The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-06-26

| u. d II.
wv States you practically start him
Ess.ZTSs1 on the broad road to perdttlon.
IshHsEa1 If he doesn't end his admlnls-
tration a crook he wonders how 1t nap
pened he escaped being one.
He IS ready to believe that every man
either has his price or is eagerly willing
to he appraised by some expert on graft
valuation. II he does not go wrong" it
Is not the fault of some of those whose
names are always in the list OF public
spirited" and "prominent" citizens IL he
is not travelling with swift smoothness on
perdtion boulevard before his term Of
office expires It Is because he either IS
too cowardly to take a chance or too
brave to grasp an easy opportunity. DID
it ever occur to anyone that some OF
these heroes 'of municipal warfares are
moral towards?
or late magazine writer's and some. or
the Keepers of the public conscience who
speak through the daily prints have paid
large attention to municipal corruption.
gang rule and grafters. They have much
to say about some mayors and eX-may-
ORB and what they have written has
been interesting and more or less true.
But On analysis of the evidence they
present Indicates that almost all of it
Is of tho hearsay order not competent
in any court of record not good even IN
a cothesline case before cross-road
justice OF the peace. 1t appears they
have seen every one but tho mayors.
They have really presented but one side
OF a nhuny-slded case
They are perfectly safe In making
statements of apparent facts 80 far as
mayors are concerned, for they know and
the mayors know that the chief execu-i
tlves of large cities would not dare tell
the one hundrcdth part of the truth con-
corning the happenings of their admins
trations. Not that the cold truth would
necessarily crimlnate the head of the
city,s administration, hut 1t would start
an exodus OF well-knpwn buainess and
professional men of such magnitude and
suddenness that the passenger traffic
| managers of railroads could not furnish
the required rolling stock to handle the
outgoing business.
When was elected mayor OF one nf
the largest cities OF this country took
Office free from pledges Of any kind.
Political exigency and public clamof com.
PEELED the leaders of my party to seek
for n business man to head the city
ticket TO my surprise, for had not
sought the Office I was nominated AS
there was small hope OF electing one Of
our party, tho party leaders had not
attempted to tie me down with pledges
of patronage, So 1t was / assumed Of
fce feeling that 1 was under personal obs
legations to no man or set of men,
The vote was close, and 1t was not un-
til the returns from the last ward came
in that our campaign manager who had
been keeping tab with his pencil, leaned
forward and sald:q mr. Mayor, you are
elected" 100
They told ME afterwards that took
the news calmly; that accepted the
proffered hands and NocfeEons eongratu-
lations with the nonchalance of an old
political campaigner But i cannot re-
call what occurred during those first mo-
ments. i sat. mentally and physically
benumbed, ASH look back now ! see
that this curious condition Was the re-
SHIT of psychological revifsion. was
regaining my Individuality,
For some weeks my personality had
been completely effaced In those feyered
hours the high pressure days IN the cy-
clone finish Of fierce campaign, was
not person. | was an issue. In MY
hurried speeches, evening following even
inc uhanf II srinke of nlySelf. Ana. what