The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-23

| TO he desired and expected TO be a cdilui-
| date In each case he retired ironi y
contest for the nomination when anu
because he had abandoned all nope ~.
OF being able to carry the primaries pu.
| OF being allowed by the bosses TO carry
them"
Continuing and telling OF how Mr.. La
trobe desired, and was led to expect nc
might be again an alternating mayor III
1885. Mr.. Bonapartc said:
ION october Sd The sun said:
.'rhe Democratic mayoralty situation
appears TO have settled down 10 con-
test between Mr. James Hodges and
Mayor Latrobe. Mr.. Latrobe said ne II
before the people for their decision
october 9Th a delegation OF some fifty
or sixty business men, for whom Mr.. Ed
son NJ. Schryver acted as spokesman
called 10 assure Mayor Latrobe of their
s,,pport In the course Of a rather long
speech in reply. the Mayor said
III the people want me. the managers
so called and the convention Will nominate
me
Two DAYS later Mr.. Latrobe's card OF
withdrawal was published in The sun III
this he stated:
on appears that before the delegates
10 the convention have even been CHOSEN
under the form Of an election II has been
absolutely determined by parties having no
proper relation TO the proposed organiza-
tion who shall be named by 1t as the can
didate OF the Democratic party for the
Office Of Mayor.
"yho were the parties having no proper
relation 10 the proposed organization VINO
thus absolutely determined its future
action was shown by the following account
OF his withdrawal given in the news
columns Of The Sun:
1T was represented 10 Mr.. Latrobe
that a conference had been held during
the morning between. United States sena-
tor German. Mr.. ]. Freeman Rasin ana
Mr.. j. Frank Morrison, at which the
subject of the mayoralty was canvassed
ana a determination come TO That MI
Hodges was 10 be supported for the noml-
nation in the convention. and that the
election Of delegates to-day was 10 look
10 that end The Mayor was informed
Of the result Of the conference by MI
James Sloan. Jr., one of the finance COM
missioners. and determined at once to
withdraw from the contest
II said in Philadelphia Of the supreme
boss:
He relieves those legal voters Of the
city who belong to its dominant party
OF the labor and anxiety involved in
choosing candidates for all elective offices.
"Mr Latrobe said. as nearly as posi-
bic the same thing eght years before
Of this boss and of those who then shared
his responsibilities ana his hOnors. In
deed while. as / have already said, /
think myself in some measure qualihed
to treat the questions discussed In my
paper. / do not pretend TO have the same
personal acquaintance which Mr. Latrobe
must have with the merits Of boss rule.
| can only guess how one feels who. time
and. time again. stands hat i'm hand. be-
fore the bosses and steps up o. steps
down. into the Mayors office or back TO
the status OF perpetual asplrant, as they
say the word.
Mr.. Bonaparte then said:
Mr.. Carter heard further at the con-
ference that, although We have on our
statute-books laws which seem to pre-
scribe penalties for election frauds. for
various forms Of gambling and swindins
disguised as gambling. for Illicit liquor
selling and for maintaining or adj
vertising resorts for immortality for prac-
teal purposes such laws might be as well
on the rolls of the Plantagenets. since
all these pretended crimes are licensed,
except the first. and that is rewarded
In support of this statement ! cited Fy
own words, spoken very publicly some
years since. and never. to ne knowledge.
challenged. but here. again / might have
quoted others.
'Nlr. John X Cowen is. ! believe, no
longer under the major excOmmunication
by the powers that be. AT all events l
hear no more Of that Virulent abuse
whercwith their mouthpieces were wont
once TO decorate him. ] might have said
i'll. 1 Hon fls mil "a
the criminal classes for it is no less true
to-day than when he said it that in our
city and State political power has been
often gained through criminal means for
criminal ends by men Of criminal lives
and sometimes convicted of crime.
IF this authority is not even yet wholly
orthodox. | might have read a few eN-
cerpts from the report OF Mr. John Il.
Bland when foreman Of our grand jury;
such. for example. as the following:
1T is alleged that many of the gambling
establishments IN our midst are operated
or. when not operated, backed by men
active in politics. whose influence acts as
a powerful protection. Those who are
familiar with our city are well aware
that a number OF such establishments
exist ma that a majority of them are
carried on openly. This must be known
TO the police department, inasmuch as
their chief operators have been thus en-
gagged for years. So long as such covert
influences are permitted TO thwart the
course Of justice the present condition
must be continued. and, painfully mOrtify-
ing as the Acknowledgement may be. that
condition is simply this: That at the
present time the gambling element is all
powerful, with little prospect Of its iniiu-
ence being iessened until such time as
the authorities shall rise 10 "a full appre-
citation Of their obligation TO the commu-
nifty"
Mr.. Boneparte then tells us something
of the election method Of Aaryland's |
boss. which. II Mr.. Martin really be, |
as his friend Judge Harris says. a veri- |
table German. we may expect from him |
here in Virginia. if, indeed. We have |
not already improved on them lie said: |
Il said i'm Philadelphia. and 1 now /
repeat, if repetition be needful, that |
election frauds here are not merely per- |
mitted but they arc encouraged and re- |
compensed. in the city there has been,
indeed, no great temptation to perpetrate /
them on any large scale since 1889. and /
our home workers have hardly done 4
more than keep themselves in practice /
but at the last election in Cecil. i'm /
Talbot. perhaps in Charles counties they /
seem to have been committed with en- /
tire impunity and a large measure or |
success. Doubtless this crime is ia no /
wise peculiar in Maryland. but what IS /
peculiar is the tolerance. bred by long 4
familiarity, shown toward 1t by public /
opinion.