Waterbury Democrat., 1902-08-16

plicated. All comment and gossip Is
centered in the shrievalty contest, and
Mayor Charters of AnSonia appears to
be the fayorite. The contest from one
end of the county to the other is the
most interesting in history. 1t is be-
coming exciting. The candidates in
their haste from one place to another
apparently forget to blind their trail,
or else they are Indifferent on that
score. Tomlinson of New Haven,
Flahayan and Mayor Charters of An
sonia are easily scented. 1t may be
said their trail is hot, and a peculiar
thing is that ne one seems to have
heard of Mayor Kilduffs withdrawal.
His trail is also visible here and there.
In Seymour there is a faint odor of
Tomlinson, but Charters is all over the
place, and he Is not only all over his
own towns of Ansonia and Derby, but
he is also in "eyerybody's mouth"
Down the valley towns will certainly
elect delegates for Charters, for there
he is known more than in any other
place In the county. His friends are
confident of winning New Haven, and
next week, perhaps next Sunday, he
win visit Waterbury with his hackers
and explain to the local Economic
league why he is In the contest and
how he got to be there. Part of that
story is as follows:
It will be recalled that the strike of
the machinists of the Farrell Foundry
in Ansonia was the most bitter contest
that ever took place ia southern New
England. 1t was settled through the
assistance of a citizens committee.
The men won the day-a nine-hour
work day; but some one of them had
TO pay, to suffer for it, and Mayor
Charters was selected as the victim.
He not only spent a day behind the
bars of New Haven jail for the nine
hour day and the Saturday half holt
day which almost every factory hand
all over the state now enjoys, but he
was to be denied. the fruits of the
mems victory. Four men were first
selected as victims. They were to be
denied the privilege of ever again
working in a factory in Ansonia. But
the citizens committee prevailed upon
the foundry company with the result
that three were taken off the black list.
Mr. Charters's name would not be
taken off. The citizens committee
saw that if they argued till doom's
day they could not prevail upon the
foundry representatives to take him
back to work. And even before going
back to work the 266 strikers asked
Mr. Charters if they would accept the
terms of settlement and he advised
them to do So He was content to be
sacrificed, to be blacklisted in mis- own
town.
And why was he selected as the vic
tim? Because he was president of a
labor union and a member of the board
of aldermen. He was democrat, and.
as such he made things interesting for
the republican aldermen. He was for
ever working against the republican
ring that controlled affairs in Ansonia.
which rode rough shOde over the small
property owner, and on every possible
occasion he tried to show to the peo-
pie how they could manage their af-
fairs better than this republican ring
In general he was recognized by the
officials of the Farrell Foundry, some
Of whom held public offices at that
time, and always felt the effects of MS
speech at the meetings of the board of
aldermen, as a good man to freeze out.
And so out he remained for he con-
scented to be made the sacrifice rather
than keep his fellow workers any
longer out of work This occurred a
year ago this month exactly. Then it
was decided by the labor unions of
the town that what Mr. Charters had
all along been preaching at the alder
mems meetings was correct; that the
next election should be the time to
begin to clear the city offices of the
gang that held them, and that Char
tiers was the man to clear them out.
Tit for tat was to be given. and it was,
and Mayor Charters had the satisfac-
ton Of putting out of office some of
those who had put him out of work.
His election was so conclusive, SO en-
phatic and clean, that it was decided
soon after to run him for county sher-
if. to put out of office the man who
had put him in Jail, Sheriff Durham.
So it can be seen that Mr. Charters
presence in the contest for the shirley
atty is not a new idea, though he has
been in the field only few weeks.
The reason of his late appearance in it
Is that he was reluctant. very relilc-
tant, indeed, to enter. His own desire
was to have his trial take place and be
acquitted, to be once more free man,
and retire from politics. Were he dis
charged tomorrow by a jury he would
resign the mayorship of Ansonia, for
he has accomplished what his friends
set out for him to do-giyen Ansonia
clean government and laid the founda-
ton for its continuance. He has no
desire for political glory; he is not a
politician: that much is plain in his
conversation. He represented certain
ideas of his fellow workmen as an al
derman of his citv and having
achieved them he considered his work
in that direction done until his friends
convinced him his place was in the
field for the shrievalty nomination AS
sheriff of New Haven county they say
he win be a more conspicuous prisoner
in the superior court when his trial
comes on than he would be as plain
1fr Charters, the striker. or even as
Mayor Charters. Hence his consent to
his friends two weeks ago to enter the
race On his friends he viii have to
depend for the sinews of the battle
for Mayor Charters is still working
man. He plies his trade, that of car
penter, every day in the week, and he
Is also business agent for his union.
The evenings he gives to his duties as
mayor.
There is a story current in Ansonia
that he gave his promise to Jeremiah
Flahavan, one of the candidates. that
he would not enter the race. Tt seems
Mr.. E1aIlayan misunderstood him If