The sun., 1891-02-10
1hs Civic Conflict I'm Philadelphia.

Tho city of Philadelphia, which chooses its
Mayors In February. tho month Of valen-
tines, will soon be In the throes of . warm
Of personal hopes and party fears towers the
picturesque figure Of Col. ALEXANDER
KAHsER MCCLURE, prepared to offer for the
favorable consideration of the multitude
several propositions Of merit and decided
originality. Col. MoCLURE's idea is that
tho municipal contest should be utilized In
the interest Of true progress and re-
form, and that the people Of the good old
town should. as he expresses 1t. "strike out
for q New Philadelphia" Remember"
says the Colonel. "that the creation of q New
Philadelphia depends wholly upon the char
acter OF our Councils, and every friend of
reform, Of rapid transit, Of enlarged COM
merce. OF improved streets, gas, water,
sewers. schools, should vote for the best
candidates without thought about party"
II the Oolonel's advice should be followed,
II tho people Of Philadelphia should vote
"without taking thought about party" Q
strange state Of affairs might be witnessed
and the dream OF an entirely New Philadel-
phis might be realized through the instru-
mentality Of Councils. Councils" are a
Philadelphia institution. based upon the plan
which used to prevail in Venice, the Schuyl-
kill having, 80 to speak. taken hint from
the Adriatic. There are two branches of
Councils, the one Select, the other Common.
tho former responding somewhat to the
Council OF the Ancients and made up Of
Philadelphia wisest, most venerable and
patriotic burghers, the surviving bulwarks
against WANAMAKER.
The rival candidates for Mayor are Messrs.
BTUART, Republican. and LADNER, Demo-
crat but scant attention Is paid to them.
Tho WACO Of battle turns upon Councils"
and . seli-constituted organization known
- the Committee Of Fifty has taken hold,
and endorsed number of candidates whose
distinction and Importance may be easily
inferred by their names: r. E. RAKE, ]. J.
SEEDS, II. j. PIdaoTT. GEORGE d. HORN, J.
BNKN Sr.. E. CAV FLANAGAN, E. DE v.
MoRRR1L, and w. F. SHORT; while 1t has
refused to endorse or countensnce the can
didature Of gentleman known as JUMP.
mo JAcK UPPRRMAN."
decided difference OF opinion seems to
exist regarding the activity. or absence OF
activity. which marks the canvass. The
Times says that the contest "has settled
down into sluggish regulation party bat
tie, and 1t will drift along without any
special popular uprising until election day."
The Pfess, on the other hand, draws q pic
ture OF activity and excitement probably
unprecedented in the quiet old metropolis:
"Ths day runs this way from O'Clock in the morn
ing until late in the evening troop OF messenger
boys constantly In attendance rush In and hest
tuss arranged for In outlying wsrds Two type
writer's oiok msrry all the time. Tho telephone rings
every nve minutsA ana packages constantly de.
spstchsd to shs printer. Candidates and GO
eordnR 10 tho ability with which they have tho
gauntlet elatsd depressed Candidates friends come
aud TO- elsed or depressed. according to tho impress
sions they pave gathered from what the menlers OF
the committee have told them"
II those persons who are satisfied with
philadelphia as 1t is, and as 1t is known to
fame, and who are governed by political