discussions of
he board, and we doubt his legal right
% do SO. The present mayor has done
his on two occasions, the first time to
ecure the removal of janitor whose
etention was asked for by the superin-
endent of schools and by every teacher
n the schools concerned, without an ex-
option. This was done to punish an hon.
st, industrious and exemplary citizen
or voting as his conscience dictated, and
o reward personal follower.
If the mayor could have his way no
ne would be allowed to live in Belfast
Tho did not bow to his will. If he was
OF so vulnerable himself he would inaug-
rate a reign of terror here. We have
cen how he Furnishes those of his own
arty who have ventured to thwart him.
lie has sought to punish others by en-
aging in various lines of business, ad-
ertising them through publication,
rofessedly non-partisan, established in
art and largely maintained by the
honey of Republicans, but which is the
,ost scurrilous and venomOus sheet ever