The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-10
Comes From Hamlet to
Aid Ring Rule.
LITTLE ALECK SMILES
Aldermen Of Fourth Ward Denied the
Right to Select Colleague and
Precedent is Brushed Aside
by "Big Nine
e. Clique.

airing in the meeting OF the Board OF
aldermen of Raleigh.
The event of interest overshadowing all
tire petty routine of the meeting was
the election of a successor to- the late
Alderman r. C. Redford, CT the First
Division of the Fourth Ward. This came
at the close of the meeting, and 1t was
the one thing done that will be talked OF
today.
AS his successor the Board elected, by
a vote of TO Z, suggestive figures, Mr..
r. w Baker. To do this precedent was
pushed aside as straw, and IN the con-
certed purpose to again grasp the city
administration, a Big Eight once Big
Nine rode rough shod over the expressed
wishes of the thl ee aldermen from the
Fourth Ward.
Ii was a victory by means of might,
but it was a victory by close shave. To
SWING enough men INTO line, and to avoid
a tie vote mayor Powell would have
,o;ed against the City Ring, the men
WGo planned TO have their own sweet
way had as their salvation a Raleigh
aldermen who for months has not lived
in Raleigh, this being Alderman j. G.
Upchurch, who having lost his position
III a saloon when the bar-rooms here
were closed by the will OF the people,
has since that time gone to Hamlet
where he is in the liquor business. He
came to the meeting a week ago, but
there was no election. He came again
last night and his vote broke a tie, set
aside long established precedent aud
tiw&rted the will of the people.
In the rule or ruin" programme las.
night two men were conspicuous in vote
ing their opinion that the Aldermen from
the Fourth Ward had nothing to do with
their own affairs. These Aldermen We're
ID putty Sheriff Crocker, who owes his
place on the Board to his combination
with the liquor interests in the First Dl-
vision of the Third Ward, and Alderman
Scrark, who was slated as the manager
of the dispensary when the big Eight,
once the big Nine were attempting to
divide out dispensary jobs amongst them
selves.
Without allowing Aldermen Bland,
Rand and Rogers, the Aldermen from
the Fourth Ward, to give expression to
their desires the big Eight forced a
caucus and in that caucus voted against
Col. Alfred Williams, the nominee of the
Aldermen from the Fourth ward. AS the
skilmish which preceded the vote for a
caucus moved along Little Aleck''
smiled with pleasure and when as secre-
tary of the caucus he announced the
caucus nominee his face fairly beamed his
happiness. 80 tempora. o mores.'
The vote by which precedent was swept
away and the voice of the representatives
of the Fourth Ward was choked was as
fellows:
TO DO AS WE PLEASE.-Aldermen
Andrews, Boylan, Crocker, Griffis, Now
ell. Separk, Smith and Upchurch-S.
TO STAND BY PRESIDENTIAL
dcrmen Bland, Habel, Hicks, Johnson.
Rand Rogers and Wider.
The contest began when Alderman Sc
park moved that the Board go into eau
Gus to elect a successor to the late AL
derman BEDFORD.
Alderman Wilder suggested that the
usual precedent be followed and that the
Aldermen from the Fourth ward retire,
nominate a successor TO the late Alder
man and report their choice to the
Beard.
Alderman Crocker rose to state that the
ordinances required the Board to elect,
and that this should not be done by the
Aldermen from the Fourth Ward, but by
the full Board.
Alderman Separk arose and said:
alderman Wilder did you not fight
such a precedent on one occasion when
Alderman Henry Miller resigned and AL
derman Andrews was elected?"
That" said Alderman Wilder, was
when thu Aldermen from that ward did
net agree on man. 1t was then that
the Board had to settle the question the
Recommendation then was by two Alder
men for one man and by one Alderman
f.. T
the Fourth Ward can now agree among
themselves they should be heard 1nls
has been the precedent and the custom. y
Alderman Croker here rose to remark
that he had no idea whom the men seek
ing a caucus desired to elect At this
the smile and incredulous laugh swept
around among the Aldermen.
Alderman James I. Johnson next spoke
He declared that as he understood the
matter the precedent was for the re-
naming members Oh a ward to be given
the courtesy of naming their. colleague
vixen there was a vacancy, and that this
was done to do away with the necessity
OF primary, that the people at the polls
had named men whose wishes should be
respected and old established precedent
adhered to- IF you are going to over
ride precedent why there's no Use to par
ley about it, but do SO and be done
with it,
Alderman Habel declared that Alder
man Croker was presenting chiloisi
idea. 1T is not in contemplation for the
three Aldermen to elect man." he de
clared, ''but the resolution is simply thai
they retire and recommend to the full
Beard who will elect. Not to allow then
to suggest man would be an affront
and would set aside a precedent in exis
tence from time immemorial. The case
cited by Alderman Separk strengthen!
the precedent 1t will be courteous. right
and Just to hear the wishes of the mer
who are in touch with the wishes of thu
people in their ward Let them retire
agree upon man and then it is our duty
to elect that man. BY neglecting to dc