Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-05-09
Political Changes in a Few Years.

SAteA~oA NAouBCc Al CIV ACSAo'
To the Editor of the Alexandria Gazette
Three years ago meeting of the Pro-
gressiye Association in Alexandria was
looked upon as an event packed meet
ingS would follow, and City Council
candidates were galore. Now note what
a change Father Time has made for us
in such a short time. At meeting held
last Friday night the number PRESENT
could almost have been enumerated on
the toes of President Zimmerman's feet
and. the committees appointed TO report
the candidates for the different wards
were unable to get the required number
for the four wards. The writer has
been reading in the Gazette the reports
of the meetings of the Progressives dur
ing the past few weeks and the actions of
some of its members show gross ignorance
of City and State laws. We now find
the Progressives also doing some very
funny things, as will be shown below.
In the First ward they are endorsing Mr..
n. P. T. Burke for the Board of Alderman
and Mr.. II. r. Burke for Council. Three
years ago these same gentlemen were
being slaughtered by the Progressiyes,
aud it was ''beat the Burkes, as they are
not for street Improvements according
to our ideas" 1t is safe to say
that at this time the Messrs Burke
stand as they did three years ago.
They, like all consistent citizens,
want street improvements provided the
city is able to stand for it. In heSecond
ward we have them turning down cur
old friend, ex-Mayor Strauss, who
three years ago was counted as one
of the Progressiyes' strongest members.
Surely such acts as these will make the
ex-Mayor's famous remark about politics
live forever. In the Third ward we have
them endorsing Mr.. Worth Hulfsh for
the Board of Aldermen. The writer will
ask hequestion, Is he ademocrat? Mr..
Hul6sh is a republican and has no right
to be candidate in a democrat primary
election, and it is the duty of the
democratic committee to see that his
name is not placed on their ticket
For Council in the third ward we
find them endorsing another republican,
Mr.. w. H. McCuen, and = also
trying to put down Mr.. JnO. Harrison
for Council, because he is not in favor
of street improvements according to their
plans. Mr.. w. H.. Hellmuth is now
one of their candidates. Three years ago
he ran for Council in his ward and met
defeat because he was not in favor OF
street improvements according to the
ideas of the Progressives. In the Fourth
ward we find the PrOgressiyes at one
meeting endorsing Messrs. J. I. and W..
II. Sweeney for Board of Aldermen and
the meeting Friday night dropping w.
H. Sweeney and putting on Mr.. T. w.
Clark as a sort Of a compromise. Mr..
Harper explains why this happened.
He says that Mr.. Sweeney being a school
teacher is not eligible. If Mr..
Harper will look over the new consti-
tuition he will readily see that the
words school teacher is not to b.
seen in any part of it. The only
reference to schools is that schoO
trustees shall not be members Of
the City Council. The endorsement o
Mr.. Clark does not put him in very
good light. He is second choice on thu
ticket, and at first was not wanted at
all. 1t is safe to say that the progress
ives are losing strength, and are unable
to muster up Council ticket that will
suit them, and that good representative
business men are not going to be fooled
by their fanatical ideas any longer.
Good conservative citizens are going tC
do as they have in former years-vott
fer candidates of their choice and not b.
humbugged by lot of demagogues:
Nor A PROGRESSIVE"