The Washington times., 1905-05-27
DURHAM MACHINE
CRUhBL ING UNDER
MEMBERS REVOLT
Rebellion in the Air of
City of Brother
ly Love.
COUNCILMEN QUIT RING
Social and Business Boycott
Against Gas Lease
AdherentS.

| PHILADELPHIA, May 27.-Rebellion
| is in the air. One can hardly realize
| that he is in the City of Brotheriy Love,
| Corrupt and Contented. y
! The political machine which has ruled
| with iron hand is crumbling The
/ organizations over which Durham and
Penrose have held sway is on the point
| of disintegratins
Desertfon after dssertion from the COL
ors is being reported. A militant and
| outraged citizenship is thoroughly
| aroused.
The victory of the mayor which now
seems certain means the passing Of Dur
| ham. Whether d cleaner and a better
| condition of affairs will follow remains
| to be seen.
| AS yet the organization leaders will
| not admit defeat. They are silent and
| grim
Injunction Hearing Delayed.
| The cause of the mayor was consider
| strengthened this morning by the de-
cision of the judges of the court
| of common pleas TO postpone the
argument OF the temporary injunc-
tion TO RESTRAIN A. Lincoln Aeker,
| the new director of public works, and
| Colonel Potter, the new director of
| public safety. from exercising their
| duties from Monday until Wednesday,
out OF respect 70 tie memory of Justice
| Dean. whose funeral OCCURS on Monday.
The supersedeas secured from the su-
preme court by Mayor Weaver to set
aside the Injunction obtained by the
Old directors who were removed will
therefore continue in effect until Wed
| nesday. whether or not the common
pleas court makes the Injunction per-
manent. This assures the mayor of two
days more of power over the two de-
partments which have been the basis
of the rings strength.
It's the social and business boycott that
seems To have brought about results
Councilmen in whom the ring placed ev-
cry reliance are falling away, one by
one. and there is every indication of a
stampede.
More Couneilmen Converted.
There were important developments to-
dry, but they wore Eo5 OF The etirri..e
kiI.d which cccorr ID earlier In the weck.
The uprising of tn, peop,e to assert
their rights, a. illustrated by tie Two
monster mass n.e tings held las. night in
the Academy Of Music ard A Association,
!
of this came this morning, when two Of
the members of the councils, who hithcr-
to have been counted as supporters of
the gas companies. announced that they
would support the mayors veto OF the
gas lease bill.
The detection of George B. Edwards,
OF the Twenty-second Ward. German
town, which was announced by the Sc
Iect councilman himself, after con-
ference with Mayor Weaver, was re-
garded as the most important event OF
the morning. Edwards has been a strong
gas man, and was regarded as almost
certain TO stand with the company. All
the other counciImen from the Twenty
second Ward have declared for the sup
port OF the veto. In spite of all pressure
Edwards. UnEi this morning, refused TO
desert the machine.
Edwards was waited on last night ar
his home by a committee of citizens
but still declined to assert where he
| stood.
| Changes With Vengeance.
| This morning. however. Edwards had
| changed with a vengeance. He was at
the city hall bright and early anxious
i to see Mayor Weaver TO -nledge his sup
| port TO the vote. 1t did not take him long
| to do this. AS he left the office of the
mayor. in company with Colonel Potter,
| the new director of public safety, he
| said TO the newspaper men who accosted
| him:
II will support the mayors veto. 1
! don't see how l can make that state
nent any stronger
A story told in regard to Edwards
| ha hot
| ising his support to the veto he asked
the mayor to give him a signed letter
under the seal of the municipality an
ncuncing tnat the s1iectman had
pledged him self uncontiitionaiiy to sup
| port the veto. Edwards explained that
he wished to have indisputabie evidence
| to show his constituents that he had
''nopped" and stood with them.
The other detection to the mayors
standard was Frank G. Grier common
councilman from the Fifteenth ward.
the community. Amid tremendous
cheering and the waving of flags the
foremost citizens of the old town de-
nounced on public platform the efforts
of the ring 10 jam through the gas steal.
Struggle Holly Pursued
The struggle to hold or win council
men Is being hotly pursued. Many OF
the ''city fathers express the wish that
they had never been elected TO the legis-
iatiVe body
They declare they owe all their sue
cess in life to the organization. and
that 1t would be a n act of extreme dis
loyalty to go back on those who be-
friended them. But they are being made
to realize that others contribute 10 their
success.
Frank Richards voted for the lease
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