Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-05-15
WHY HARTFORD
ELECTED
A LABOR MAYOR

Labor party mayors are coming into
such prominence these days that the
following Hartford correspondence OF
the Boston Transcript bearing on tho
Connecticut situation will be read with
interest
The causes which resulted in the
election to the Office OF Mayor of Hart
ford of clerk in a clothing store, who
has only lived in the city seven years,
and who is not a property owner here
are naturally not well understood out
side the city. The Economic League is
the name of an organization Of work
ipgmen formed few months ago for
the purpose OF enabling them to make
their influence felt in local politics.
Some of those who joined II had voted
the Republican ticket in former cleo
tions. and larger number had voted
with the Democrats.
The suggestion that the league is
Bryanite concern has no foundation at
all. The workingmen who were at
tracteds to 1t felt that the municipal
government was a good deal in the
hands of a few people who had large
financial interests in local corpora
tions. such as usually seek close rela-
lions with municipal bodies in all Am
erican cities. The last Mayor of Hart
ford had not made an Objectionable
record. He was Republican, who had
been candidate for Mayor more than
twenty years ago.. and had been beaten
at the polls He was life insurance
agent. but having two rich and in
fuential brothers. John p. HARRISON
is the manager and controlling spirit
of the Hartford City Gas Light Conn
pany. position which he has held for
a generation. Hugh HARRISON was for
merly superintendent OF the Colts Fire
Arms Company. position from which
he retired with large fortune. Alex
ander HARRISON was the politician OF
the family. All were born in the north
of Ireland, and all are over 60 years OF
age. "Aleck," as he is commonly
known, had enjoyed the favor neither
of Governor Bulkeley and his coteris
OF Hartford Republicans, nor of the
other Coterie known as the "Courant
crowd" The Courant sharply antago-
nized his nomination inl9O0, as II
had done in 1876, when he first ran
for the Office of Mayor.
But secret societies to which "AleCk"
belonged gained much power, and with
their backing he was able to not only
obtain the Republican nomination. but
to be elected over a weak Democratic
candidate by majority OF more than
1900 votes. Many of these votes were
Democratic No stronger antagonisms
were aroused during his two years in
Office. with single exception, Mayor
HARRISON declined to reappoint as q
member OF the Health Board a local
physician who was a brother-in-law OF
the most prominent Republican editor
of Hartford. This editors influence
which had been insufficient to prevent
the nomination OF Mayor HARRISON
two years ago. was strong enough TO
turn the scale against him in the Re-
publican city convention this year. The
result was to throw the HARRISON ia.
mily pull against the young Republi-
can business man, who got the nOmina-
ton away from Mayor "Aleck" and
the result proved that this was one OF
the controlling influences in the cleo.
ton.
On the Democratic side there was
also an interesting situation. In re.
cent years, while the Republican party
has been constantly gaining in relative
strength, the Democratic party has
been steadily enfeebled by various
causes. For some years past the Dem.
ocratic organization in Hartford has
been in the hands of a corrupt gang,
composed largely OF Irish rumsellers,
who have used the organization for
money-making purposes. This has
made 1t harder and harder for respec.
table Democrats to retain their party
connection. When the Economic
League came forward and captured
nearly one-half of the Democratic
ward caucuses last week respectable
Democrats saw at last a way open to
get rid of the disreputable crowd in
the local organization. This element
opposed the nomination of the leader
of the league as the party candidate for
Mayor, but was defeated. Immediately
the gang set to work TO beat the nomi.
nee, Mr.. Sullivan, at the polls, and
while all the known Organization"
Democrats voted for him in order to
maintain their regularity, they at the !
same time did everything in their pow.
err to induce their followers to vote for
the Republican candidate.
Thus, the former Republican Mayor
and his friends threw their whole in. |
fuence for the Democratic candidate, |
while the man who has been for years |
the chairman OF the city Democratic
did all he could for the Re.
publican candidate. The HARRISON in
fuence, the knowledge that Mr. Sulli. !
vans election would put an end to the
rule of the gang" in the local Dem
ocracy, and the really fine organization
of the workingmen were three powerful
forces which together gave Hartford |
its young Irish Democratic Mayor. How |
potent the HARRISON influence was is |
Indicated hy tho 20 L., ~. Ns..,