Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-04-17
HOW BECKER WON OUT
Personality of Milwaukee's
kid" Mayor Elect.
TYPE OF NAN WHO DOES THINGS


tive personality than hat OF Sherburu
Merrill Becker. the SO called kid" can
didate for mayor of Milwaukee ON the
Republican ticket. who has knocked
out Mayor Rose. the astute politician
and hero OF eight years OF political bat.
ties, In n recent contest, says n Mil
waukee special dispatch To the ST.
Louis Globe Democrat lie * the type
Of men who do things.
\ few weeks ago the Republicans OF
Milwaukee were up I'm the air. as To
what TO do ia the municipal election
While there was "A heavy undprcurrent
running against Mayor Rose ON az
n of the scandal brought out by the
graft trials, the politicians could not
hsure out how he was Ia be beaten for
II reelection. While they We're debat
Ing Becker announced his candidacy
Friends said he was foolish. acuuaint
ances that he was crazy. politicians
said he ought IL be- spanked aud sent
To bel. Becker laughed and went
ahead. Very soon he was covering the
city every night, going from one ward
TO another, getting acquainted with the
plain people. those who do the voting.
IL was soon found that he was n good
mixer. He h~obnobbed with the young
men and danced with the girls. He
sent boxes OF candy TO the older wo
men. and they passed resolutions In
dorsing his candidacy. Neither did
they stop there. They brought lnhu
ence To bear on their husbands. som
ana brothers 10 support the young man
Becker secured the nomination hands
down and then began his campaign In
earnest. Politicians said II was too
bad for him To waste his money I'm tina
way. for he had not IA ghost OF II show
OF being elected. IL was his money.
too, for he would not permit any one
TO contribute n cent TO his campaign
fund outside OF his Immediate relatives.
But no kept on wasting II just the
same. Then II was discovered that his
straightforward, honest, plain style
was taking immensely with Che people.
especially the younger set.
Becker made no attempt nt oratory.
His speeches were always n simple
statement or what he hoped for and
what he intended To do should he be-
elected mayor. For all that, he did not
come of second best In the Tits be
tween himself ana his opponent. Whom
Mayor Rose twitted him with being
born with Il silver spoon I'm his mouth
Becker retorted good naturally. The
mayo was born with "a tin horn I'm his
mouth. and he has bccn footing IL ever
since The reply stuck. and every
time the mayor spoke aftcrward Ia
the minds OF many OF his hearers was
. tho tInuFht fluf Ia, ,... s,-.g.. ~
horn" Again Becker showed his self
control when the mayor lost his TEN
per and referred 10 him az n brat"
And the y%oungster gained hundreds Of
votes by that same Incident.
When n member Of his official stan
said TO him after one of his speeches.
MY judgment is that ls not II good
thing 10 do" Becker replied. Your
Judgment Ia not worth Il cent. am
running my own campaign i'm my own
way" To another he said: Il do not
want any advice. Whenever in this
campaign anything comes INTO my
mind that ! believe is right TO say /
am going TO say II, and do not want
any advice III hat point from any
one Policy cut no figure at all with
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49, '"' L,'"''' N'"'"Nec
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fed by President Roosevelt Like him.
TOO. Becker is q great lover Of outdoor