Whitaker, Riemenschneider, Mcgregor, County Auditors

WHITAKER, RIEMENSCHNEIDER, McGREGOR, COUNTY AUDITORS

Foster Refused to Stand for Riemnschneider's Appointment

After Letting the Democratic Members of the Board Think He Would – War in Republican Camp

The deed is done and the first board of county auditor under the new law is as follows: Byron C. Whittaker, Wm. F. Riemenschneider and James E. McGregor. The appointing commission, composed of Prosecutor Duffy, Register of Deeds Huston and School Commissioner Foster got together Tuesday in the prosecutor's office and when they adjourned at noon they filed the requisite official certificate with County Clerk Blum.

The following constitutes the official minutes of the meeting:

"Meeting of the Commissioner of Schools, the Prosecuting Attorney and the Register of Deeds, held at the Court House, June 30th, 1903, to appoint three county auditors.

"Moved and supported that Mr. Foster act as chairman. Carried.

Moved and supported that Mr. Duffy act as secretary. Carried.

Moved and supported that Byron C. Whittaker be appointed a county auditor to hold office until January, 1904.

Yeas––Foster, Duffy, Huston. Nays––None.

Motion carried. Mr. Whittaker elected.

Moved by Mr. Foster that Stephen I. Gage be nominated as county auditor to hold office until January 1, 1905.

Moved by Mr. Duffy that William F. Riemenschneider be nominated as county auditor for the same term.

Roll called.

Result––For Gage 1; For Riemenschneider 2; total 3.

Mr. Riemenschneider was declared elected.

Moved by Mr. Huston that James E. McGregor be nominated as county auditor to hold office until January 1, 1906. Yeas––3; nays––none.

Mr. McGregor declared elected.

On motion of Mr. Huston adjourned sine die

So far as officialdom is concerned this is all there is to the matter of the appointments. Nevertheless there are some sidelights to the appointments which are interesting.

Some days ago Senator Glazier came to the city and conferred with Commissioner Foster relative to who should be the republican member of the board, it being conceded that one of the members would be a republican. After a conference, Messrs. Glazier and Foster went to the democrat members of the appointing commission and the senator told Messrs. Duffy and Huston that Mr. Foster and himself had agreed upon Wm. F. Riemenschneider, Chelsea, for the republican member and assured them that he was ex-postmaster of Chelsea and a successful business man of sound judgment. Thereupon Senator Glazier inquired if Riemenschneider would be acceptable and was assured by Duffy and Huston that he would as they conceded one member to the republicans and that they would vote for any good man agreed upon by the other side, and then promised to vote for Riemenschneider.

It seemed that Senator Glazier and Commissioner Foster had some pretty warm words over the matter and as reported Glazier told Foster it did not make a d–d bit of difference whether he wanted Riemenschneider or not, he would be appointed. This morning Foster appeared to be of a different mind than when it was first reported by Glazier, in Foster's presence, that he and foster had agreed upon Riemenschnider. At any rate Foster was not for Glazier's man when the board assembled to make the appointments. There is an intimation that he saw the "silent statesman" in the meantime. At any rate he proposed as his candidate Stephen Gage, of Chelsea. It appeared also that Foster's first thought was to make Geo. Begole a member of the auditing board but finally for some reason switched to Gage, who received two members voted as they had agreed when informed that Riemenschneider was the choice of Glazier and Foster. Foster farther declared that he never agreed on Riemenschneider, Senator Glazier's statement to that effect notwithstanding. He is said to have admitted, however, that he made no denial when Glazier told the other member who the agreed-up republican candidate was.

It will be remembered that Wm. F. Riemenschneider was Glazier's candidate for supervisor against Supervisor Bacon and that when Riemenschneider was defeated in the republican caucus for the nomination for supervisor, the republicans in that neck of woods turned in and elected the democratic candidate.

The democratic member of the appointing authority say their position on the matter was very simple. Conceding that proper courtesy demanded that one member of the board be a republican, they voted for the candidate agreed upon as they understood it, by the republicans. They were unwilling to vote for the new candidate brought out by Foster this morning because of the previous understanding. They did, however, consent, it is understood, to an adjournment to give Foster an opportunity to get the republicans together on the candidate they desired to name.