The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-01

90 uBhlThC midnight CLOSING. DurlnB lWo
terms In the Council has been nblc. fear
railway commission and tho local trans
portnti6n committee has made him IN es-
peclally valuable Alderman.
.,......WARD.
.'....,.ltepubllcan resides 175 Southport
Avenue; undertaken, So Racine Avenue;
voted against midnight closing; not pres
ont on Ogden Gas vote; voted to increase
police pay and over veto; served IN Coun-
ell from 1853 to 1887, 1890 to 1902 and re.
oiocted 1900; has como down from the old
days OF franchise grabs and gang rulei
his later efforts l,avo been curbed by
reputable colleagues; he Is worse than All
object OF suspicion and should not be 70.
elected
Tho headquarters OF the League during
u municipal campaign present an inter-
estlng throng in Which party managers
candidates. friends OF candidates, and
citizens interested In good government
freely mingle and discuss the situation
The politicians are seeking favcrs before
nominations are made, and great pressure
Is brought to bear upon the executive
committee N order to know Its attitude
toward tho prospective candidate. It be-
comes obvious that II the League is to
retain the confidence Of the voter 1t must
move with great caution. It must BIO
certain Of the accuracy Of its information
and must be able to detect. political In
trigue which enanntes from rival party
camps. Leading citizens are invited in.
and views are freely exchanged with ref
erence to the attitude Of the League upon
candidates and public issues. The policy
OF the League has been to avoid the as
sumption OF the responsibility OF making
nominations and It has wisely and ear
nestly sought to place that responsible
ty with the party managers, where 1t
obviously belongs. The politicians exert
every Influence to secure the support OF
the League before the party caucuses and
conventions arc held. II this information
should be given. tho League would be
assuming the responsibility Of making
the nominations. On the other hand 1t
has purposely avoided this responsibility
and has constantly asserted Its right to
indorse or reject O. candidate after the
party has exercised Its rightful function
at tho convention. It is obvious that all
kinds Of threats and pressure would be
brought to bear upon the committee. Pol
iticians In some instances have absolute
ly Ignored tho League in particular
wards, and have mot Its recommendations
with spirit of defiance
The League began Its work In 1895, and
few statistics Will Indicate the success
which has attended Its efforts. 1t made
Its first recommendations as to candi.
datos In 1896, and out Of a large number
OF Aldermen who retired tho League re-.
commended only two for reelection.
There were twenty-E.x OF the outgoing
Aldermen with bad records, and only
ten Of these succceded In securing re-
nominations, and four OF these last were
defeated at the polls. In 1897 tho recom4
mendations Of the League were followed
In seventeen wards; In 1898 in twenty
three wards; in 1899 It's recommendations
We're followed In twenty-five wards; and
In 1900 In seventeen wards, and In seven
wards It commended all tho candidates as
qualified. Twenty-Five OF the thirty sev.
en- successful candidates had Its indorse-
ment over all opponents, or Its cornmen-
dalton with others. In the campaign OF
1900 the party managers Joined forces to
return the members condemned by the
League. To this opon defiance is due the
reelection OF so many condemned men,
bers In that Council. 1t is, however. only
few wards that this can be successfully
DONE
With the election which was held on
April 7. 1902 tho League closed It's sixth
campaign In the interests Of an efficient
and honest city government. The net re.
suits of this last election are summarized
in the following table:
A>dAupS3 VI LAIQe1Llo 0lSCI6usssssss %
League candidates elected. ........... 28
League candidates defeated ......... 8
Gray Wolves reelected. ...,.......
Gray Wolves" defeated. ............. 6
Aldermen approved by League. ...... IS
| Aldermen condemned Ivy Ieague....... Is
| Honest majorty...... ...........,.... 40
This summary does not tell the whole
truth. The election was an loft year"
| since the Mayor was not to be elected
and consequently there was a light vote
| A light vote usual4y favors the politician
| but the fact remains that the Municipal
Voters League succeeded In defeating
seven out Of fifteen Cray Wolves" Ex.
ceedingly close majorities were given in
some OF the other wards. Fcke in the
| Nhth Ward won by one vote, and his
seat will probab bly, be contested. blind
Billy" Kent had majority of less than
| two hundred. "Bath-house' John Cough
lin agents were arrested for bribery, and
his seat will be contested. Some OF these
wards. for obvious reasons. are well-nigh
hopeless; particularly those wards repre-
sented by Bath house" John Coughlin,
Johnny" Powers, THE Turkey Man."
and Bling Billy Kent While 1t Is prac-
ticallN impossible to defeat Coughlln,
still, for its moral effect, most energetic
ard stirring campaign was waged against
him by the League.
In the course OF o few years the vo-
ters League has transformed corrupt
and dishonest Council into a responsible,
Intelligent. representative body of men.
II has been able to DO this by well-known
campaign methods which have proved
effective In the neld of practical politics.
1t has concentrated the attention Of tho
voter upon tho character OF the candi-
dates by Offering fearless. straightfor-
ward statement OF tneir public and pri-
vate career. These statements at once
take hold OF tho community. and thor
Transforming power has been shown In
the growing responsibility OF the Common
Council.
Even with this notable addition. Inc
long list Of services rendered the city by
the Municipal Voters League Is incom'
plete without a reference to tho vote a
this election upon three issues OF grea
interest to the American public. The
League has strongly advocated tho abo
ltion OF the township government within
the city limits. tho direct nomination o
"A h,yf No Ia In n ~