The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-09
By Joseph M. Rogers.
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BY Joseph M. Rogers.
=7IIE TIME came as it was sure
to come at last, when Martin
i Dooner had to stand with his
* RezSzESI back to the wall and fight for
(S&4SG) his political prestige. Not that
in his twenty-five years OF
power he had met with no obstacles He
s. had been alderman for a quarter OF a
century He kept a saloon. IL knew
every man In his ward, and he intro
q duced into it many strangers on election
day to exercise the freeman's right OF
voting without legal permission. He got
D his share Of appointments his proportion
OF the "ralse-offs" In contracts, and pflM
his assessments or carried his ward in 9
most masterful manner. When one
thought Of the Sixth Ward, 1t was to
Z first think of Martin Dooner. He was
the ward. He gloried in It to the extent
that he went to any length to maintain
his position. He was not rich. His ST.
loon paid we'll. and he was not In poll
tics for his health" but he was not
avaricious. Beneath q rough exterior
and behind an almost brutal mask there
beat as kindly a Celtic heart as ever
reached America on the threshold Of
9 manhood. 81 s5 RI
It came about in this wise The mayor
"a OF the city, who was the head Of that
rs machine with whose fortunes boomers
were constantly bound up. died sudden>
$ly OF apopleNy, and under the law the
president Of the Board Of Aldermen sue
Z ceeded him This simple statement y
luminous only when explained. The new
mayor, Hartshorne, was deadly enemy
Of Dooner's, though they We're both Of
the same party. There had been some
( words between them on the floor OF coun-
ellis concerning a contract Who was IN
= the right matters litte. 1t led to re-
ordinations. and finally to boomers pi-
Ter to settle the matter outside tne
chamber This was rejected with aeon
temptous remark that iankled in DocA-
y cr's breast Each had threatened TO
GS..do" the other but the occasion had
+ never arisen until now. By a stroke OF
i fate. Hartshorne was In position to deal
q his enemy hard blows.
Dooncr knew this only too well. He
spent little time in mourning for the late
mayor-his mind was fixed on his own
future He could do one of three things
get out OF politics, which on many ac-
counts would have suited him; try and
make peace with the new mayor, which
his pride would not allow, or fight. lie
said nothing and waited. It was MOTOR
long Three days after the funeral word
was sent out by the "old man, as tnci
\
Dooner, who most unfortunately was up
for reelection in November
Al the first announcement boomers
friends rushed to his support. They
promised him everything and threatened
dire evil to. his opponents. Dooner said
nothing. He knew the worth Of such
promises He might have got out alto.
Eether hut the. dtath az the mayor was
made the OCCASION OF another sporadic
attempt ito reform councils, concerning
whose mem bcrship not much good could
he said that was true, and nothing PAD
that was wholly false. A Committee Of
One Hundred Best Citizens was organized
to carry out a campaign to purify couh-.
h ellis in the coming elections and IT was
generally understood that they would
tight nearly every sitting member. When
this was known, Dooner made up his
mind to fight He could stand aside as
against a machine man, but against or.
ganiZed opposition OF mugwumps he
r would not quail. His coat came off and
he stood with his back to the wall
1t was hard work. Deprived OF the
services OF his office holding lcutcnants.
he had to organize the entire ward anew.
Just what he did and how he did 1t is
TOO long a story 10 tell; but from the
Il moment the fight began there was little
sleep on either side. OF course. Dooners
long leadership had created pIvalries,
which from time TO time he had euppress-
ed with money, with Office, or by means
of an overwhelming defeat at the polls
There was one man whom he had be-
friended, not only in politics, but whom
4 ne had kept from serving a deserved
term In the penitentary. Thomas Mall
Ion had received favors enough But no
. man believes lie is the creature OF
others or that he succeeds other than
on his own merit. Mallon was made
i ,f ~
gether too shrewd to run himself. He
discovered n lawyer Of ancient lineage
4 and wealth who had a constructive resi-
dence In the ward and set his sails to
catch lhc wind OF reform that seemed
81 10 be blowing a gale. Edward MurcEir
son MAS a surprised man indeed when
9 told that he had been selected by Mallon
and tho gang 10 lead the forces of ra-
form He would have declined, hut most
OF The Committee OF one Hundred were
81 his friends, and rhey urged him 10 stand
s8 AlurchisOn knew much more about Ers-
X iish politics than about the politics OF
N the ward he was to lead In this contest
Refinement, The political bee did not
53-f sting al first, But when Murchison got
n intn the hgit he was warmed to Al
Al enthusiasm that was not exactly suited
q ia the situation. and IL was made tht
excuse for many and large drafts or
his purse by Mallon. FOR legitimate
purposes only,
M The crisis came In the middle of Octo
Der. when all candidates Tor office wer'
* asked 10 appear before the COMMITTEES
Y OF One Hundred TO present their claims
for indorsemenl. Doonfrs first impnls
\ was 10 decline. hut when he considered
that this would be considered a sign .
weakness. he determined tn SO and hsh
II out. He would have faced crowd o
hyenas rather than seem 10 admit any
thing 10 his own dlscredlt He appeare
at the appointed time before the com
A mittee. OF whom al least thirty ha
Il found time 10 leave their own AFFAIR
and ba present, The chairman was
s. business man Of standing In the CON