Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-20
NJ 'CLELLAN TALKS
TO DEMOCRATS
NEW YORK NOMINATIONS ARE
RATIFIED
John F. Ahearn Makes Statement In
Explanation Of Charges Made
Against Jerome by Charles
F. Murphy
BY Associated Press.


NEW YORK, Oct. 19.-The Demo
cratic nominations on city, county and
borough tickets were ratified at q
meeting in Tammany hall tonight,
when speeches were made by Mayor
George B. Mcclellan, who is standing
for reelection, and others. An incident
of the meeting was a statement by
John Il. Allearn, candidate for re-
election as president of the borough Of
Manhattan, in explanation of the
charges made earlier in the day by
Charles F. Murphy. leader of Tam
many Hall, that District Attorney
William 'Travers Jerome had sought
him in regard to securing the Demo-
cratic nomination for district attoT-
ney. Mr.. Murphy had announced that
if Mr.. Jerome denied this assertion he
(Murphy) would prove it from the
platform in Tammany hall tonight.
Mr.. Jerome promptly denied Mr. Muir
phys assertions. While Mr.. Ahearn
was speaking the name of District At
torney Jerome was alternately hlssed
and cheered. Mr.. Ahearn said that
Mr.. Jerome asked him to arrange a
conference with Murphy, but that Mr.
Murphy refused TO see Mr.. Jerome on
the ground that he had nothing to say
to him.
Walter S. Logan, who presided at
to-night's meeting, referred to Mr..
Jerome's candidacy and declared that
among the district attorneys support
ers was every prominent officer of the
big life insurance companies. "They
know whom they want for district at
torney," he concluded.
When Mayor Mcclellan stepped for
ward to begin his speech pandemonium
L., 4
women jumping upon chairs and
cheering.
Mayor Mcclellan said:
II do not believe that in this cam
paisn the people of New York are oil
trial, but | frankly concede that my
administration and I are on trial. L
prefer to make my appeal to the people
on what I have done and what my re-
election will mean, rather than on the
weakness of my opponents. My adj
has been honest, and by
honesty L do not mean the honesty of
dollars and cents, but honesty of in
tention, honesty of purpose, honesty
in the fight and word and deed"
Mr.. Mcclellan referred to various
works of public improvement which
have been accomplished during his ad-
and coming to the ques-
tioE of municipal ownership of public
utilities called attention to the fact
that the present administration has
taken over and efficiently operated the
Staten Island and Twenty-ninth street
ferries; will next week inaugurate the
first municipal lighting plant, and has
already begun the construction of a
vast plant, costing $7,5OO,OOO, for the
lighting of the public streets, parks
and buildings. Mayor Mcclellan re-
peated the assertion of his first speech
of acceptance that municipal owner
ship merely is a question Of dollars
and cents, to be taken up when it is
shown the people will derive more
profit from the operation than the rent
ing of the franchises. franchises
should be always under public control"
he said, " and be so employed as to
bring the greatest possible return to
the people.
This Democratic principle of public
control of franchises is threatened by
two classes of enemies. First, those
who would have the people grant
their franchises in perpetuity and
thereby lose all control of them. The
other class of enemies is even more
dangerous to this principle. 1t consists
of doctrinaires and demagogues, sin
cere and insincere men; some carried
by unreasoning enthusiasm and others
deliberately trying to make of busi-
ness proposition shibboleth with
which to catch votes. These enemies
of the principle insist that under all
the people must not only
own the franchises but must them
selves operate them, whether as prof
itab or a losing investment, and that
if the people cannot themselves operate
them, then the public utility must MOI.
be undertaken under any circum-
stances"