A CHAJs^GE IN" THE CUEEENT 



69 



to doubt that he had, from representations made to him, be- 

 come apprehensive that in reality one of the most cautious 

 and conservative members of the first commission might, 

 from his deep interest ^^in the inauguration and pushing 

 through of the scheme," drift away into the realms of ex- 

 travagance and possibly shape the affairs of the commission 

 in that direction. 



Then again, from the viewpoint of the court at the time 

 and under the swirl of varying influences brought to bear 

 upon the judge in selecting that board, may he not have 

 been sincere in thinking that merely the qualifications of a 

 successful manufacturer or man of business, and those of an 

 energetic chairman of a State partisan committee of his 

 own political predilections, might constitute the very ele- 

 ments of fitness for the responsible position of park mak- 

 ing? As one having a mind with judicial tendencies and 

 attainments, and who had evidently never given the subject 

 of creating an extensive park system theretofore special at- 

 tention, a generous thought may, I believe, be accorded this 

 action as to its intention, whatever may have been its prac- 

 tical results. 



But some of the ^^interviews on the part of the people 

 of the county'^ were not directed to the question of geo- 

 graphical representation of the new commission, nor of tax- 

 ation, nor of the conservative, or extravagant tendencies of 

 any of the candidates who were then under consideration; 

 but to other and decidedly different phases of the subject. 

 There were $2,500,000 of county funds to expend. "Who 

 was to have charge of the handling of this great sum of 

 money ?" ^'Wtio was to control the patronage in this new 

 and important Department of Parks ?" 



Subsequent events indicated, clearly enough, what these 

 and other arguments and influences were which became 

 potent factors in the final selection of a majority of the 

 commission. 



The change in appointing Messrs. Shepard and Murphy 

 in place of Bramhall and Jackson was apparently some- 

 thing of a surprise to the public, and was variously com.- 



