The Saint Paul globe., 1902-03-17
OPEN CHARGE
OF BOODLING
THOMAS j. M'DERMOTT ACCUSES
AID. MATTHIAS BANTZ OF
BRIDE TAKING
WILL GO BEFORE GRAND JURY
Has Information That Eighth wards
Representative Accepted Money
for Vote on Giving VAL
liable Franchise
DEMOCRATS RALLYING TO RIEs

For the second time within a week sDe-
cifc and circumstantial charges of Of
fetal corruptness were publicly made
against Aid. Bantz last evening at a
meeting Of the Smith and Ries club. held
in Koenig's hall, at Grotto and Edmund
streets.
Notwithstanding the severely cold
weather, the attendance at the meeting
was large, and the positive and convinc-
ing accusations brought forward against
the present alderman of the Eighth ward
who is again seeking nomination on the
Democratic ticket. We're received with
much show Of feeling and shouts of de-
rision.
Mr. Bantz's accuser on this occasion
was 4. ]. McDermott, who denounced
him as a "boodler' and a "bribe-takery
in exactly those words, and briefly out
lined the Information upon which he
based his charge; and who declared him.
self to be ready to go before the grand
jury now in session and furnish that
body with the facts in his possess .on and
the names Of his informants.
Mr. McDermott. upon taking the plat
form, read aloud the account printed IN
7 Clio b e Of Saturday morning Of
| the meeting of Friday evening. at which
| W. NJ. Jones accused Mr.. Bantz of hay
ing asked what there was in it for him"
| when Mr.. Jones asked him to Introduce
an order for a sewer in front of Mr..
Jones property on Western avenue. In
| this connection Mr.. McDermott SAID that
1t looked to him strongly significant that
although two days had elapsed since the
publication Of those charges. and more
than two days since the meeting at
which the charges were publicly uttered.
Mr.. Bantz had taken no action to vindi.
! cate himself, and the Republican news
papers which were advocating Mr.. Eantz's
candidacy had not published one word
in refutation of the accusation. Contuu-
/ ing, Mr.. McDermott said.
! "Boodier and Bribe Tnker."
"On that evening when Mr.. Jones made
/ his statement. and on the strength OF
| that statement 1 said that 1 considered
/ Mr.. Bantz venal and corrupt I wish now
/ to add that the further assertion that I
am convinced ne is a boodler and brIbe-
taker, and have based that opinion upon
abuse, and feel that a person who resorts
\ TO II lacks argument; but / employ those
\ terms because I know OF no others To fit
| tingly describe his acts
/ y have been credibly Informed that
/ when the matter of granting a valuable
franchise for heating and lighting, which
| involved the use or the public streets,
| was under consideration he solicited and
/ accepted a bribe, which was paid to him
! in saloon which | can name and locate
/ and that he afterwards acknowledged u
7 former attorney Of this city, now re-
siding in New York, and a man still
/ prominent in business circles Of this city,
/ that he had accepted that bribe and beg.
| ged their mercy TO save him from ex-
| posure and ruin.
Il stand ready upon request to go be-
| fore the grand jury Of Ramsey county
and give the names Of my lnformants"
! Mr.. McDermott had a circular printed
in German and bearing the signature OF
| Matthias Bantz, which has been circulated
! through the Eighth ward within the last
| few days. This circular was read I'm
| German first, and then translated into
| English by G. +. Moser, and certain OF
the statements it contained were discuss-
/ Cd by Mr.. McDermott as follows:
In this circular, which ! find is adj
/ dressed to the German voters OF the
\ Eighth ward, and not to the @ rman
\ Democratic voters, I find that Mr. Bantz
! claims that ii was due to his efforts in
! volving three months Of labor on his
! part, that the fast interurban express
| ordinance was defeated. 1t is. in fact,
matter Of official record that the orci-
! 70 . ba cr.
! streets, and by that committee indefinite
! ly postponed, and that 1t was never vOt-
| ed upon by the members Of the cOun-
/ Gil as an entirety.
ViIifes His Colleagues.
Mr. Bantz takes occasion III this Iame
l circular to castlgate ana vIlify Aid
| Dobner. Moriarty, Huber, Murphy aRd
! Dahlquist as serviceable and plant tools
! Of corporate enterprises it viii be no
ticed in considering these names and men
\ that they constitute two-thirds Of the
| members Of the board, even If by any
1 great stretch Of imagination we can cl2Sg-
! ify the members from the Eighth and
| Eleventh. wards otherwise. In view DC
this fact and especially in view W the
| fact that in many OF the wards IN which
/ these gentlemen reside ami which they
! have so ably and faithfully represented
| their respective constituencies, there are
no Democ-atlc candidates against them.
| in the event Of their reelection the pres
| ent alderman of the Eighth, If reelected.
| must necessarily meet with them and
| act with them in the transaction Of hub
| lie affairs. Is II reasonable to suppose
| that harmony could exist or beneficial
| reciprocal relations exist in the board
| Of aldermen between those men and the
| alderman Of the Eighth ward after the
| circulation Of the document referred to-
''As a Business proposition aside from
sentimental feeling, friendship or prelU-
dice. would it not be better for the Dem
ocratic party In the Eighth ward TO sup
port and nominate Andrew ]. Ries,
clean, capable and well-knoWn business
man who has been resident Of the
ward eighteen years, a man Of persever-
ance, energy and unblemlshed character
and a person who would prove a useful
servant 70 the community II elected
Andrew J. Rfes. candidate for the Dem
ocratic nomination for alderman, also
spoke in English, and Fred Hensolt q.
F. Moser. John BrOttschneider and The
odore LANCE In German.
benjamin Esch presided over the meet
Ing.