Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1910 — ADMITS ’TWAS BUNCOMBE [ARTICLE]

ADMITS ’TWAS BUNCOMBE

Republican Acknowledges Reform Resolutions Were Only to Catch Voters. The Democrat has challenged us to a statement about a set of resolutions passed by the last republican convention that nominated a municipal ticket and we are really pleased to have this urged upou us. We have felt it a duty to recall those resolutions several times and have been waiting until the Democrat considered it apropos. The resolutions were passed without a dissenting voice at the convention, but without very hearty endorsement, and had the real will of the majority of those who attended the convention been expressed we believe they would not have carried.

The author of the resolutions presented them to the writer the day before the convention and stated that he thought they were just the thing. A reduction In the salary of the mayor from $250 to $l5O and of the councilinen from SBO to SSO was advocated by the resolution and also that the city marshal! be made the city teamster. The writer of this article stated to the author of the resolutions that he believed the proper place for them was in the waste basket. They did not have the appearance of sincerity that a party platform should have and tfce apparent economy thus to be secured was so small as to appear puerile. * * * * * •

The council took its seat on Jan. Ist, whereas the last opportunity to pass an ordinance reducing the salaries expired at the last regular meeting of tihe old council prior to the city election. No matter how sincere the men who accepted nomination on the ticket and on the platform may have been, they were helpless to enforce the resolutions and an ordinance passed now providing for those reductions would not be operative until aftey the term for which the present members are elected, shall have expired. It is doubtful if any provision could be made to have the marshal act as the pity teamster. His duties are defined by the law and the city council has no jurisdiction beyond the law. tyty

It Is impossible for this council to enforce the resolutions if.it so ohose. However, personally, we believe that the resolutions were balderdash and we deplored their passage then, as we do now. They looked like a falsehood and they have npt betrayed their looks. We don’t believe any person was deceived by them and they should pass into history as a bit of foolhardy polities that was really very discreditable, but that did no injury to any one. The above is from the last issue of the Rensselaer Republican.

This certainly should be an humiliating, if not damaging, admi that would have better been kept .in cold storage indefinitely, most republicans will say. It seems, however, it will he observed, it is not made until after the election is over, so it can do the' party no harm.

Nq one will question the statement that the Republican wanted the resolutions consigned to th» waste-basket, though some will doubt that it expressed the opinion. even privately, of the wisdom of doing so until after the election had been held and the candidates elected on that reform platform were safely inducted into office. It wouldn’t have been “politics,” as viewed by the astute Republican editors, to have done so before —quite the reverse, in fact. while it is true that tne retiring council fixes the salaries of the incoming officers, is-there any evidence that the new council, elected on this reform platform, ever expressed a desire to the old council that they fix the Salaries to conform with thein platform? There is no evidence that any member of the new council'has offered or attempted to turn back into the city treasury the salary he has received in excess of that provided in the platform on which he accepted the nomination. If there is any law against

their refusing to accept this excess or that would punish them for so, doing, will the Republican kindly point it out." Suppose that no marshal was appointed. Could anyone be punisher! for not appointing? Could not the council say what the marshal should do, and if he did not want to drive team could he not be discharged? As a matter of fact, if the council wanted to, or had any idea at any time oi wanting to do so, could it not very easily 1 combine these two places, of city teamster ami marshal without in any way laying themselves liable to any punishment whatever?

The Republican’s “argument” is too mushy to discuss. , t The reform resolutions were, as tihe Republican now admits, insincere and at no time was there any intention anywhere to pay any attention to this “platform” after the candidates “got in.”