The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-09
Progressive Aspirants De
nOunce Appointments As
Pledge Violation. ,
SEE BLOW DIRECTED
AT PARTY'S FUTURE
City Attorney Bond Charged
With Advising Selection
of Inefficient Men.

While Mayor-elect William ]. Rob
bins was informing friends today thai
he had expected there would be some
kicks" against his appointees. and that
be intended TO stand pat on his Sc
lections, a movement was launched 10
hold a meeting OF candidates for nom,
ination on the Progressive county
ticket for the purpose of preparing Q
vigorous protest 10 Mr. Robbins
against some OF the men he has Sc
leCted as members of his cabinet. not.
ably Clarence kleinknecht, Harry
Goodwin and DIR. 5. q. Smelser.
II is planned in this protest espe-
cially 10 emphasize that the appoint.
ment of an inexperienced man as po
lice chief. another inexperienced man
as superintendent of the municipal
light plant. and a man who will not
have the necessary cooperation OF
health office. can only be constructed
as a violation of the mayor-elect's plat
form pledge 10 recognize only eff
cheney in his appointments.
Has Injured His Party.
IL also will be charged that Mr..
Robbins action in violating his eff
cheney plank has had the effect Of
bringing discredit upon the Progress
sive party. the cardinal principle OF
which is governmental efficiency. and
that the county candidates are the in
! nocent victims OF the blow he has
administered the party which had ele-
waited him to the Office of mayor. and
which had won the trust and support
of the majority of voters of Richmond
and Wayne county.
The date OF holding this meeting OF
candidates will be announced later.
There appears TO be no doubt that
Mr.. Robbins principal adviser on his
appointments was William A Bond.
| who is the premier of the new cabinee
| in the capacity of city attorney.
The various members of the execu;
1 tive board of the Progressive city
| committee frankly state that to the
/ best OF their knowledge Mr.. Bonds
advice as to the appointments was
| practically the only advice needed by
the new mayor. and that Mr.. Robbins
never consulted with them. Close
| friends of Mr.. Robbins were kept in
ignorance of the personnel of his cam
| met practically up to the time he an
nounced his list of appointments.
! Bond az Chief Adviser.
One active worker said today that
he knew Mr.. Robbins frequently went
to Mr. Bonds Office for consultation
with him concerning appointments. so
he soon began to realize that the city
attorney was the power behind the
throne" Consequently when he
heard that a certain man was under
consideration for appointment to one
of the principal Offices. he called on
Mr. Bond to register a protest Mr.
Bond. this man says, informed him
that Mr.. Robbins had the right 10 Sc
| lect his own cabinet and that the Pro-
gressives of Richmond should indorse
| whatever slate Mr.. Robbins decided
| on. II took this to mean that advise
on my part was not desired. and that
Mr.. Robbins and Mr.. Bond thought
themselves perfectly competent to all
the city Offices" this party worker
added
He also showed a list Of probable
appointments jotted down two weeks
before the election, he said, which he
had prepared from information gath
cred from different men to whom he
had talked. He said that prior to the
election he showed this list to Mr..
Robbins. who remarked that IL was
almost right. or something to that ef-
feet, and a perusal of the list today
| showed that II was authentic, with
the exception OF street commissioner.
one member of the board of public
works and one police Commissioners.
The men slated for these positions on
the prediction list prepared by the
party leaders were. respectively. Ollie
Staub. George Staubach and Benjam-
in Price, and IL is known that all three
were considered for these appoint
ments after election
Motive of Mr.. Bond.
Final approval was given to the list
OF appointments announced last Sstur-
day at a meeting held early Friday eT-
ening at Mr., Bonds once. There are
those who say that the active part
Mr.. Bond played in assisting the new
mayor in the selection of his cabinet
was a move in his campaign TO secure
the Progressive nomination for Judge
!.