Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-27
MAYOR WEAVER
IS OPTIMISTIC
SAYS SITUATION IS GROWING
STEADILY BRIGHTER
WINNING OVER CoUNcILkEN
He Is ssneulne That He VIII Secure
Enough Votes to Defeat the Gas
Lease steal Next
Thursday
BY Associated Press.


BY Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA, May 26.-The sltu-
alton is growing brighter every min
ute, said Mayor Weaver late today. He
would not give figures nor go into other
details, but contented himself with
saying he had received assurances from
many councilmen who had voted for
the lease last week that they would
support him in his veto. Leaders of
the Republican organization which IS
advocating the lease continue to re-
main silent. There are, however signs
that several councilmen are breaking
away under tremendous pressure from
their constituents and will probably go
along with the mayor. The all-absorb-
ing point of interest is whether the
mayor will succeed in getting enough
to defeat the bill when it shall come
up next Thursday for passage over his
veto. The organization still stands on
its statement that 1t will pass the ordi-
nance in spite of his disapproval.
The record up to this evening shows
that the mayor has ten select council
men and twenty members of COMMON
council with him. In select council
there are AZ members. To pass the ordi :
nance over the mayors veto needs
twenty-six votes and the mayor
seventeen to sustain.
The membership of the common coun-
Gil is 81. Here the organization needs
81 and the mayor "a.
The first important move Of the new
administration, move that was of
vital Importance to organization men
today when the new director Of public
works, Acker, annulled the advertise
ment for bids for street cleaning for
1906. The contract will aggregate
about $1,000,000. The contract for this
year is held by the Ware brothers, one
Of whom is state senator and an
other recorder of deeds.
Struggle Grows Warmer
The struggle to hold or win council
men is growing hotter and many of the
"city fathers have expressed the wish
that they had never been elected to
the legislative body. They declare that
they owe all their success in life to
the organization and that 1t would be
an extreme act of disloyalty to go back
on their leaders in time Of trouble.
The first man to be won over today
came to the mayors office with dele
cation of constituents. He was Charles
E. Connel of the common council.
There was another demonstration
when the mayor left the city hall today
for luncheon. His reception as he
walked along the streets with Director
of Public Safety Potter was noisy
one. He entered the University club
after much effort and after remaining
there about an hour, returned to the
city hall in a cab. A crowd of about
300 persons followed him to his office.
AS he entered some one proposed sing
ing the "Star Spangled Banner" which
was done with all hats removed An
incident of the day was the calling on
the mayor of a delegation of high
school girls, who came to congratulate
him. The mayors mail continues to be
very heavy, hundreds of communica-
tions coming from all parts of the
United States.
Citizens Adopt Resolutions
Amid tremendous cheering and
waving of flags several thousand per-
sons, who were packed into the Acad-
emy of Music tonight to hear promi'
nent Philadelphians express their pro
test against the gas lease, adopted the
following resolution:
Resolved, That we, citizens ot
Philadelphia without regard to party
or politics, do hereby, before God anc
man, pledge our life, liberty and sa
cred honor to the complete overthrow
of despotic methods in municipal af
fairs and the restoration of tht
American principles for which ouI
I fathers fought. and which shall eve
be our glory while we remain worth!
to be called their children"
w. w. Justice, wool merchant, pre-
sided at the Academy meeting and tn
principal address was delivered b!
Charles Emory Smith, former post
master general of the United States
Mr.. Smith, before beginning his speech
announced that word has just reaches
him that $50 citizens had called upo'
councilman in an outlying ward ant
demanded of him to pledge his vot
against the lease, which he did. Afte
Mr.. Smith concluded his address am
other message came that councilman
in the Twenty-eighth ward had ais
pledged himself tonight to go alon
with the mayor.
Prominent Men Speak
Among the others who addressed tn
meeting were William It. Tilden. sec
| ratar,, oF the rneetinR. Frank r.. Ritter