The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-07
AYONDALE HAS
HOT POLITICS
Two Tickets Out for Mayor
and Aldermen.
CAMPAIGN ISSUE Is BONDS
Ellard Party Wants to Issue Bonds and
Put in Water and Lights-euy-
dam Party Opposed to
Bond Issue.
CAMPAIGN ISSUE is BONDS


block-Birmingham-a is having very
exciting little campaign of its own though
not of such long duration as the one
with which Birmingham is afflicted. 1t
began only last Friday night, when. it will
be remembered, two rival tickets were put
out, and since that time the canvass has
been exceedingly hot, very warm, consid-
ering that there are no salaries attached
to any of the offices.
The election comes of today, and the
following are the two tickets:
ELLARD TICKET.
For Mayor. R. Ellard.
For Councilmen-Dr. II. L. Martin, D. T.
Smith, W. r. Starbuck, II. F. Waters, A.
A. Miles,
SUYDAM TICKET
For Mayor-W. f. Suydam.
For Councilmen-Dr. 8. r. Caffee, s. A.
Jones, ]. A. Faulkner, John Moncrief, Sr.,
A. A. Miles.
There is no question of party in the con-
test, and 1t is fight on purely local issues.
Mr.. Ellard has already been mayor of the
town for four years, and under his ad-
ministration, his friends claim, the city has
been a most successful and progressive
one. Interest on the SIS 600 of bonds which
the town already has is being paid regu-
larly, all of the city scrip has been re-
deemed and the city Is on a splendid foot
ing. A bill was passed by the general as
sembly just closed authorizing the town OF
Avondale to issue $25, 900 more bonds, should
the people so desire, for the purpose OF
putting in a water system and an electric
light plant.
Issue In Today's Election
This is the issue In today's election. The
Ellard party are running as the pro-
gressive party and want to improve their
town by putting in systems of water and
lights.
The Suydam ticket is being run in oppo-
sition to the Ellard crowd. and has for its
platform, mo bond ISSUE" They claim
that they are just as progressive and as
enterprising as the Ellard people, but that
they want to go about their improvements
in a sensible way, and without issuing
bonds at present.
what is the use in having water sys-
TEN until you have your sewers" said one
of the aldermanic candidates on this ticket
yesterday. what we want is to put some
kind of pavements on our sidewalks, and
macadamize some Of our streets, SO that we
will not have so everlastingly much mud.
Then we want to put In sewers, an electric
light system, and finally when We are bet
ter able to do so, issue the bonds and put
in water system. A great many of these
improvements can be made without issu-
ing a single bond, simply by expending the
city's taxes in a judicfous manner. linen
we want to give our people better police
protection. AS it is now, we have two
marshals who are on duty all day. but who
do nothing at all during the night. The
big burglary which happened Saturday
night shows how badly we need police pro-
lection at night"
Promised the Marshalship
So the campaign arguments run. Charges
and counter charges have been made until
the politics of the town are real lively.
Last Wednesday, 1t is said the Ellard peo-
pie claimed that the Suydam crowd had
promised to appoint w. B. Fitzgerald mar
shall of the town If they were elected. The
Suydam people now claim that they had
not even been nominated last Wednesday
and that they made no such promise to
Mr.. Fitzgerald The following circular
was distributed broadcast yesterday,
signed by all of the Suydam ticket:
I'VE, the undersigned candidates for
election at Avondale, March Z, do hereby
certify that the report made by certain par
ties that in case we were elected 1t was
our intention to appoint w. B. Fitzgerald
as marshal of Avondale, is entirely false
and without any foundation whatever
The circulars also announced a public
speaking of the Suydam forces in front of
the postoffice last night Everybody in
vted. Colored voters are particularly re-
quested to be present."
The negroes in Ayondale of whom there
are large number, seem to be taking an
active interest in the campaign. A large
number of them held a meeting and after
discussing the matter decided to support