The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-08

ran away from England and turned
not back again, to become Mayor of
what is known as the most American
of Americas big cities-Philadelphia
His is a remarkable story of success
that is all the more pronounced because
he is the first Quaker City executive
TO give satisfaction to all classes with
in the last twenty years.
MY boy" said the elder Weaver to
John, when the latter was in his six
+eenth year, now that you're getting
TO be a man, I wish you'd decide on
what you're going to do and then set
lie down here"
But I don't want to stay in Eng
land" was the reply. Chances are bet
ter in America and want to start life
there"
The father, English through and
through, took decidedly different
stand. You are to stay right here"
was his ultimatum.
But the boy was not to be deferred
by my paternal command from his
ambition to go to America and carve
out his fortune. He set to work to
earn some money so that he would not
have to start out empty-handed, and
when he had a small sum together he
quietly decamped one day, made his
way to Liverpool, found a ship that
would carry him over for a song, and
set sail for the land of his boyhood S
dreams.
That was twenty-seven years ago.
Two years ago the Republican organi-
cation of Philadelphia was looking
around for a suitable candidate for the
offie of district attorney. The man
then the incumbent was persona non
gratis; he had placed Senator Matthew
Stanley Quay in the prisoners box and
tried hard to convict him. The leaders
consulted long about this and that
prominent lawyer, but without result
Finally, when the solvers of the
problem were beginning to despair,
Mayor Samuel H. Ashbridges director
of public safety, Abraham L. English.
who was also commodore of the Phil
adelphia Yacht Club, offered a sugges-
ton.
"One of the enthusiastic members of
the yacht club is a lawyer of the name
of John Weaver" he began.
who's John Weaver" asked the
Mayor.
WELL" replied the director of pub
lie safety, hes pretty decent sort
of fellow, and he has a law office down
town somewhere. But he hasn't taken
much interest in politics, and 1 under
stand that's the kind of a man we're
looking for to nominate for district
attorney"
Know anything else about him?"
asked the Mayor.
why, yes. I believe he teaches a
Bible class up in Tioga."
The Mayor thought a moment.
Il guess we'll tell Durham about
Weaver" he said.
Several days later three men sat m
the cabin of the yacht that floated the
pennant of the Philadelphia Yacht
Clubs commodore.
II think we've found the man for
district attorney" said Mr.. Ash
bridge.
"Who is hep" asked Israel Durham.
leader of the Republican organization.
John Weaver" said the Mayor.
who's John Weaver" asked Mr..
Durham, in unfeigned establishment.
Why" spoke up Mr.. English, he's
q member of the Young Mems Repup-
lican Club and of the Yacht Club, ana
oh, yes, by the way, he teaches
Bible class up in Tioga, and"
He was interrupted by Mr.. Durham.
Weaver is our man." he declared en-
phatically Hell be the next dis
trfct attorney. His Sunday-school rec
ord will satisfy a great part of the OPP
position by proving to it that we can
do what it says we can't or won't-put
up a respectable man. And. you know,
unless we divide the opposition it will
be powerful"
The candidate was found: the next
thing was to learn whether he would
run. To that end a deputation of po-
litical leaders looked in the city direc-
tory to get the business address of
John Weaver, lawyer and later intro
duced themselves to him in an UMPIRE
tentious Office in the lower part of the
city. Then they utterly astounded him
by offering him the nomination. 1t
was some time before he could make
reply; when he did. it was to say:
Il will accept the nomination, and"
he added, II will do my duty as see
1t if 1 am elected"
John Viewers friends and &C
quaintances say that it has been his
answering allegiance to the princi-
pies to do his duty as he sees it that
has advanced him successfully from
grocery boy to dry goods clerk, to
stenographer in a law office, to the
bar and to the mayoralty. Be that as
1t may, the leaders of the Republican
party, upon his acceptance, let it be
known that the man the party would
nominate for the Office of district at
$orney was named John Weaver.
John Weaver" said Philadelphians,
searching their memories. John
Weaver? Who's John Weaver"
In a day the whole city was asking
the question, who's John Weaver
and newspaper men and other seekers
after political information were hunt
ing high and low for John Weaver.
Its a joke said some, and John
Weaver's a myth" said others who
had been unable to locate the new star
on the political horizon. Meantime
John Weaver went about as usual at
tending to a comfortable, but not
rdbreaking law practice and in
structing his Bible class in the Tioga
baptist Church on Sundays.
When Weaver was at last located
and pictured and interviewed-and it
took some time-the fact came out that
he was a naturalized Englishman.
The political leaders had not known
that-they knew very little of the man
and many of them were alarmed.
What will the Irish voters in the
town think about that?" they asked
one another But the three men who
mad found him stuck to him, and so
Mr. Weaver was nominated. Then
men high in the councils of the party
went to him.
of course" they said, you'll not
take the stump. The Office has al
ways been looked upon as semi-Judi-
cal one, and your opponent, the pres
eht occupant, who is running on the
independent ticket, holds that att-
tude."
Gentlemen" said Mr.. Weaver, I'm
song on the stump l don't care what