The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-06-14
MAYOR OEFIES MACHINE
Philad slphia's Chief Executive Gusts
Two Cabinet officers.
Declares War to Finish Against the Gas
Lease and Retains Elihu Root
to Advise Him.

Philadelphia. Pain his effort to
defeat the cOnsummation Of the plan
to lease the city gas works to the Uni
ted Gas Improvement Company for
seventy-five years for , 5.G00.0O0.
Mayor Weaver dismissed from office
the two principal members of his Cab
met. David ]. Smyth. Director of the
Department of Public Safety. and
Peter E. Costello. Director of the De-
partment of Public Works. In their
respective places he appointed ad in
term. Colonel Sheldon Potter and A.
Lincoln Acker.
In his fight against the gas lease and
the Republican organization the Mayor
has called in as counsel Elihu Root, OF
New York City. and eX-Judge James
Gay Gordon. of this city. Judge Cor
don is a Democrat. The Mayors
stated purpose in going outside the city
for his principal counsel is that he
wants a mar who is not identified
with any faction in the struggle now
on.
simultaneously with the dismissal Of
the two directors, Frederick J. Shoyer.
Director of the Department of Sup
plies, by direction of the Mayor, sus-
pended pending an investigation Ar
thur II. Morrow, the Assistant Direc-
tor Of the department.
The Mayors blow was struck at the
most vital spot Of the Republican ma
chine-its patronage. Practically all
Of the 10000 place men in the city. are
directly at the mercy Of the Director Of
Public Safety and the Director of Pub
lie Works. The men be has appointed
to these positions are members of the
Reform Committee Of Seventy. Colo
mel Potter is also a member Of the Gov
errors staff, a stanch Republican, but
regarded as absolutely clean in politics.
Mayor Weaver has made it known
that any member Of the City Councils
who desires any share in the city pa
tronage must take sides with him
against the gas lease. He will summon
early all the members Of Councils be-
fore him to receive their pledges. The
proteges of the Councilmen who agree
to vote as the Mayor desires will be al
lowed to remain in office. The head
mans axe hangs over the rest.
The removal of Directors Smyth and
Costello did not come until after the
Mayor had asked them to resign imme-
diately. In reply each sent a letter Of
fering his resignation, to take effect
when his successor shall be qualified"
The Mayor answered them by demand
ing their immediate resignation.
The answers the directors returned
were to the effect that they had tend
cred their designations lin the usual
form and in accordance with the pro-
visions of the city charter" and that
they would stand by them as rendered.
Mr.. Weaver thereupon ended the cor
respondence by sending to each a let
ter in which he said:
II feel that the best interests Of the
city require that u official relations
shall terminate at once. You therefore
place me under the painful necessity
Of Immediately removing you from the
position, as I feel that I must have
some one in that Office responsible only
to the Mayor and to the city at once"
The fight over the form of the resiS-
nation was an important one, in that
the new directors can only be qualified
by the confirmation of the Councils,
which is controlled by the Organiza-
ton. 1t is not likely that the Councils
will confirm the appointments. The.
Department of Public Safety has
charge of the Police and Fire Bureaus.
Electrical Bureau. prisons, Building
Inspectors. Boiler Inspectors. city
property and Inspectors Of Fire Es-
capeS.
The bureaus Of gas, highways. light
ing, surveys. street cleaning, water
and city ice boats are under the super
vision Of the Department of Public
Works. Each director receives $4,000
q year.
The situation assumed a new phase
when Director of Public Safety Smyth
and Director of Publ: Works Costello
obtained a temporary injunction from
Judge Ralston. in Common Pleas
Court, restraining the Mayor from re-
moving them from Office, and also an
injunction against Colonel Sheldon Pot
ter and A. Lincoln Acker, their sue
cessors, from performing the duties of
their respective offices.
The deposed directors claim that
their successors cannot qualify until
they have been confirmed by City
Councils and their bond has been ac-
cepted.
New York City.-MaYor John Weaver