Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-09-15

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deed suggested, and the suggestion
was quickly seized upon by the ad-
ministration papers, that the whole
thing was a clever advertising dodge,
and that Gormly was simply using his
candidacy to boom his business. There
was no satisfactory answer to this
argument. which was one Of the best
that could have been devised by the
opposition, ana 1t was harped UPON
immensely, although their leader was
vigorously justified from this charge
by his army of fighters.
The expenses of the campaign were
enormous. Not one cent was paid out
for bribery or for the purpose Of in
fiuencing votes in any improper way;
but the hiring of halls, the payment
OF the expenses Of meetings, organiza-
ton, transportation, printing, salaries,
and SO on aggregated an extraordinary
sum. Even Gormly himself had not
realized how great these expenses
would be; but he paid them without
blenching. His were vast.
He put at the disposal of his candi-
dacy all the accommodations and earn.
ings of twenty-five years. He saw
that by the time the vote was taken,
his ready money would be expended.
Of course, he would still have his
great business, which would be entire
ly unencumbered; but everything else
would go.
He still kept to his plan of printing
every week sworn statements of his
expenses, challenging the other party
TO do the same. The reason the so
ciety did not publish its expense ac-
count was not because it was ashamed
OF the amount. for it was vastly great.
er than what Gormly expended. They
had nearly as many expenses as he,
except for the newspaper advertising,
which they got free, and in addition
they disbursed an immense bribery
and corruption fund through Liffey,
Connell, Habberley and Benson.
Again and again were Haldane and
his associates called upon for remit
tances, which were invariably forth
coming. There was no possibility Of
refusal. Failure to win a victory
would mean financial ruin to many of
them. Fortunately for him, it did not
mean SO much to Haldane, although
his great fortune would be seriously
impaired by defeat. Most of the
others, however, had turned over
everything that they possessed, and
pledged their credit as we'll, to the
vast syndicate Of which he was the
head. Indeed, he and Van Slyke would
be the only one not totally ruined
by the election Of Gormly. Conse-
quently they paid and paid and paid,
protesting in their hearts but shutting
their teeth grimly and handing out
the cash, which vas disbursed to the
best advantage by Liffey and Benson.
Gormly himself spoke every night
somewhere, and the crowds that greet
ed him were enormous. Meanwhile
every detective In the employ Of the
city, and all others who could be
suborned, were concentrating their
efforts on Gormly's past and present.
He could not take a step outside of
his office without being Swallowed. It
was not difficult for spies to mingle
with the crowd Of buyers in his store
and scrutinize every person who en-.
t0rad hto nrivoto r0pno ThAxy LnA
so far discovered nothing. Gormly
had lived an absolutely clean, upright,
honest, hardworking life since he
landed in New York. They did not
find out where he came from or even
where he was born. The only possible
clue they had was the statement that
he had once been in the west, with
which Haldane had supplied them.
Men had secured the principal cities
of the west; but nothing had been
learned. Cornell was in despair. He
and Liffey and Benson had again and
again been on the eve Of determining
upon the manufacture Of some degrad.
ing or discriminating story which
would at least serve their purpose. It
would not be difficult to get witnesses
to such an endeavor; but 1t would be
highly dangerous to resort to such an
expedient, and they we're still hest
tating and undecided.
About this time the disputed fran
chise expired. A resolution was i'm
mediately introduced in the board of
aldermen st the city hall granting a
lesew&, U 1t to the Gotham Freight
Traction company. Every move in
the game was watched, and the reso-
luton had scarcely been read and re-
ferred to a committee when 1t was
communicated to Gormly. The next
day the Gormly papers rang with the
charge that the city fathers intended
to give away its most valuable remain.
ing public franchise to the Gotham
Freight Traction company.
At the next meeting. despite the
furious protests of the Gormly party.
the resolution was put upon its pas
Gormly here played his great.
est political card. Attended by a
body of friends, he presented himself
at the council chamber and forced ad.
mission. When the resolution re-
newing the franchise was about to be
voted upon, as a citizen of New York
deeply interested in the matter he de-
manded to be heard. Before permits
sion was either granted or refused