The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-05-29
EXHORT THE PEOPLE
 TO CONTINUE FIGHT
GAS SCANDAL THE SUBJECT OF
 MANY SERMONS.

Struggle Against the Republican 0r-
 ganization-The Mayor Gives the
 People Credit for the Victory.
 Philadelphia, May 2S.-The gas lease fight of last week, which resulted in the advocates of the proposition bow ing to public will by withdrawing the proposed lease from city councils, serV- ed as a text for many sermons in the Philadelphia churches to-day. There were few houses of public worship where the sensational incidents of last week were not touched upon. While all the cierg ymen who referred to the contest expressed qualification over the result of the agitation against the lease many of them exhorted the mem ters of their congregations to keep up the fight which has begun and support the mayor in his fight with the repub- Eean organization of this city.
 The greater part of Mayor Viewers day was taken up with religious duties. He attended divine services at the Temple Baptist church in the forenoon
  class at that church as usual.
 At the conclusion of the morning ser tvices the mayor and Mrs Weaver were surrounded by nearly all the members of the congregation and congratulated During the exercises informally open ing the Sunday school session, the su- perintendent referred to the mayor and the part he took in the gas lease fight. MT. Weaver was called upon to speak a few words, and among other thins he said: a.r.
 Its the peoples victory. The people have given me entirely too much cred Ii it. I say to you it's a victory mag nificent victory of the people. But in exulting in victory, splendid as it has been, we must not for a moment in1ag- inc that the task has been accomplish ed. We shall have a long and probably tedious fight before us, but with the help of God the people will eventually come out victorious.
 Most of the republican organization leaders spent Sunday out of the city. Commissioner Israel w. Durham and Councilman Charles Seger spent the day in Atlantic City. where they met many of their friends and talked over the future.
 That the fight of the mayor and the reform organizations against the re- publican organization will not stop with the abandonment of the gas lease proposition appears to be a foregone conclusion. It is understood that the opponents of the organization will now demand that the city councils confirm the nominations of Colonel Sheldon Potter and A. Lincoln Acker, the may or's new directors.
 The mass meeting scheduled for this week in opposition to the gas lease, will, it is understood, be turned into gatherings for the confirmation of the mayors new department chiefs. The | names of Messrs. Potter and Acker will probably be sent to councils on Thurs day, and in case they are not confirm ed the mayor will reappoint them ad interim every thirty days until the con trowersy is settled.
 The injunction proceedings instituted last week against the mayors new di- reetors assuming office will come be- fore Judge Robert Ralston in the com mon pleas court Wednesday when he will hear argument on motion to make the injunction permanent. | Elfhu Root, of New York, will appear for the new directors, and John C.. Johnson of this city will argue for the busted officials. ' E&