New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-28
PART III.
PAGES II TO IA.
MONROE COUNTY POLITICS.
ALDRIDGE'S MALIGN INFLUENCE ALL
THAT THREATENS REPUBLICAN
SUCCESS.

INDEPENDENT MOVEMENTS SHEAR THE ROCKIES
TER BOSS OF SOME OF HIS rowER-DEMo-
CRATIC FACTIONS FIGHTING
EACH OTHER
f,,ov A srArr CORRESPONDENT OF rns rnIBUxEl
Rochester. Aug 27.-The county Of Monroe.
With the thriving growing and beautiful city OF
Rochester in its centre. and with thousands Of
acres of some OF the most fertile land in the
state enc:rced by its boundaries. has become
one Of the leading political divisions of the state
I,s legislative power also. has been steadily
growing until under the apportionment OF the
new Constitution IT has become possessed OF
two Senators and four Assembymen. The
countv's representatives.. therefore. Will have TO
be reckoned with hereafter among other legisa-
tive forces In the last Legislature, 1T may be
said in passing. its single Senator was chairman
NJ the Committee Cities and Of It's three
Assemblymon chairman Of the Committee or
CITIES Of the Assembly. The county has had the
saSacity to send able men to Albany as its rep
resentat!ves and thus has acquired an influence
far greater than the number of its representa-
,,ves would IT first sight seem TO warrant
The county for several years has had the ex-
ca,lent taste to vote the Republican ticket. In
1902 Harrison had 2i.S27 votes and Cleveland
y, ss21. In 1894 Mr.. Morton had 22S4S votes and
uW 15.519 votes. and accordingly there was a
penuhlican plurality of 1886 All the Repub-
,can candidates for legislative offices were
elected IN 1894 and most Of those for all other
kinds of ar office The county offices Of Monroe
County ard the city offices In Rochester are thus
Ared with Republican officials
NOT so PROSPEROUS AS IT SEEMS,
cate that the Republican party in pros
rerous condition IN Monroe County. but upon
cl,se examination It's affairs In some directions
arc discovered 20 be I'm Il perllous position The
rand growth ~ Good Government clubs. for In
stance Is only one Of many indications that the
,aiers ~ the cltv # Rochester are inclined to re-
sni the rapid increase IN the cost ~ iis govern
,nAni ~ ls perceived that gtuirc W Adridee
,ha iterulli an ''buss' ~ The eta has ciarmec
ihe raffriis - the iiare Nlih he Followers anu
,hsi nanf ~ then, as hHi making 80 ADEQUATE
galVFR fsr ikeif compensation bni atr rhiehs
aABg naiitifai WaFk NaHHfnf 81 Aiifhth
scheme o. continue 90 Re lhe actual ruler ai ne
CITY hy naming ts next Mayor Nhiir 'hhNH"-
ing In he Superintendent ( Public Works, is not
Mixed year ago, Ia the spllns 81 iest Al'''"s'
Induced Or. Curran, who hai heeh an en- e"'
MAYOR. to decline denomination Tor the pun
for the office Of Mayor himself the thought be-
ing that If Aldridge should be elected Mayor IL
would give him a good boom for the office OF
Lieutenant Governor. Adridge was elected
Mavor. but by a less majority than had been OBJ
,ained bv Dr. Currau. Moreover he ran behind
sno,her Republican candidate for a city office
md an examination Of the election returns dis
closed the interesting fact that he owed his elec-
,,on 10 the Democratic and not 10 the Republican
wards II has been believed that more than
third Of the Republicans voted for the Demo-
cratic candidate and over half Of the Democrats
for the Republican candidate for Mayor
A1DRIDGE's DEAL" WITH DEMOCRATS.
Tho Democratic votes went TO Aldrdge, OF
course as the result Of deal" For years ne
.eeus 10 have been on the friendlest terms with
7 Miller Kelly and William +. Tracy. the Demo-
cratic bosses OF Rochester. When they neeaea
holm AT the Democratic caucuses they received II
from him. and they returned the favor whenever
ne was in any peril at the Republican caucuses'
Aldridge. when head Of the Executive Board OF
the CITY, had control Of most Of the laborers EN-
Moved by II and used this voting force relentless
~ AGAINST his Republican opponents or against
the Democratic opponents Of Kelly and Tracy.
There Is n general belief in Rochester also that
Aldridges friends eXtorted a promise from the
mon who were conducting Mr.. Mcrton's canvass
nv Governor in 1894 that he (Aldridge) should be
s,,oin,ed Superintendent Of Public Works For
a time after Mr.. Morton's nomination FOR Gov
ernCr Il was plain that Aldriige was sulking' ana
some Republicans here were apprehensive that
he would stab the Republican State ticket on
Election Day II was under these circumstances
II is said that the promise was made to Aidrlose
that II he would pull straight" for Morton ne
should be rewarded for his loyalty 10 the Repuoh-
can party BY being appointed Superintendent OF
Public Works.
HOLDING on TO HIS BOSSSH1P.
After his appointment as Superintendent OF
Public Works it became evident that Aldridse IN
tended to try to hold his position as boss OF
Rochester Weekly he came here from Albany
and attempted t. guide Republican pohucai
movements as he had done before. Early In June
he summoned ex-Mayor Curran to his house, ana
told him that he could not have his wish OF be-
ing nominated tor Mayor Then Aldridge began
pushing Norton w Lewis. acting Mayor as
candidate for Mayor. For years Lewis mao Deen
Aldrdge's lieutenant in the Board OF Aldermen
As soon as Aldridges design to make MIN Mayor
o. Rochester for TWO years TO come pe'"
known there was a strong protest asaiiiS' SUM
q nomination made ,y leading Republicans OF
Rochester The Good Government CiuD orsa"'-
ya,ions under the lead Of Joseph T. Alling and
o,her mon eouallv well known in the business
world Of Rochester declared frankly that they
would oppose Lewis. DR.. Curran, backed oy eA-
CONGRESSMAN Voorhis, appeared as an indepeh-
dent Republican candidate for Mayor, ana sought
for sunnort in the ranks Of the Republican ma
chine itself 49,. ,oroo
Soon however Aldridge discovered that Iarge
hoav ~ members Of the Aldridge organization
was opposed TO Lewis. and favored the nonlina a,
ton Of Hiram H. Edgerton, Leading Duiioei "a
the city and prominent RepuDhcah.
WITHOUT A MAN OF HIS OWN
Aldridge now amuses people, IL Is saio' ny 'a''"e
-, -. -. hoa, his candidate all along.