The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-05
HOW HE cor THE PLACE.
Nominated by "a Blunder and Crew
Rich on the Fees Of Office.


From the Denver Times.
In the stormy and riotous and tempestu-
Gus days of Leadville, when fortunes were
made in day and squandered in night.
the greN body of the people gave little
attention to the selection of public SER
wants and the professional politicians held
fun sway. County, municipal and town
ship offices were sinecures, ana The strug-
gle for possession of them was confined TO-
the gang that was in and the gang that
wanted to get in The office Of county
clerk was worth to the incumbent from
$4,000 to $4,000 a year. sheriff from $1,000
to $4,000, and so on through the list The
fees of q justice of the peace exceeded the
salary paid to the governor OF the state
or the chief justice of the supreme court
In view Of this fact the intensity of the
contest for the plums may be easily uu-
derstood. But this will answer as q pre-
face to "A story I propose telling about q
heated contest for the republican nominal
ton for justice OF the peace, a nominations
being then equivalent to an election. The
rival claimants were De Mattos. now a
resident of one of the sound cities, and
Thomas, the present prosecuting attorney
Of Lake county. Each claimed 20 have re-
ceived the nomination of the convention
and neither showed the slightest disposi-
ton to yield 20 the other The election
was approaching and from the party
standpoint it was deemed essential that
their differences should be settled. since II
both entered the contest the democrat
would carry off the plum. The confess
tants finally agreed TO leave the dispute TO
the county central committee and abide
by Its decision
The committee held an executive ses-
sion and after going over the testimony
decided unanimously that Thomas was en-
titled TO have his name printed on the
party ticket, and that the De Mattos had
no standing whatever. 1t was suggested,
however. that, in the interest of harmony,
the matter should be taken up in open seS-
sion of the committee, just as If II had pns
been considered and determined in Sc
cret, and that when the ballot should be
taken two or three members should vote
for De Mattos, to show him that il was
not a cut-and-dried affair, but an inevita-
BILE difference of opinion. likely to occur
at any time and to anybody With this
understanding the doors we're thrown
open, the rabble admitted and the eon-
test of Thomas VS.. De Mattos taken UP
as new proposition. The evidence was
gone over again, discussion of its merits
followed, and a vote by ballot ordered. To
the amazement and chagrin of the chair
man and telers and all of the members
of the committee every vote cast bore the
name of De Mattos. Each had remenber-
ed the agreement that a few votes should
be cast for him and each thought the
others might forget to do It, and the con-
sequence was that the man really enti-
tied to the nomination did not get sim
gle vote The cause of the miscarriage OF
justice was, of course, instantly under
stood by all the members of the commit
tee but IL was too late TO rectify the
blunder without causing a hopeless breach
In the party ranks, and so the decision
was allowed to stand. De Mattos ran, was
elected, qualified and filled out his term
of office, growing rich from the fees, and
probably to this day does not know how
the nomination happened TO be awarded
to him.