The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-04-21
HOW THE VETS
Got Control of the City
Council.
MR.. JOHN COSTIN

With the Vets; who Acted as Judge
of His Own Election, and Disquali-
fled Himself, Fills Vacancy While
He Is Ineligible; and Is COstin the
Vets Lots of Trouble and Cold Cash.
The saloon keepers have been on the
anxious seat since the election, and
they still feel that the griddle is pretty
warm.
Mr.. Costin's action in sitting as a
Judge, coupled, with the cleo
ton of DR.. Blair and Mr.. E. J. Short,
caused cold shiver to run down their
backs.
Then the injunction came, and they
were thrown into a panic. But they al
wgys have money, and they took coun-
sci, if it did come high, and fixed up a
slate that they thought would be the
slickest and incest thing that was ever
invented! A caucus was held, and the
beautiful green slate with it's double
frame was brought out, and everybody
said it was lovely. This was at noon,
when the air was warm. But by night
there was frost! The Council
met. Blair was absent, Hoover was
absent, Short was absent, Southard was
absent! All the dries were absent and
there was no quorum! The result was
that as each one took in the situation,
he looked at his watch, and found that
L - L. ~ fo III <r,
stay out, and the cloud that had been
gathering, and had got to be as big as
a mans hand, condensed in ons great
big wet drop, and ''fell down."
Mr.. Fergus explained the embarrass-
ment through the dailies, stating that
Mr.. Southard had told him he was una
voidably detained, and that he would
have voted for the slate if he had been
present. The slate included the crowd.
ing of Tom johnson off the police force,
johnson had been active in arresting
saloon keepers and their allies, and
could be depended on by the Mayor in
that line. 1t was the fact that johnson
was to be crowded off the force, more
than anything else, that caused the
Temperance people to look upon the
slate as wet one. The sequel showed
they were correct.
Then came the decision of Judge
IDow. Costin was declared ineligible
His right to vote on his own case wa
denied. His right to vote as hold
IN, hot xuo
an intimation that the judge would heal
case in quo wsrranto. Again the sa
loon crowd had the shivers
Here was chance for the temper
ance members to capture the Council
The Council stood wet and dry
The right of one of the vets to vote ha(
been made questionable by his own act
Counting his vote, they could not or
ganize the Council. Without his vot'
the drys could have organized and re
enacted the Temperance ordinance.
was an opportunity that should have
been weighed above everything else
But here Mr.. Southard who was elected
IS dry, and who still claims that he ii
dry, ''fell down." and helped the wet
organize the Council, by voting for Mr.
, Fergus! The vote for Mr.. Fergus cas-
the die that gave the vets control. Mr.
) johnson was crowded off the force, and
a majority of the committees was giver
: to the wets-six committees being dr.!
and eight wet.
Then the Council ordered an election
to fill Mr.. Costin's place, to be heli
Saturday, May 6. A suggestion wa'
made that the saloons would have to bs
closed election day, and Saturday wa'
a good day for the saloons, so the date
was fixed for Thursday, May 4.
Mayor Cassidy nominated Messrs
Policy and Humphrey for policemen
and they were confirmed. He ther
nominated Mr.. Tom johnson, but he
failed of confirmation. All the weti
voted against him. Mr.. Southaed voted
for him, but his vote did no good. Il
took five votes to confirm, and neither
Fergus, Costin, Irwin or Kingbury re
turned the compliment of Mr.. South
ards vote for Fergus, by voting fol
johnson.
Four Republicans voted for johnson
and only three against him, thus strip
!, ping away the pretext that johnson wa
|, a Democrat.
The next day Mr.. Costin's friend
carried around nomination papers
and asked Democrats and Republican
alike to sign them, thus showing tina
he is not running as Democrat, but a
a wet.
Nomination papers were circulated
Wednesday, for Mr.. Charles McLaugh
lin, as Republican, but he decline'
the nomination, and Mr.. c. A. Miller
|. name was substituted. The next da,
: Mr.. Miller published card stating
: that he would not be q candidate bu
it was too late, under the law to with
| draw his name or to nominate an
other, and this is the situation today.
d NEW BRICK YARD.