Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-03-25
WILL IT BE JOHN ELTON FOR MAYOR NEXT, TIME.
Republicans are Becoming Active and are Talking We'll Known Party Worker Says the Mayor is Dandy Politcian--But that He Has Not Been Able to Accomplish All that He Intended Doing.

The republicans of Waterbury hope to be able to hold their grip on the city government for an indefinite period by keeping Mayor Elton at the helm. It is hard to see why this should be so, because it is admitted on all sides except by the machine politicians that the so-called business adminstra- ton is not shining success, and in no quarter is this conceded more readi- ly than among those who worked hard to elect it. One of the men who wants Mayor Elton to hang on. not for his own sake, but for the good of the party, told a reporter to-day that he hoped the boys will be able to talk him into running again. and added, With shrug of his shoulders and q Knowing wink: Some thought he wasn't politician at all, but I tell you he's a dandy. Isn't he:" The man
 was right. The mayor is dandy politician, but he was recommended to the people as just the opposite sort of gentleman and hundreds voted for him with that idea in mind. In many respects, perhaps, it was good thing that the city elected Mir Elton, be- cause it gave everybody an opportIni- ty to see that. after all had been said in his favor. he was not able to ac- cOmplSh very wonderful with the same means as others. He had more money at his command than any of his predecessors and yet he found him. self unable to cope with the conditions that confronted him. although they were nothing more difficult than other administrations had to deal with, and did it creditably with much less funds. In addition to this he had the hearty cooperation of the board of aldermen in everything, while his predecessors, with one or two exceptions, had 10 conduct an uphill fight with that body from start to finish. Isn't it q fact that the condition of the streets never was worse than during the two win ters Mayor Elton had charge of them and yet you never heard less criticism about them? Mayor Elton had OppOr- tunities that no other mayor of Wa terbury ever enjoyed, but there is noth- ing to show that he made much good use of them in public way. He has charming personality, is dandy" in politics, but SO far as municipal gov ernment goes he falls far short of being an adept in the art, and it is not l at all likely that he lays claim to any such distinction. If his honor ever had conceit in that line 1t is certain that he was not long in office when it | was knocked out of him. It certainly disappeared after he discovered that he could not make a dollar go as far as he thought in street cleaning. and if that didn't do it he must have felt like calling himself novice when he woke up and found that the railroad company had got ahead of him and gobbled up the tract of land which the city had its eye on for the past ten years as a site for q sewage disposal | plant. But with all his shortcomings Mayor Elton is good fellow. and whether he succeeds himself or not, it is certain that he will hold the reins of government nine or ten months more. and he may work wonders in that time. If so, there may be dis | position to forget the past. If not, as Judge Cole said. he will not he in big | demand with the politicians next fall. Politics is cold game and those | who make a profession of it will use John r. Elton as long as they find it
 to their own advantage-if he lets them-and not moment longer.