The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-31

rect. They said that the slate as print
ed elsewhere was absolutely wrong,
Members of the city council not in
on the secret think three of the men
named in The Spy are the ones nom
mated. They believe the selection of
the city treasurer candidate was not
correct.
It's a good guess that the present in
eumbent William S. Barton was en-
dorsed by the six republican aldermen
in caucus. Thursday evening. The al
dermen would say nothing to confirm
the guess yesterday. But it's good
one.
Six ballots were taken by the alder
men on that Office Thursday evening.
Much sympathy was expressed for City
Treasurer Barton, and members pres
ent thought the city council
should nos turn him out of office after
so many years of service. Sympathy
cut a great figure in the meeting in
more than one instance.
Before the meeting it was known that
three aldermen We're quoted in favor
of w. w. Hobbs for the position. They
were Aldermen Brannon, Wall and
Kendall. Whether they were quoted
correctly or not only they themselves
know.
The great secrecy Which surrounds
the endorsement by republican alder
men alone is responsible for the intense
desire to ascertain whom they did en-
dopse. AS a matter of fact, the endorse
ment of the aldermen Thursday even
ing is about as much use to the can
didates who received it as an endorse
ment by the Weary Workers Associa
ton. In other words, it is no good.
There are several reasons for this.
In the first place, the aldermen do not
intend to stick by their endorsement
They will elect in their own board and
send notice of the election to the COM
mon council for concurrence. But for
those offices in which several candi-
dates appear there is absolutely no
chance that the common council will
concur. Even though the candidate en-
dorsed by the aldermen might be elect
ed in the end a. joint convention will be
necessary. The reason for this is APP
parent. For those offices there are sew
eral candidates. When the announce
ment, that one candidate has been
elected in the upper board, reaches the
council, the friends of the several cam
didates in that body will unite in nom
concurrence. Such a vote is absolutely
necessary to secure a, chance for their
friends.
Only one chance is afforded the al
dernen to push their man through the
common council and that is by trade
with democrats. With the entire demo-
cratic strength of the lower board, and
what republican votes their candidate
can command, it might be possible to
secure concurrence on the first ballot.
Such a possibility is removed through
\ the timidity of the board of aldermen,
and it is through that quality as much
las any other, that they keep he names
of their endorsed candidates secret.
When they reched their conclusions,
Thursday night, they had no intention
OF making the matter a secret. They
planned to consult with he common
council republicans who We're in eau
Gus across the hall But there was a
miscarriage of their plans. The coun-
cilmen paid no attention to their pres
ence.
1t is a positive fact that the aldermen
waited an hour for the councilmen to
make overtures. They might have wait
ed a week, but the result would have
been the same. That made the alder
men mad, but there was method in their
madness. They realized they would
have to keep their nominees secret for
self-protection. They saw in an in
slant, what revealing the nominations
would mean. The councilmen having
ignored their presence would ignore
their nominees. and the most honorable
board in the city council would be left
out in the cold. So that together with
their pledge of secrecy, the aldermen
are bound by fear not to reveal the
names of their candidates.
1t looks as if the republican members
Of the common council Will have walk