The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1913-12-25
The DAy](all " 7 ;[2}, of
DAVID KERR .,e
1y Harry Mn3 rootle 7
Illustration, 1y H1Y &I7=cs %

ally they went to David Kerr af
begged him that il he had enouy
S votes without them to let them or
: pose the franchise as they were in tn
. midst Of their canvass for reelection
The boss held them in line.
The bill had It's second reading a
: the council meeting Tuesday, but un
: der orders from Kerr nothing furthe
,, was done with 1t at that time. He be
gan to. worry about the approaching
election. What to him was the pass
Ing OF the bill at that time compared
to the control Of the city for the mex
two years? II he let 1t sleep nov
, and the election went his way then il
, could be passed soon after. BY the
time another election rolled around
| Belmont would have forgotten.
So it came about that the Kerr ad
herents tried to forget the franchise
When the bill disappeared they were
loud in their denunciation of the CD
position thieves who had stolen it.
! With this outburst they were willing
to substde and forget the matter, but
this the News would not permit
Wright kept it to the front and they
were forced to accept 1t as an issue.
The continuous attitude Of apology
necessitated by this was weakening
them every day. The independent
wave which had been sweeping over
the country had Been late in striking
Belmont, there having beer no news
paper to marshal the forces, bur now
1t was increasing to the volume Of
tidal wave which Kerr would have
hard work pouring oil upon.
The editor OF the News recognizes
that it was only a Pyrrhsc victory he
had Won by securing the shelving Of
the franchise for the present. He was
not blind to the fact that the fran
chise would bob up serenely after cleo.
t1on. Now that he had aroused the
town and had committed himself TO
fight against the ring, he determined
to carry 1t on. 1t had not been his
purpose, before the franchise bill had
drawn his fire, to enter with great
heat into the coming election carn-
paign, but he saw that the impetus
given the opponents of the machine
would carry them we'll on toward vic--
tory at the polls. Carrying the eleca'
ton would be- great advertisement
for the paper. II 1t lost, the News
could not be any worse OF than it was
now.
Kerr forgot nome Of the precautions
he had taken in being prepared to en-
hor >irV, i,.
casion should arise: The merchants |
who, through Kerr's influences, had pat |
ronlzed the News, suddenly withdrew !
their advertising, Many who had been !
in before the paper had changed hands /
now ceased to uEe it's columns. If q
store was using the News and fQrnieE-
Ing supplies to the workhouse. or tfss
jail. 1t facsd' the alternative OF" eosin.x
4 fat Account 81 combining it's adver- !
Using to the Banner. Tie proprietor, |
being part Of the machine, else Moth \
ing would ever have been purchased! \
from him for the cfg's use. promptly \
gave up the News: 1t vas the same
with meat markets: Other linep Of 1
busfnass we've approached in other /
Voyos WV SAASI AOEA4I wdH 01Wdy6 AAS 4
same-a loss of advertising revenue \
to tire News. Even the railroads weze
derefSct In delivering hfs white papar
and Wright spent many an anxious
hour tracing cars from the mill toy
find them lost in the Belmont yards.
Ont valuable source of information.
was developed by the News In a forr-
mer machine hanger-on named Jack
Durlzen. He came to WORK in the chg
department OF the paper, and1|
Wright first heard of him through the Il
manager. At Wright's res
quest the man came to his Office and
from his story the editor gathered
that he had not received fair treat
ment at the hands of the other gang |.
sters. He had lived in the disrepu-
table first ward, and had had troublesii
with Mike Noonan, ward leader. 4
For his work he had been made a. \
street cleaning inspector but after
having incurred the ire of Noonan badj1
lost lis job. \
Nothing the enemy hid was able. 4
to keep Wright from publishing pa
per every day. Every issue was a h
constant reminder to Belmont that |.
things were not as they should be anG {
that the way to remedy conditions was, 4
to defeat the city machine at the polls !
The editor spent ali his daylight hours !
at his office. and often was there untfs
late in the night In conference with
various leaders The opponents of |
Kerr had some old scores to settle, |
and this was their chance. The post
master was usually to be found on |
Kerr's side, although under cover, hut |
this time he could not afford to- use !
his influence for his party In City af- |
fairs--even for consideration. The |
boss knew the game too we'd to press !
him.
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