The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-05-30
MAYOR DEFIES MACHINE
PhiIadeIphia's Grief Executive Gusts
Two Cabinet officers.
THREATEN TO lMPEACH WEAVER

| war 10 FINISH declared Against inc Uaa
Loase and ElIhu Root Retained to Ad-
wise Him = Two City Directors Rec
moved, Reinstated and again Re
moyed-Detectivss Used by the Mayor
Philadelphia, Pain his effort to
defeat the contamination of the plan
to lease the city gas works to the Uni
ted Gas Improvement Company for
seventy-five years for $25,00O,O00.
Mayor Weaver dismissed from Office
the two principal members Of his Cab
met, David J. 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
terim, 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 man 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 81. 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 he has appointed
to these positions are members of the
Reform Committee Of Seventy. Colo
mel Potter is also member of the Gov
ernors staff, stanch Republican, but
regarded as absolutely clean in politics.
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 let
ter In which he said:
II feel that the best interests of the
city require that our official relations
shall terminate at once. You therefore
place me under the painful necessity
of Immediately removing you from the
position, as feel that / 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 resig-
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 Els
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
a year.
The situation assumed a new phase
when Director of Public Safety Smyth
and Director of Public Works Costello
obtained 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 claimed that
their successors could not qualify until
they had been confirmed by City Coun-
ellis and their bond had been accepted.
The day following the Mayor coun-
tered on the ring by getting superse-
IDEAS from the Supreme Court and es-
tablishing his appointees in Office. Be-
fore doing it he personally removed
Smyth and Costello from the offices
they were attempting to fill.
Three Select and six Common Coun-
Gil men announced that they would
change their vote ON the lease. This
would make the vote in Select Council
thirtyfour for the lease and eight
against, and in Common Council sixty
eight for and sixteen against. 1t takes
twO-thirds vote to pass an ordinance
over the Mayors veto.
Steps to impeach the Mayor it was
said, were decided ON by BOSS" Dur
ham as a counter action.
The plan, suggested was to rush
Weaver's impeachment through with
lightning rapidity. The necessary pc
tition was to be brought into court and
granted in one day. a special session of
Councils called for tie next day and
the trial rushed through on the spot.
New York City Mayor John Weaver
of Philadelphia came to New York in