Evening journal., 1896-04-07
GIVE US LIBERTY, OR
The Combination Ticket Will
Certainly be Elected.
TIE ORY OF FOUR FIRE COMPANIES

Every two years the Wilmington F Ire
Department elects It's officers and this
event is frought witch more ia terest than
even the elections for state or municipa I
ofissrs The election occurs on the
second Tuesday in Msy aad hiagsl on
elections held By each company There
are also two tickets, one built
by what is known rs the com
bine," comprising the Fcisndshlp,
Washington. Liberty, Weccscoe aud
Pi ce TX companies, and he other or
''anti om5ine" composed # the Relisncs.
Water Witch, Fame aud Delaware As
each company has but one vote In the
fiaal selection of the Cticers, the com
bine" has the inside track, and makes the
running. rotating tho offices among
themselves. Each company of the
combine" holds a preliminary meeting
early In the year when three delegates
are ci osen to represent tie company at a
convention at which slate Is madsout
In order to keep all the "com bne"
companies true TO this slate ticket for
the election two years ahead is no sde out.
that is the companies to which the posi-
tions will fall are slected. SO much for
the modus operandi.
The Tickets Selected BY the Combine.
This year the primaries were held and
the convention decided on the following
ticket: chief. Charles H. Welde, Friend
ship first assistant, Michael ]. skelley.
Weccacoe; second assistant John P
Welch, Liberty. Then the apportion-
ment was made for 1898. and chief fell to
the Washy. 6rst assistant to the
PLmalx and second TO the Weccacoe.
Since then there has been a strong and
determined flrt on the part OF the four
csmpaules In the anti combine to break
the chain, smash the slate and wreck
things generally. The most favorable
field was decided to be in the Liberty
company II is the baby company, 20 far
IS sge is concerned and has. but
thirty one sctive members, Of
these thirty one there are eight who are
very much disgruntled and they set to
work to break the power of the combine
In that company For some time past
these eight have been holding secret
meetings and last night they decided to
try their strength.
The ADti's Try Their Strength.
It was the regular meeting of the
Liberty, and the judges for the election
were to be chosen. The eight were on
band and began operations by placing 10
nomination as one Of the judges. Henri
o Roller, one OF the octette he was
promptly turned down, the following
/ Judges being elacted by vote Of 10 to 5:
Joshua Pyle, Peter Weleh and Hogh
i Wallace. all avoWed combine advocates.
Tue eight then opposed a motion that
| the reI ort Of the regularly elected dele
gates endorsing the c1mbins ticket be
sdopted, and war was declared. There
were lsome pretty hard words used,
ard the eight were asked 70 show
cause for any fracture Of the
slate but they failed to d. so aud the
combine ticket was endorsed The anti's
declared their choice to be Michael r
Cannon, Of Liberty. FOR chief, Charles
Schulz, OF Delaware, e rst assistant. and
any one from the Water Witch Tor
second assistant.
Denies Any Break in the Slate.
This morniog an EVENING JOURNAL
reporter interviewed John May. one of
the sctive members OF Liberty and q
strong combine man. He said;
There is no truth IN the III nor that
Liberty has broken away or that she
intends to The ticket s'a'ed by the
five companies will bs adhered to
and will be elected-.hat is II
/ it depends on Liberty. These
men who are kicking up this row over
here have no standing in the company
and may be likened to an awkward squsd
composed Of sll officers and not a pri-
vate They are John Doordan. captain !;
N. F Cannon, first lieutenant; John K.
CurrsD, second Lieutenant; OTen j.
Palmer, adjutsnt; John A Bunting,
sergeant; John Biggirs, corporal; Henry
Q. Roller, comuissary. and John Finn
sutler This fQusd has been drilling for
some time In secret, but they could not gei
strength enough to even make a showing
Why they couldn't even give reasons
why the company should 20 back In it's
promise aud desert the ticket It helped
make, Currau and Cannon tried this
same dodge two years ago but made
miserable failure OF 1t. the same as they
will nov"
Trying TO Buy Votes for the AntI's.
Said another member OF the company;
THE anti combine is trying hard to
smash the slate During tina past week
mem bers OF the companies across the
Christisra (mesning the Reliance. Dela
ware. Water Witch and Fame have
been among the Liberty boys,
Offering jobs Of work and
money up TO $50 a piece. II they
would even stay away from the election
aud not vote for the combine ticket.
Two men over here got $40 apiece and
took /. understand bat they will vote
ell the same. They can't beat the slate
Why o. the thirty one members twenty
three have expressed their position,
fifteen Of them for the combine. We
only have TO get one more to win, while
they have 10 get eight more. OF course
II they get those eight and can hold
them wa lose and the snti's win, but
they can't DO it."
Othor Opinions on the Fight.
Chief Engineer Walker. of the Pr eulx
said: Il am confident that the slate will
70 through all right and that Liberty will
be true as steel 70 Il, So confident am l.,
that will be willing to meet any anti
combine man who is willing TO back his
BELIEF with the long green on the same
platform. Do you know OF anyone who
wants 10 wager on the result2
Second Assistant Sasse said: LET
them go ahead and try 10 change Lib
artv Thev will fail and Won can waRer