Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-08
He WILL NOT RETIRE
Councilman Foster Viii! Fight
for His Seat. ~. ..
ADVISED WITH COL. TABB
The Police Question Likely to Come Up
Again. Special Term OF the Cir
cult Court Probably
in June.

The movement to unseat Captain =.
s. Foster as u member of the town
council an account of which mas al
ready been printed In the Daily Press,
was the most extensively discussed
topic of local interest yesterday. The
matter was known to but few people
until the Press gave it publicity, not
for the purpose of taking either Siae
of the fight. but In order TO keep us
numerous patrons informed. concern
ing current events. In the animated
contest which seems certain to follow,
the writer of tass-e~retters will simply
permit the distinguished belligerents
t. lombard each other to their hearts
content. combining his remarks, as
nearly as possible, to the facts in the
case.
Fourth ward Is authority for the state
ment that deception was used IN the
effort to unseat Captain Foster. Last
Saturday" said he to the Daily Press
correspondent. "a gentleman called at
my office with petition addressed to
the mayor and town council praying
that Mr.. Rowe be appointed to take the
place of Captain Foster. who was
elected a year ago as one of the rep
resentatives from the Fourth ward.
He wanted me to take the petition and
obtain signatures to 1t, explaining that
Captain Foster had left the ward and
council. After some further CONVEX
sation, I agreed to take the petition
and ask my friends to sign it. I knew
Mr.. Rowe to be an excellent man and
thought that he would faithfully rep
resent the ward. The first man I met
was one OF the leading citizens of the
ward showed him the paper and
asked him to sign it. He declined With
an emphasis that astonished me- and
then, in clearer tones. explained the
object of the fight against Captain
Foster. At first I could Hardly credit
his words but after returning to my
Office and conversing with other men.
became convinced that 1 had been
deceived and returned the paper"
There is not a more reliable man on
the Virginia Peninsula than the gen
tleman who made the foregoing state
ment. His name is withheld at pres
emit, but he will be found ready to cor
roborate the statement whenever cali
ed upon to do so. He is not, however,
the only prominent West End citizen
who is opposed to the scheme for GUST
ing Captain Foster Mr.. I. II. Wheel
err said to the Daily Press correspond
ent: We don't want to turn Captain
Foster out in this way. His views on
some questions suit us: on others they
do not. 1t is true that he has moved
out of the ward. but that was because
he couldn't set house inside of it.
While we are not exactly satisfied to
have one of our representatives live In
another ward, we want to deal fairly
with him. My suggestion is this-that
the question be submitted to a vote of
the people. If they want Mr.. Rowe
they will elect him. He lis good man
ana has had experience as a council
mnr. This is an important matter
and we should be absolutely just in
dispensing or it,"
Captain Foster was on the streets
yesterday afternoon for the first time
in several days. having been confined
to his house by Illness. In converse
ton with the Daily Press correspond
ent he said that he had not the slight
est intention of giving up his seat He
states that he was forced to leave The
Fourth ward. after disposing of his
hotel interests in order to obtain a
suitable dwelling for his family. 1t
was impossible. he says. to find a
house in the West End. Before NOV
ing, however. he consulted Colonel
Tabb, who informed him that under
the circumstances he could not enlan-
ger his Office by going out Of the ward.
This opinion was Endorsed by Attorney
$. Gordon Cumming, Mayor Hope and
Mr.. James McMinamtn, the latter TAX
ing the ground that the council alone
is the judge of the qualifications OF Its
members. CommonWealth's Attorney
Collier was the only man who took
a different view OF the matter, he con-
tending that by leaving the ward Cap
tain Foster would sacrifice his Office.
This is one side of this interesting
cheerfuly give the other side of it at
any time that the opponents of Cap
tain Foster will talk.