The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1901-06-28

He won his first election by bringing
about n change of 1000 votes over the
returns on the previous Democratic
candidate for mayor.
Mayor of Detroit.
When he took the office as mayor of
the city he brought to bear in the
office of chief executive the same level
headed business methods that had
brought him success in the commercial
world. The city's streets were in a
deplorable condition. Contractors had
the city by the throat. He immedi-
ately began Il campaign for better
paved streets; urged a rapid transit
system of street railways; a municipal
| lighting plant; a separation of grade
crossings, and higher taxation of acre
age property. He ignored the profess
sional politician, and let loose an avail
anche of ideas regarding municipal
government. In the second month of
his term he proposed testing electricity
as the motive power for street rail
ways. At the end of six months he
was severely criticised by the Repub-
llcan party leaders at n Michigan club
meeting for his appointments, and
there was arrayed against him many
of the leaders of his own party. He
even pursued his business methods re-
CARELESS of political favor. to the eX-
tent of vetoing overtime pay for NUM-
cipal employees. Before the close of
his first year in office, he was antagon-
| istic to the common council, and had
started score of ideas, some of which
were abandoned as quickly as started,
upon their proving impracticable. He
was always ready to confess frankly
any error, but mistakes never caused
any cessation of his efforts to improve
municipal conditions
street Car strike.
During the first few months of his
ofiice-holding Pingree showed very lit
tie Of the corporation-fght traits
which later became his leading char
acteristic, but when the big street rail
way strike took place, his .astute sec
rotary, A. /. Mcleod, saw an oppOr-
tunlty for making a political coup.
Mayor Pingree refused to ask the
governor of the state for troops to
quell disturbances. insisting that the
police were sufficiently powerful to
keep the peace. The mayor called up
on both sides to settle the difficulty by
arbitration, and this was done.
In 1891, when the time arrived for
another mayOralty election, Pingree's
political prestige had not as yet
reached the point which later made
him so powerful. and there was some
fear in the Republican camp that he
would be defeated. However. the
Democrats got into fractional fight,
and John Miner and w. q. Thompson
were both nominated. with the result
that Pingree was reelected, receiving
I more votes than both of his opponents.
In his second term Mayor Pingree
took hold of many of his most success
full plans for city Improvement He
declared for a comprehensive park
system, and though his scheme to turn
much of the downtown district of the
city into playground was sat upon
as being too expensive, his agitation
brought about the establishment of a
number of Detroits present beautiful
breathing places. The grooved rails
for street ears with the same pavement
between the tracks as was laid on The
rest of the street; new sewers were
built, and the old sand and plank foun-
dations of pavements were replaced
with those laid on concrete. and n city
lighting plant was established during
his second term. Cheaper gas was
also obtained through his efforts.
In order TO introduce the grooved
rails into Detroit. he took the common
council to Buffalo in q special car at
his own expense. At his request the
council engaged two special cars and
made n junket trip to Chicago, New
York, Boston, Philadelphia and other
eastern cities to inspect lighting
plants, but incidentally looked into all
lines of municipal work in order to
gain ideas.
Aside from the knowledge TO be OBJ
tanned the trip was strategic move
to gain the goodwill of the aldermen
toward the city ownership plan. When
the legislature met the next year there
was fierce fight at Lansing the cleo
trio lighting trust fighting the bill to
enable the city to establish plant
and there were charges of Doodle i'm
connection with the measure. which,
however went through, and was
signed by Gov. Rich.
Third Term.
In 1893 Pingree was nominated for
third term by the Republicans, and the
Democrats nominated Marshall III.
Godfrey. The campaign was one of
the hottest that ever took place in De-
troit, the Pingree men charging that
those In favor Of new street railway
| franchise furnished the funds for the
Godfrey campaign, and money was