The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-08-03
DENVER POST
CON T Rolls
DENVER
CITY OFFICIALS ARE BUT TOOLS
IN HANDS OF PAPER.
Peculiar Tactics BY Which Ringing
Circus Was Kept on the Out
skirts Of That City.

1t is barely probable that the recent
fight between Ringing Brothers cir
Gus, which is TO be here Wednesday.
and the city officials of Denver, who
were backed by Bonf1ls and Tammen,
of the Denver Post, has only just be-
gun 1t is reported that the Ringlings
are likely TO bring suit against Mayor
Speer and the Post publishers.
Regarding this report. Guy F.. Steely
of the Ringing business stan, said
this morning to Standard man.
While | have no knowledge of
contemplated suit. | am certain the
Rlnglings have ample grounds for such
proceedings. In all the history OF
circus warfare there has never been
another instance where the mayor of
a city and the under officials have
linked themselves with the owners Of
one circus to defeat another
"As everybody knows, Tammen and
BonfilS are the owners of small cir
Gus that has been touring the west.
Incidentally, and By virtue of the pow
er they WELD as publishers of the
Post. they also practically own and
control Denver Tammen charges the
Ringing Brothers with having billed
against his circus along the Pacific
coast as early as last April thus cauS-
ing him to lose. he says. In the neigh
borhood of 100000. For more than
fifty years circuSes have billed against
and the proceeding has been consid-
r,l
big a circus man as a publisher he
would know this. Years ago the Ring
lings were followed from coast TO
coast and billed against by two rivals
and, at that time, larger shows. which
spent millions in an effort to drive
them to the wall. But they were bet
Ter fighters. in a Legitimate sense, than
Tammen and Bon0ls-and that Is why
they are today the one best, largest
and cleanest show in the world
But Tammen was too poor a sol
der 10 take defeat as part of the
game That opposition billing
along the coast inspired him with
desire for revenge, and, instead Of
seeking il In the usual sane and leGi-
innate manner by spending more mon
cy on mis- own advertising. he decided
TO use his own unusual power in an
other direction when the opportunity
came
And that opportunity came month
or So ago when the Ringlings posted
their bills in Denyer-the Tammen-
Boniils baliwick The bills were up
but short time when Mayor Speer,
through the chief of police. ordered
them covered The paper was covered
in the face OF the fact that the Ring
llngs had been promised a license and
the money for the license had been
paid to the city clerk by the general
contractor of the show. When the
circus agent asked the mayor why
he had covered the paper. he was told
II was because some of the Ringing
paper had been posted over that OF
the Hagenbeck-Walla Autographs.
the latter show also being dated for
Denver
"Why the mayor and the other ofll-
cials should directly concern them
selves with matters Of this kind is
question no one seems able to answer
without seeing a coloTcd gentleman in
the woodpile in the shape of the Sells
Floto management and It's thirst for
revenge. The power OF Tammen and
Bontils Is so well known In Denver
that such was the popular solution.
and this belief was more than justified
when In the United States court TO
which the Ringling Brothers appealed
for justice, there was read a deposl-
ton of Samuel McCrackin, general
contractor for Ringing Brothers. In
which occurred this statement made
by TammeD to the circus man
1 own circus myself; that is, |
and Bontls own It, This show has
been billing on my paper all the time.
They don't carry any booze car, like
my show does. but they call me graft
er, ! know they run a moral show
but | represent a Denver institution.
and this show has cost me lots OF
trouble and money. and they can't
show IN Denver
AS Tammen departed after making
this speech he whispered to McCrack-
en- that he wished 10 see him outside
When the two met a few minutes later
Tammen invited the agent to an auto
ride and TO lunch During the subse-
quent conversation Tammen said
i have YOU beat, il that FAT
HEAD MAYOR only stands pat,
They tried to prevent me from
moving my show into new quarters,
but YOU notice | moved in anyway. l
get anything | want
I decided / didn't want horse rae
ing at Overland, hut the mayor said
he did. But You notice they didn't
pull on the races. Now ! am going
to show YOU that | propose to keep
you out of Denver
The RinGllngs had appealed TO
Judge Lewis for an injunction TO re-
strain Mayor Speer. Tammen and Bon
nls from carrying out their plan TO
prevent the Ringlings from showing
In Denver The court decided that
he lacked jurisdiction and, therefore,
could not act He said that even
though conspiracy were shown he had
not the authority 10 interfere with the
discretionary powers vested in the
city In such matters as the granting
ol licenses. AS a prominent Denver
attornsv sxnressed II. the decision