Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-11-18
&c wv ENTY PAGES.
4 SUNDAY. NOV. is, 1900.
THE sQUIRM OF MR.. J. FRANK
ss EAST.

i
Elsewhere to-day the Virginian-Pllot
Z presents a communication from MIR.
East-Mr. J. Frank East--president of
the Common Council of the City of
Norfolk. Mr.. East is panied that the
\ yirginian- Pilot has printed his name as
one of the choppers" in the telephone
Z matter, though Mr.. East should be
grateful that so eupheustic term was
s used. He denies that he Hoped and
says that he had not committed him
\ self to the Virginian- Pilot as to how
The should vote
Mr. East was not asked to commit
\ himself to the Virginian- Pilot. but to
the public OF this city. The city editor
+ of the virginian-P Pilot, to whom Mr.. j.
{ Frank East gave the interview. is now
in Michigan on his vacation. When he
returns. which will be in few days, he
will speak for himself on that score. In
the meantime, why did Mr.. East not
correct at the time the statement made
in the Virginian- Pilot day after day,
that he had expressed his intention to
vote for the proposed amendment of
the Bell franchise? His name headed
i the list of those who had expressed an
intention to vote for tile same maxi
mum rates for all telephone companies,
and was printed every day for
q week or more before the vote
on the proposition in Councils
If. as he says. he had ex-
5 to him. why did he not ask that his
name be dropped from that list? How
doesit happen that Mr.. j. Frank East
rises up at this late day to claim that
his position was misrepresented when
he permitted the alleged misrepresenta-
tion to go on conspicuously day after
day and opened not his mouth?
Mr.. East claims to have said that he
didn't care to be interviewed upon a
question which he would have to pass
on Officially later" but his sense of
propriety so keen in this particular,
did not prevent his going into another
newspaper office in this city and get
ting printed an anonymous communi-
cation intended TO injure the Virginian-
Pilot In Its fight for justice and honora-
bile dealing. and calculated to benefit
the Bell Telephone Company, making
statements which he found it necessary
8 to retract the next day.
Mr.. East presents what he Is pleased
3 to term. his reasons for voting to
violate solemn contract of the city,
to bestow gross favors on one corpora
ton as against it's supposed competitor.
: and to facilitate the establishment of
q telephone monopoly in this city. II
is a9repetition OF the same old shuttle:
'sIf the Bell Company lost $4,000 etc"
{ Mr. East nor any other member of
X Councils knew. or knows that the
I Bell Company lost cent in
three years. or in any number
of years. Nor can he better his
Gaze by attempting to make it APP
pear mere matter between the Bell
Company and the Southern States
4 Company. 1t was question of wheth-
er the city should observe its own laws.
n keep its own contracts, preserve its
/ commercial honor and protect the in
terests Of It's citizens. Mr.. East, by
his vote, helped TO break one of its
& laws. to violate Its contract. 10 be-
e,nirch its honor and to betray the in
i.:feresta of its citizens No amount of
shrffling or OF squirming can rid him
scf the odinm OF that act
~.
Prof Ross, of Leland Stanford Uni