Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-28
4 THROW DOWN FOR RALPH
If Rumors Are to Be Believed
 He Is Out of It.
Republican Nomination for Mayor Hanging Temptingly for Several Weeks Suddenly snatched from Him and it is Said Will Be Given tc Another
Nomination for Mayor

g.. x z Es saI ig
 Alderman Blakeslee's friends are very indignant at the idea of seeine their man made a football of by few wire pullers in the republican party. who claim the right to give the nom- nation for mayor to anybody they please even without consulting the delegates to the convention. Two years ago Blakeslee was slated for the mayoralty nomination, but at the eleventh hour Judge Cowell was trotted out and Blakeslee had to take a back seat This year there appeared to be no question about MT Blakeslee's nom ination until last week, when the ma chine politicians got their heads to- gether and without waiting to find out what the delegates thought about it., decided to give Blakeslee another flop and bring out John P. Elton as their
 standard bearer. Blakeslee is too much of a republican to kick, and be- sides that, he is sharp enough to SC
 that if he dared offer a word of pro- test he would be sent to the block and that would be the last heard of him in political circles. But his supporters don't intend to take 1t that way. They may bAw their heads to the yoke at the convention, but they will leave there with a vengeance and when the time comes to express an opinion on the methods used to sidetrack Flakes ice they will be heard from. They will show the heelers that while they are in position to tyranize over them at republican conventions they cannot control their conduct at the polls on election day. It is said that Elton is being brought forward be cause he has such an excellent reputa- tion. This is a great reflection upon our old friend, Ralph Blakeslee. No body will try to deny that John F. El- ton is a citizen of unblemished char acter. but what is there to be said against Mir Blakeslee on that score? Nothing but from all accounts the principal reason why the managers of the republican campaign want MT El- ton is because he is said to be wealth fer than Blakeslee. This may or may not be true, but in any case it is a matter of little moment to the people of Waterbury, and 1t is not likely that the average elector will give the mat ter thought. The feeling stirred up. over the selection of candidate to head the republican ticket cannot but help the democrats. Their candidate, MT Lynch. so far as character goes, IS the peer of Mir Elton or any other gem t1eman whom the opposition can pre- vail upon the run. This admitted on all sides. and inasmuch as nobody questions his ability 1t is hard to see how he can be beaten. The talk about the fight being battle between capital and labor is all bosh. There is absolutely no truth in this. 1t will be a contest between the democratic and republican parties, and people who want to make something else out of it will find 1t extremely difficult to have folks look at 1t from their standpoint
 The people of Waterbury have no de- sire to see the election conducted along class lines and those who are aiming to, have 1t eventuate in struggle of that sort may mean all right, but they are on the wrong road and nothing could prove more harmful to the pros perity of the town than the introduce. tion into the election contest Of just such feeling as they are endeavoring to stir up. Waterbury will not go to the dogs if the democrats carry u 6 election, nor will it drop out of exist ence in case the republicans come of victorious, so that the man who thinks that he might as we'll dig out if his side loses is needlessly alarmed. There is not half as much at stake as some would have us believe. It is simply
 test of strength between the republi- cans and democrats, not a passage at arms with capital on one side and labor on the other and if 1t be true that there are more workingmen following the man who champions democratic rule, there is nothing wonderful about it. It was so from the beginning and 1t will be so to the end.