The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-03
WE'LL SUPPORTERS
CLAIM VICT R Y
Declare He Will Win Easily
Over Commissioner Duke
for Police Board.
TO ELECT THURSDAY NIGHT
Joint Session Must Also Wrestle
With Contest in Marshall
Ward.
TO ELECT THURSDAY NIGHT

While the monthly meeting of the
Common Council will occur on Tues
day night with large docket of rou-
tine business. the most interesting
event of this week in municipal poll
tics will be the joint session of the
| two branches of the City Council on
Thursday night. when a number Of
city officials and commissioners are to
! be elected For the heads of the vari
GUS departments there are no contests,
and all will be reelected without OPP
position. There are three interesting
tights on for ommissionershps, two
for the Police Board and one for the
Fire Board. and while reasonably safe
predictions can be made, in no case
is the result certainty. Police COM
miss;oners are TO be elected from Mar
shall and Henry Wards. and a Are COM
missioner from Monroe Ward. In all
three instances the incumbents are
standing for reelection, with vigorous
opposition.
The Welsh-Goode Contest.
A most interesting situation has de-
veloped in Marshall Ward, where Po-
| lice Commissioner j. B. Welsh has as
| his opponent r. n. Goode, treasurer Of
Il
! Experts in politics predict the cleo
| tion of Mr.. Goode. though the result
| will not be assured until the ballots
| are counted. A caucus of the Marshall
! Ward delegation was held some weeks
/ ago, al which six of the eight mem
! bers were present. Mr.. Goode was the
| nominee of the caucus, and his sup
porters claim that 1t was regularly
| called and held and is therefore bind
/ ing on the ward delegation. Alderman
Nielsen and Councilman CARRIER, 1t is
/ understood. did not so-i into the eau
lcus. but will support Mr.. Welsh, thus
giving the Council the effect of split
| delegation. While The election is to
1 be by the present Council. the Welsh
/, men are using as an argument that the
three new men elected from that ward
to take Office in observation-disclosures
4 Grimes and Councilman sullivan and
! Lumsden-aare all Welshmen The
| Goode faction uses the same argument,
but from another point of view, assert
4 ing that MI. Welsh's supporters made 1t
a campaign issue and actually worked
I al the polls against the recollection of
4 Alderman Spence and Councilman Gem
/ try, securing their defeat. 1t has be-
4 fore heen charged that police officers
1 took active part In the fight on Alder
man Spence. who has been known as
an active Goode supporter
Il Mr. Welsh is an enlploJe in the office
of the City Treasurer, and it has been
i used as an argument against him that
\ while a city employe he should not hold
comnissionarship, thus creating a
4 dual responsibility A somewhat SIM
4 liar argument is being used against
Mr., Goode on the ground that he is a
member of the City Democratic Com
4 mittee,
4 partial canvass OF votes shows
that Mr. Goode has pledged a majority
OF the members OF the Board of Alder
men and that he has large following
in the lower branch. though it is no,
certain as vet that he has a majority
We'll Against Duke.
The Henry Ward Police Board fight
4 1also has interesting phases, Police
z Commissioner w, G. Duke is opposed
by former Councilman Cliff We'll. Mr.
We'll is the choice of the Henry Ware
delegation, and should the Council re,
Il elect Mr.. Duke It will violate all pre-,
A cedents in going against unanimou.
ward nomination. The Duke force.
have by no means given up the fight
. however, and are using as an argu
his position in the City Council TO Sc
pledges of support from his associate
y more than a,year ago with a view o
making this contest, But those ia
milnr with city politics do not Hest
tate to predict Mr. Wells election b.
q a safe majority In both branches.
The Fire Board fght. is more Il
. doubt, Fire Commissioned Charlie
kepplsr, of Monroe Ward, has as hi
ltoppopent Hiram M. Smith The war
n delegation Is understood to stand fou
to four, and the fight viii therefor
be transferred tosthe floor Of the Join
session. where 1t this stage of the con
j test MI. Keppler seems to have some
4 what the advantage, although his 70
). election is by no means assured.