The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-11-03
Voters of Wards One, Two and
Three Given an Opportunity to
Judge of the Service of Walsh
and Munroe
THE LATTER REPLIES TO
ATTACKS OF FORMER
Circular Containing His Record
and Referring to the Position
Occupied by the Clinton Man
Mailed 10 Voters of the City
Wards in the District

John p. Munroe Republican candi-
date for senator in the second Worces-
ter district makes formal reply to the
attacks of his opponent David l.
Walsh, in circular mailed last night
to Republicans Of Wards one, two and
three.
In the course Of the document, Mr..
Munroe reviews his record in the Leg
stature and the charges made against
! m by Mr.. Walsh, and incidentally the
Inconsistency of Mr.. Walsh in the fol-
lowing language:
To the voters of Wards one, two and
three:
1t has been suggested that I make
formal reply to the attacks which my
opponent, David l. Walsh of Clinton,
Democratic candidate for senator in
the second Worcester district, makes
upon my record in the Massachusetts
House during the two years l served in
that body as representative from Ward
two. 1 desire to say at the outset that
there is nothing in this record that
would change If / could. / stand
squarely upon my record, and am will
ing to be judged by it. l am not wiling
however that the voters of Worcester
shall take Mr.. Walsh's version of what
I did or failed to do as a guide to
their judgment
Mr.. Walsh challenges the wisdom of
my vote on several different measures,
Among them are these:
Spanish American war veterans
preference bill" This was bill to
extend the preference clause of the civil
service act to veterans Of the Spanish
warm other words, to give the boys
who went to the war first chance in
seeking appointments to clerical po-
sitions. There was no general demand
for such legislation from the veterans
themselves, and friends of civil service
believed it would tend to weaken the
service. / voted against the bill, which
was defeated.
'Vestibule car bill" I am charged
by Mr.. Walsh with voting against put
ting vestibules on street cars. The
facts are these: When l went to the
Legislature in 1899, there was a law
providing that all electric street cars
should be vestibuled during the winter
months, except in cities and towns
of more than $4,000 inhabitants. The
question of extending the provisions Of
the law to these cities was left to the
discretion of the State Board Of Rail-
road Commissioners, which was to say
whether such extension was compatible
with public safety. The bill to which
Mr.. Walsh alludes was designed to ex-
tend the law to the larger cities with
out reference to the expert opinion of
the railroad commissioners. The COM
missioners were asked their opinion by
the street railway committee, and they
requested to be allowed further time
to investigate. The committee there
upon voted to recommend a reference
of the matter to the next General Court.
1 voted so to refer 1t. and 1t was so
referred by the Legislature. The next
year with the approval of the railroad
commissioners, a vestibule bill was in
troduced and passed, and signed by
the governor. 1 voted for this bill,
which was the only vestibule bill which
railway committee during my term of
service. Mr. Walsh's charge that was
opposed to vestibules is false.
Bills to improve the service and ex-
tend the time of running workingmen's
trains and bill to prohibit steam rail-
roads from charging more than five
cents for a single ride within the linn
its of Boston, were introduced. There
Is already too much sectional legisla-
ton in the interest of the cities and
towns of the Metropolitan district
relative to cheap fares. The favored
people who live in that section Of the
state can ride for one cent a mile, or
less, while the people Of Worcester
and Clinton have to pay "a cents a
mile. or more. Every reduction of fare
on the roads within the suburban dis
trict of Boston postpones the day of
lower fares in this section Of the state.
I voted against both schemes in the
interest OF my constituents. and both
bills failed to become laws.
"A bill to fix the cost Of abolishing
grade crossings upon the railroads"
This was a bill which, according to Mr..
Walsh, would have saved the city of
Worcester $3.50 900. This statement Of
Mr.. Walsh is almost too absurd for
notice. In making it he must rate the
Of his hearers very low.
The bill was introduced in 1899, the
year Of the big railroad leases. by
Representative Carey, the Haverhill
Socialist. There was an unusual lot of
strike railroad bills introduced that
year, and this was one Of them. In
stead Of saving Worcester $3.50, 900 II
the bill had passed, it would have put
an end indefinitely to any prospect Of
an abolition Of grade crossings in this