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History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Walter Kehoe
1912
Watertown
Gazette, 05 09 1912
"The Worm Has Turned”
There was
an interesting and heated session of the city council last Tuesday evening, all
members being present excepting Aldermen Feisst and Nienow. The fun
began and "the worm turned” on Mayor Grube
shortly after the following petition was presented, signed by Wm. Neitzel and 499 other citizens:
Honorable
Mayor and Common Council, City of Watertown.
The
undersigned, respectfully petition your honorable body to grant to Walter Kehoe
of the Seventh Ward, Watertown, Wisconsin, a permit to sell popcorn and peanuts
from a wagon at the corner of Third Street and Main Street in the city of
Watertown upon the usual terms as provided in such cases.
Dated
Watertown, Wisconsin, April 30, 1912.
The mayor
stated that he had lately learned that it was illegal to grant a permit of this
kind and asked the city attorney to explain the matter to the council. The city attorney stated that the council or
any officer of the city had no right to grant such permit, whereupon the mayor
ordered that the petition be placed on file, and this too in the face of the
fact that there is a city ordinance giving power to grant such a petition, and again
in face of the fact that a similar privilege is now being enjoyed by a man from
Beaver Dam, who would come under the Mayor's famous saying "a
floater."
How child-like
and bland the mayor must have thought the council members were — some of them
have been "stung" only recently by not using their own judgment and
by being willing to coincide with everything others might desire — so the mayor
received a broadside by the council voting unanimously against him.
Alderman
Humphrey, seconded by Alderman Zipfel, moved that the
petition be granted. The mayor ruled the
motion out of order. Alderman Humphrey
appealed from the ruling of the mayor and asked that the petitioners be given a
hearing. The appeal was carried, all
members present voting in favor thereof.
Attorney Hill of Madison appeared and spoke in behalf of Mr. Kehoe and
the petitioners. After considerable
discussion the mayor ordered that the petition be referred to the license
committee, said committee to confer with the city attorney. Alderman Humphrey again
appealed from the action of the mayor and the appeal was sustained, Aldermen Kehr, Lutovsky and Scheblak voting "no." Alderman Humphrey moved that the permit be
granted. After more discussion Alderman Kehr moved to refer the matter to the license and judiciary
committee and accepted an amendment of Mr. Humphrey to substitute the grievance
committee in place of the judiciary. The
motion as amended was carried and the matter referred to the committee on
license and grievances.
Mr. Kehoe
before presenting this petition waited on the mayor at the city hall and asked
for the permit petitioned for last Tuesday evening, and he claims the mayor
called him a runt and told him to go and soak his head. In his message to the city council on the
evening of April 16th, the mayor spoke of "croakerism"
and repeatedly said "don't croak"!
Does anyone blame our citizens for "croaking" when they hear
it charged that the mayor insults some of its best citizens?
Again in
his message he said "if you have any 'kick' coming, go to the city
hall," and he might have added “and be insulted.” Well It appears now when you go to the city
hall with a petition you must take along an attorney, and this Mr. Kehoe did
last Tuesday evening, and his attorney, Mr. Hill, one of Madison's most eminent
young attorneys, evidently paid Mr. Grube back in his
"own ilk," for it is said he gave him the worst "tongue
lashing" ever given a citizen of Watertown, second only to the famous
"tongue lashing" the mayor gave the editors of The Gazette and Leader shortly before the last municipal election. Mr. Hill said the language he used to Mr. Kehoe
was unbecoming the mayor of a city and that he ought to be ashamed of himself. Aldermen Humphrey, Zipfel,
Kohn and Werner all took a hand in fighting for the rights of the petitioners,
and fought a good cause. This is the
second time within two months that the right of petition of our people has been
tried to be denied, and our citizens have become thoroughly aroused.
We hear
more severe measures will follow the latter case than by which the former case
was settled. The humblest citizen in
every community has rights that must be respected under the law, and if a city
official thinks that he is greater than the people and when enjoying temporary
power evidently forgets that "might does not make right," he must
expect unpleasant sailing in his official capacity, and now that a majority of
the official family of our city have decided to stand by the people, we look
for better city government. The Gazette is watching developments and not
saying very much since the last election; it is expecting better things, some
reasonable city legislation to correct some of the abuses complained of here — a
"do something" moral policy, and if it is not brought about soon, it
is said more mandamuses, more judges, more lawyers and possibly state officials
will be brought to the rescue.
History of Watertown, Wisconsin