The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-13
MR.. 0'NEILL AGAIN
PREVENTS ELECTION.
Suggests That Finance Chairman be Elect
ed as Was Inspector Adele.
IT WAS HARRY SMITHS WORK
Made the Germans Success sPossibIe-Per.
sonal Reasons Preve the First Ward
rlember From Voting for OberIy.

Contrary to expectations City Councils
deadlock over tho craftsmanship OF the
Finance committee, tho most important
committee Of the body, was not broken
last night. The meeting was special one
for the purpose of electing the committee Q,
but after being In session two hours, du r.
ing which timo twenty.eight ballots wer 4
taken, adjournment was made until Wed
nesday night when the farce will In all
| probability be repeated. Last nights bal.
| lotting together with the twenty-one bal.
lots cast for the craftsmanship OF the com.
mittec at the meeting last Friday night,
| makes forty nino ballots, the largest num-
| ber cast for position under the gift of
| council and there is no telling how many
| more will be cast before the office is filled.
1t was s. 15 o'clock when the Democratic
members, excepting Mr. O'Neill, returned
| from caucus. The First ward member had
mingled with the Republican members
during the evening, his mind having evil
dently been made up against the election
Of Mr. Oberly as chairman of the commit
tee for personal reasons.
MIR. Smith began the business of the ses.
sion by moving that an election of mem
bers and chairman of the committee bo
gone into and upon Mr.. Haa]y'5 second.
ing the motion President Leitch appointed
Messrs. Iebley and Cannon tClers
Before the vote was taken Mr.. Fisher in.
quired who the nominees wore, the chair
replying that they were tho same as those
of last Friday night This did u ot convey
the desired Information whereupon Mr..
O'Neill arose and addressing tho chair in
quired tho names of tho candidates at the
same time remarking that he desired to
know for whom he was voting. Mi. Smith
answered that Messrs. Oberly, Leary and
Lebley were the candidates, the first gen
tleman being candidate for the chairman
ship, and that they could devoted for sepa.
ratcly or the committee as whole. Tho
body chose the former course and the bal.
loting was proceeded with
Tho first five ballots resulted in vote
of to 8 against the men. Mr.. O'Neill
voting blank with tho Republican mem
bers. Before tho sixth was taken Mr.
Lcary approached MIR. O'Neill and per-
suaded him to vote with his side of tho
house, but tho vote Of Z to 4 following
ballot showed that he did not. He was
heard to remark that his fellow Demo,
Gratis had not treated him fairly in the
matter and he would therefore block tho
election Of tho COMMITTEES chairmanshp
for tho time being. A dozen more ballots
wero taken but the deadlock remained uu-
broken.
Then came lul during which Mr..
O'Neill was again spoken too, this time by
Mr.. Healy, who occupies IL scat alongside
the member Tho Tenth ward member
motioned for tho nineteenth ballot and
when it was taken President Leitch an.
nounced it as q for and seven against Mr..
Oberly.
One more ballot showed no change in
the situation whereupon Mr. Smith moved
that a recess Of ten minutes be 'aken
which motion prevailed, Mr.. O'Neill re.
tired to the committee room to discuss the
matter. Mr.. ONeill conversed with soy.
cral friends and his sons James and Daniel
O'Neill who seemed to champion their
fathers position.
Tho body re.assembling the twenty first
ballot was taken but it resulted as did the
previous ones, six votes for Mr.. Oberly
and seven blanks being cast. Tho twenty
second one showed like result. Tho fol.
lowing ballot showed change however.
Mr. O'Neill voted a Leary Healy and Zeb.
10y ticket but no one else did and tho re.
suit was that Mr., Oberly got six votes, Mr..
Lcary and blank 8. 1t was tho first time
that The First ward member had voted for
any member Of his side Of the house. The
twenty fourth and twentyffth ballots
also showed that Mr.. O'Neill had voted
for Mr.. Lcary. This continued until the
twenty seventh ballot when Mr.. O'Nei!l
substituted on his ticket the name of Mr..
Cannon for that of Mr., Heay. But the
ticket received only tho one vote and no
election was again declared.
At this point Mr.. smith realizing that
Mr.O Neills position could not be changed
inquired Of tho chair If the majority Of
the members Of tho Council had voted in
tho matter and receiving tho reply that it
had remarked that the blank vote, ac-
curding to Parliamentary Law, could be
counted. 1t was tho Eleventh ward mem.
bcr's purpose toipreyent the Republican
member's ballots being counted, alleging
that blank ballot was no ballot anl
therefore eleoting Mr.. Oberly by tho six
Democratic votes which were majority Of
those cast, but Mr.. Robertson frustrated
tho scheme by Informing Mr.. Smith that
while Parliamentary Law did govern tho
body (but not the kind Mr.. Smith had
refnrence toy, thorc were also rules Of
Council, which provide for elections by
the majority members Of tho body, Mr.
Smith insisted on the chair giving arullng
on tho question, which President Leitch
did by deciding against the Democrats.
"Mr. President, | suggest that tho Same
rulo as was employed When the last meat
inspector was clocted, DO followed re.
marked Mr. O'Neill. No comments on the
remarks were made. They were out of
order because Mr.. O'Neill was referring to
Mr.. Smith, who, it will be remembered.
elected Mr.. Adele after choking his fellow
members in caucus then boiling the body,
leaving tho remaining members so sur.
prised that it was several weeks before
they recovered. Mr.. ONe!ll evidently
thought it his turn to choke, but the other
members did not, and therefore did not act
on his suggestion.
Mr.. Leary saw that no progress was be-
ing made ia the election and moved that u
recess bo taken until wednesday night but
there was no second and the motion fell.
To break the mcnotony Mr., Smith called
for the twcnty.elghth ballot and upon it
showing another vote for Mr.. Lcary, six
blanks and six for Mr.. Oberly, Mcssrs.
Hcaly and Zcblcy again conferred With
Mr.. 0 Neill with tho result that the First
Ward member several minutes later mo.
toned to adjourn until Wednesday night
which was seconded by Mr., Leary and Pre-
vailed.
1t was then 1915 o'clock and the Re-
publican members ard Mr.. O'Neill left
tho chamber. Tho Democrats did not
however, but remained about tho com.
mittCo room discussing tho matter with
tho view Of substituting u man in Mr..
Oberly's place for whom Mr., O'Nci!l Will
vote. But it is SAID Mr.. Oberly will not
his right to the chairm aDship
and so the matter remains.