The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-04-03

me following prospective appoint
ments have been announced by Mayor
| elect Busse: Comptroller, Walter H.
| Wilson; corporation counsel, Milton ].
missioner of public works, John ].
! Hanberg; chief of police, George
Shippy or Herman Schuettler.
The issues in the campaign have
ment of the local traction system. Both
parties were agreed that present con-
d1tions were intolerable, but differed as
to the best method to be employed in
The Democratic party, headed by
Mayor Dunno, stood for municipal
ownership through condemnation of
the street car properties, if the result
could not be obtained in any other
way. The Republican party favored
ordinances which were recently pass
ed by a Democratic city council over
the veto of Mayor Dunno. These ordi-
nances provided for twenty-year fran
chises for the street car companies,
the city retaining the right to purchase
the systems for thirty million dollars
plus the amount to be spent for i'm
mediate rehabilitation of the lines.
Six months notice was to be given of
the city's intention to acquire the
property. The ordinances also provide
for universal transfers throughout the
city, a scent fare and 55 per cent of
the net revenue of the companies to be
paid to the city. The fight for and
against the adoption of those ordi-
nances has been exceedingly bitter.
They were carried by a majority OF
about 10000 votes.
The vote showed a decided reversal
of public opinion on the question of
municipal ownership compared with
the mayoralty campaign two years
ago. At that time Dunno received
163,1S9 votes against 1851 for John
M. Harlan, the Republican nominee.
The Prohtbitionist ticket received
year the Republican vote was close to
10000 and that of the Democrats
close to $4,000. The Prohibition
vote ran slightly above that of two
years ago, while the Socialist vote fell
off more than $4,000.
The campaign has been one Of the
most vicious the city has ever known.
Charges and counter charges have
been hurled back and forth, the per-
sonal lives of the candidates have been
held up to the public and through out
the entire campaign speakers on both
sides have INDUCED night after night
in trades filled with inVectives and
abuse.
The disagreeable features of the
which became so pro-
nounced in its latter part, commenced |
ton for a referendum vote on the |
traction proposition at the present !
election. He and his followers an
nounced that they had secured ISL, 900 |
SlSAelS " Ills PCeAe.OAA' oo'NN0 DClA6 !
necessary to place the matter before /
the voters. Charges were made by the |
that thousands of these
names had been forged and that the !
list had been padded in every con-
ceivable fashion. Those assertions
we're vehemently denied by the Demo-
Gratis and the followers of Mayor
Dunno, who were in favor of imme-
iiate municipal ownership. From this
time until the end of the campaign the
feeling became more bitter and more
intense.
William Randolph Hearst came per-
onally from New York to take part
n the campaign, and brought with
lin cartoonists and editorial writer's.
His papers were the only publications
n the city supporting Mayor Dunno.
'he contest between the editorial de-
'artments became so energetic that