The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-21
REVELATIONS BY AN BX- ma OR.

AN MA YOk'.
& and the corrupt political leader could
|not exist were At not forathe eo.opstas
ton OF "oid business men en- anu .',s 30.
i differences OF the average voter n knew
A it before / had served half my term ~
and one OF the latest Of MY a. e =.
periences served to drive the "a =.
4 truth home. and clirch 1t irmovaptgl l IN
4 Eny &memory.5 I'll M 3ss AZ ii " u ls.s s
one Of my last officlal acts was my v V, 9,
OF particularly vicious an III.
was iiitrodu ced In behalf OF q pubic
utility F corporatiof,, and The gang sters
4 purposed rushing 1t through before the
4 new administration came Int o power.
rho board I rs aldermen passed 1t Aby such
d substantial rnajorlty that there SEEM
cd little doubt the gaflgstcrs you'd 20 %
able to muster on Dug votes to pass Y. ~
slSoyersmy yeto-i < "A should ret turn ~ Win WIN
IEny disapproval. 555. Z.
THE Ordinance was SO clehrl d gainst
public policy and interest tina Va de cldedi
Ito veto It as soon as / i had read 1t
Il through. When 81 my dcclsi on became
!, known the gapgsters and their hackers &C
began boodling cnmpalgh rs round Up
sufficient votes to defeat my purpos ~
was my last light, for tho nj ~ y-elected
mayor my SUCCESSOR, would assume the
4 office the Following weelss j Ind my,
4 scouts and thor almost hourly reports
4 Indicated that the boz dlers were winning
4 NIL along tho line. \.
I,ato one afternoon OF the day before
Il the board meeting an alderman catne into
4 my office. He & was ono OF the incon-l
4 ,spicuous aldermen, elected as an indepen-t
i dent and by accident. He was IA skill-g
A ed mechanic and worked at his trade; q
man OF decent habits, some what tiinid. but
4 voting always wi tn tho honest minority
i f1egwas8 elected, i said, by accident, be-
y cause his Independent candidacy gave a.
4 majority Of dissatisfied voters In l,s
4 ward AN opportunity 10 II punish the un-s
A popular n ominees 3 OF both OF the great
4 parties, and there happened to be enough
4 sore ads y - to pull him through by a
4 ,scant plurality. ISL II rs. 8 s1$ $i
die was cvideptly much excited when
4 he came into my office. AZ I CHANGED 10
Il be alone. He shut tho door and, walk,
4 Ing r6pid ~ toward my desk, said &C ono
1 In here. want to see YOU
u followed him into my private offce,
4 shut and ocked Il hes door, 4 for his every
movement told mo the man was trying
Il to suppress an intense Il mental agitn-
Il ton hen no heard tho 4 ock click he
d 5crouched on tho lounge and burst into
i tears. 3S II or some moments he was almost
5fysteric al. watched him silently uil-
A til he partial " recovered his Guinness
I'm q ruined man. ''5 he began; W. ruin-
n ed. u any way you ook at t. a s
Thenaile broke into sobs. which seemed
4 to sha kej every fiber OF his body. and
y obbing.S u hc NUT tered " They've rot me,
q any way you look at IT, 81
Look here. alderman 7 said. what
q Is NIL his about Sl
A to pass that ordinance over your veto
A ~ gel 81. SOY. M Il 20 vote Ito sustain your
\ veto I'm sold out \ OF house and homo.
4 That's whats the matter II 4 take the
7 money 4 m ruined for eternity and II !
4! don't Ike x ho money x IN ruined now for
al I've got In tho world is In my little
Il business and HON 9. Theyye been at me
Il ever since gt the ordinance was passed.
Il They told mo hey had emo gh votes to
q pass it over your head. but that I was
A a good fellow, only I had been training
A with the wrong crowd. so they wou ld let
me In son e good thing lf ~ would vote
4 with them SO as Ito make 4 heir ma ority
larger. 4 told ,em i was 18th you and
Il sdatly fused to pledge myself TO thenl.s5
4 This morning a lawyer comes to my
i shop and shows me my q note fol. s. 000
a and the mortgage on my shop and house
q land lot which i gave when I borrowed
4 the money. Che note Is past due but the
4 banker that had It and the mortgage told
y mo not to worry bout IT but to come in
J. 5later and give him a new note. So 7
.slet3i go. Now they we got both note and
mortgage and they tell me It I don't
\ come in with them they'll foreclose on
a me imme dat ely. The lawyer told me
that this morning. and he said H. Y
n only would be n good q fellow he would
manage itEso that could take my own
1 Stme about paying the note and that
4; besides there would be \ 81. 800 In d It for
\ me-, s554s III s$ 3gj
A s8 asked him to name Il he lawyer and
& when 3hef did u was too much surprised 40
n do more than look a t him. III made him
4 of the foremost attorneys In the cityra
4 man who now SITS, on tho bench.
Il gs III MI 4 s5 s
I To me the lderman's story was both
u painful and pleasant It was painful be.
8 cause 1t proved that h one 4 OF 5.tthe most
4 prominent and influential Of our people
4 was a scoundrel. It was pleasant be-
4 cause It! showed me that /: tlia gang did
il not have emo ugh tes. $I looked will,
much Interest. at the alderna i. knew
h him to be honest but 5timtd 4 and weak
4 and 4 wondered II no Rol1d stand fire.
4 j hastily ran over the list q OF ldermen
I In my mind and concluded that the gang
II would y lose unless 1T sgotS the very man
\ who sat before me Then 4 deternllnedtto
fight the devil with his own fire
Asking, the alderman / to remain wher 3
4 he was. Il hurried to the telephone on
my desk In the other Office and called
a up O. stauncha friend, y 81 banker,.I urged
A him to hurry to my Office, nd In q few
minutes we were q In the private room
with the alderman. An hour later the
4 3laWyer 5Wh q Il had threaten to- foreclose
4 the al derna n'sI ,mortga " stood in my
II