The Washington times., 1905-05-27
PHILADELPHIA MACHINE
CRUMBLING UNDER REVOLT
CONTINUED from First Page.)

He is In the iced .ss.siness. but has done
little business la,ely Those who deaf
with him are canceiling contracts
Sam Springer is a downtown saloon
keeper. He is gas-lease councilman,
No more than rem people have been III
his place TO buy a drink.
And so IL goes all over the city. The
strain some of the councilmen are UNI
dergoing is terrific. Their families are
being made unhappy and their business
ruined,
To Strike Vital Spot.
According TO report, the ring is to be
struck in one of its most vital spots
the contracts. It is there where most
of the rings money-making powers is
located.
McNiehol. who. next to Durham. is
the head of fi:e organization. has a
great filtration contract with the city,
and Is trying 10 get the street cleaning
contract. He Will lose the latter.
The first official act of the new direc-
tor or public works was TO annul the ad-
Vertlsement ca ing for bids for street
cleaning. This Is blow at McNfchol
What viii happen next in the con-
tract situation is giving the ring more
concern.
Ring Stocks Depressed.
The ring stocks. United Gas and Phil
adelphia Electric. have been declining
with a persistence that indicates the
way the situation is turning in the minds
of the men on the street. United Gas
was dropping yesterday, but I04 was the
closing price, while today 1t was as low
as 10lA The decline N Philadelphia
Electric was sympathetic, and its per
cent bonds dropped 10 T6Ss. as compared
with ls1s yesterday. Beth stocks were
heavily sold.
Such tangible evidences as this Of the
of the fight have aided powerfully In dis
couraging the ring and have done their
part ii dampening the impeachment
Votes Weaver Needs.
The an-absorbing question at present
is whether the mayor Will be able 10
rally enough support in the councils 10
prevent the passage of the gas lease
bill over his Veto To put the bill through
over the veto a three-fifths vote is re-
Quired in both the select council and
common council
There are forty-two select counciImen
and e{ghty-four common councilmen. To
pass the measure over the veto. 25 votes
are needed in the select council and 81
In the common council. Failure 10 Sc
cure this vote in either council will kill
the bill. To effect this Mayor Weaver
select council or thirty-four in the COM
mon branch. Just how the members
stand is not known. The mayor asserts
he has enough pledges TO ensure the
failure of the measure.
AS the eounciimen have been poIied
by the newspaper men the necessary
votes for the mayor are not fortheonl-
ing. however. As near as can be as
certained the mayer has with him ten
OF the select coanciimen and twenty
five of the common counciImefl. This
hot : 81
Dne he mist gain eight votes in the Sc
leet council or nine in the common eoun-
Gil
Common Council Fighting Ground.
The common council is regarded as
the more likely hghtino ground. as the
members are more responsive to the
people and less under the control of the
ring. There were four members of the
select council who voted against the or
dinance originally. and seven common
councflmen, who took the same stand.
The mayor is credited with lining up
eighteen common councilmen and six Sc
lect councilmen since the fight began.
It seems likely that these figures give
the mayor The great test support he can
ella IN.
The detection of George Edwards to-
Gay may help the mayors cause Ed
wards is one of the men who has stood
close TO the machine. He is a member Of
the finance subcommittee OF the select
council. through which appropriations
are recommended. Any man who Is al
lowed t0 assist in handling PhIadei-
phi2's public funds must stand close TO
the ring. That he should desert is re-
garded. therefore, as very significant.
Auerbach Reaches City.
Joseph Auerbach, of the law firm of
Davies. Stone & Auerbach. of
New York. who have been engaged by
the committee of seventy which is lead
ing the citizens fight, TO represent the
people In the probing Of municipal
''rottenness,' arrived in Philadelphia
this morning. He went into conference
at once with Mayor Weaver. Director
Of Public Works Acker, Director Of
Public Safety Potter, Director of Public
Supplies Shoyer and Judge Gordon,
Mayor WeaYer's personal counsel.
Following this conference the follow
ing statement was given out in the
he me of Mr Auerbach
Il called upon the mayor as matter
of courtesy in view OF the fact that
our firm OF Davies, Stone. and Auer-
bach have In conjunction with Thomas
Raeburn White, q member Of the bar OF
this city. and professor of law In the
University Of Pennsylvania. concluded
TO accept Il retainer from the committee
OF seventy and to act for them in OPP
posing the proposed gas extension lease.
IN so Tar as tneFe Goes not develop anu
conflict between the interests OK the
mayor and this committee ne shall hope
70 have the co-opera ton of Judge Cor
don and Mr. Root with us, and 10 the
extent that our advice and assistance
are deemed by them to be helpful we
shall cooperate with Judge Gordon ana
Mr. Root. Our firm is generally familiar
with the controversy III question, having
been one Of the representatives profes-
sionaiiy OF the firm Of JG- 3. Smith *
Co. in the matter of their bid. Inas-
much as that relation might operate to