The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-29
S. Ives Wallace in a
Letter Oh argos Use
fRE
of Money.
ACCUSES WEST END RAILWAY.
Says Boston Corporation
Sticks at Nothing to
Defeat Him.

4 b
9elinton. Oct. 2s-The sensation of
the day lisa letter written by S. Ives
Wallace, Independent republican, to the
voters, in which he charges that the
West End Railway Company of Boston
has interposed in the eleventh repre-
SENTATIVE district, to heat him in eau
Gus, and now to defeat him at the polls.
de says that a leader of the republican
Earty has openly made the statement
that the West End road has offered
money to defeat him. The letter is as
follows
To the Voters of the Eleventh Worces-
Ster District
Being assured that rumors and coun-.
ter rumors are in circulation in regard
to the attitude Of the Boston Elevated
Street Railway Company, toward my
selection as representative, 1 think it
only fair that the voters of this dis
tTiet, who propose TO conduct our local
politics without malicious interference
from -revengefubs corporations, should
hear certain plain truths in regard to
this matter. In 1894 the city of Boston,
by vote of the people, decided to re-
move the street car tracks from Ire
mont and Boylston streets, and voted
70 raise 100000 to build subway for
the Use of street cars.
Ihoush we are proud of our historic
capital, we may still be aware of her
defects. Every city in the Union puts
tei shame her crowded streets and her
congested business centre; therefore
the city decided at,the polls to improve
these Important streets, and the con
tracts were awarded, the subway built
and leased to the Boston Elevated Rail-
way at a certain sum per car for it's
use. 2a& l"L
Immediately upon the completion of
the work, being the fall of 1885, this
corporation, seeing a chance to increase
Its income, while decreasing the city's
revenue from the use of the subway,
presented the petition to the legislature
of 1899, asking for the right to reopen
the tracks on those streets, just closed,
repaired and beautified by the people
of Boston.
My position upon the street railway
committee Of the house, made me one
Of the Is to hear the evidence and re-
port upon this bill Upon our exhaust
i've. consideration Of the whole case, af-
ter hearing the suburban evidence in
regard to the facilities of the subway,
after receiving Overwhelming opposi-
ton from numerous merchants owning
pEoperty upon these streets, after re-
eeiVing convincing proofs of the tricks
resorted to by this corporation to con-
geSt traffic just previous to hearings on
this bill, l, being convinced that the
Wishes ndadesires of the Boston pub
licg as expressed in their vote of 1894
should not be ignored, gave my vote
m the committee room against the cor
poration, to that effect. The committee
divided however, and by a majority of
one, the bill was reported to the house
for action,t ays4. syg
At each reading we endeavored to
add an amendment to the bill, refer
ring it to the voters of Boston, to let
them decide which course was really
for their best interest. This amend
ment was fought tooth and nail by the
corporation, proving that their best
wishes were not the welfare of the peo-
pie, as they claimed.
However, after passing the house and
two readings in the Senate, the very
man who opposed our efforts presented
the same amendment to the bill, and it
was passed. This proved conclusively
that influence from high authority had
caused the corporation to fear the gov
ernor's veto, if this provision for the
expression of the peoples wishes was
ignored.
This ends my story. The contest
was so close and the fight SO hot that
every possible pressure was brought to
bear upon me to influence my one lone
vote on this question. Because / stood
firm to my convictions regarding the
right Of the people of Boston, this is
the result
= have positive proof that a young
leader in the republican party has said
that The, received a telephone message
from an agent Of the
BOSTON ELEVATED RAILROAD
COMPANY
to learn if money could be used to- pro-
cure my defeat, to say so if wanted,
and it would be furnished"
I also hear on good authority that
other members of my committee who
opposed this bill, have suffered in the
same Identical way in their renomi-
nations. Evidently an honest man
who can neither be bought nor bull
dozed, must be kept out of the general
court at any cost Do the voters of
the eleventh Worcester district agree
to this? Shall an outside corporation,
because it has money to spend, dictate
to the town whom it shall send to rep