Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-05
Burlington q Republican City.

Republican residents can contemplate
the results of Tuesdays city election
with genuine satisfaction for a careful
study of the figures shows that in spite
of a bitter factional fight and unusually
unfavorable conditions, Burlington is still
a republican city. The republicans elect
ed their candidate for mayor and secured
four out of five aldermen, so that the
new City Council will contain nine re-
publicans and two democrats, tho only
democratic aldermen being the two mem
bers from the Third Ward.
The republicans entered the campaign
seriously handicapped. In the first place
the increased rate of taxation resulting in
part from an indebtedness inherited from
a democratic administration, but largely
from the Inauguration of extended public
improvements. created dissatisfaction on
the part of not a few taxpayers. More-
over. the substitution of a paid fire de-
partment for the volunteer system dis
gruntled considerable number of the
members of the old department, especial
ly in the two wards In the north part of
the city and this influence was not with
out its effect upon the result In those
wards as well as in other parts of the city
One Of the most serious obstacles that
the republicans had to face, however.
was the fractional strife which has been
waged for some time now between the re-
publicans in the north and south parts of
the Second Ward. A glance at the ng-
ures contained in the returns from this
ward during the past three years will
plainly show the extent of the influence
OF this contest. The total vote for mayor
In the Second Ward in 1894 was G75, of
which Mayor Van Patten received 447. a
majority of 2l9 over Seneca HaseNon
while II. w. Hall received AIS votes n
majority of 173 over w. II. Hale. for
alderman. In 1895 the democrats did NOT
make a serious nomination for mayor,
nut Gutcheii secured majority of
ls9 over Miles, democratic, and Dennis,
the populist nominee for alderman.
This year George d. Wright, the repub-
lican nominee for alderman, received a4a
votes and Joel H. Holton, the Democratic
candidate, 2S2, with IA scattering. so that
the republican majority for alderman was
only AZ and the plurality Ct. A large Dor
tion of the republicans who bolted the
nomination of Mr.. Wright voted for Peck
for mayor, but that the factional fight
had its influence even upon the vote for the
head OF the ticket, is evident from the
fact that Peck's majority in that ward
was only co. and his plurality ITO, as COM
pared with a majority Of 219 for Van Pat
ten In 1894, and a standing majority for
different republican candidates. take the
years together, in the vicinity Of 2OO
These influences do not wholly account
for the difference between the majorities
OF Tuesday and OF previous years, how
ever, as can be seen from comparison
OF the total votes. The aggregate vote in
the city In 1894 was 27Os, Van Patten re-
oeivfng 1889, and Haselton ITO. Tues
day the total vote was 24s6. OF which Peck
received 1%7 and Haselton 1885, the vote
for Haselton being 50 greater this year
than In 1894. This shows conclusively that
the republicans suffered more extensively
Tuesday from the stay-at-home contin.
gent which numbered 7Se than did the
democrats. and we are justified by all the