The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-03
WELCOMES SUPPORT
|. OF CITY EMPLOYEES
John Hirschberg Says He Wants
All Votes He Can Get, Where
ever Employed.
BLAIR DENOUNCES COERCION
Dickerson Asserts Water Works
Men Favor Incumbents
Through Choice.
BLAIR DENOUNCES COERCION

MY colleague and have been criti-
ci~ed because of the support that has
been given us by certain city EN-
ploycs," said John IIrschberg last
night, addressing a crowd of voters at
MoschettiS Hall. 1900 Ashland Street
II want to say for myself that want
! every vote that can get and am
not particular whether the voter is
employed by tho city or by private in
| tcrcsts Wherever see chance to
| gain some votes. shall - after IL,
/ 1t was n frank challenge to critics
! Who had made capital of the admission
/ of Joseph l.. Dickcrson that the cm-
/ ploycs of the city Water Department
had been camvasscd in the interest Of
| MIR Hirschbcrc and Mr.. Mccarthy. I'm
many quarters yesterday the activity
was criticized rs perniciouS. and as I'm
| unfair interference In the election. BY
paid servants of the city.
The practice Is in,icfenSible. and
ought TO be broken up" declared John
! u. Blair. another candidate for the
| tho board. concluding his address to
tho voters. with au arraignmcnt of
| the pledgj ling activities in the Water
Department. Mr.. Dickerson was pres
ont. aud occupied Il seat well In front
Of the hall.
DENoUNCES ATTEMPT
no COERCE CITY EMPLOYEES
Il see Mr.. Dickerson in front of me.
and ] will say what I have 10 say be-
fore his face" said MIR. blair. II am
told that every man in the Water De
partmcut has been pledged UP. In the
first place, don, believe u word of it.
l;ut the attempt to secure "A pledge
| from employees Of the city in support
of any candidate Is unfair. You have
4 no right to- circulate a petition among
rhpN have choice. 1hCy
have To sign ii in Self-protection.
suppose II man refuses Ia sign Such
petition. and the man from whom sup
port was sought is elected. what would
become Of the security Of his position?
"If John Blair is elected to the AA-
ministrativc Board, continued Mr.
lSlair. land if any man comes TO mo
when ] ann a member of the board ana
tells me that the head of any city de-
partincnt or amy one in that department
undertook to pledge the departments
employees To amy candidate VIII 40
l-,ny best TO have such person dismissed
from the city's service. That's the way
! feel about IT."
! DItIIERSuN CLAIMS WIS
"INALIE:NA RIGHTS"
When MIR. blair took his seat there
arose loud calls for Mr.. Dickcrson. and
! upon tho invitation of President III. l."
Powers. Of the West End Citizens
| Democratic League. who presided. hc
I TOOK tlc Hl9lloIln loi al Shoit i''i Cos.
! He devoted most Of his talk to an
earnest championship oil the can lidacy
| OF John lIirschberE.
- am employed IN the Water Do
part7ncnt. and have been III the city's
service twenty years" said Mr. DECKER
son. land in all that time ] never
heard of Il ease in which any employe
81 the city was cocrced into voting for
any candidate for office. rs = citizen
! enjoy the same right as any other
citizen Ia vote for whom please and
10 seek to win over others TO my
views. In doing this conceive that
| ;um only exercising my inalienabie
right as an American citizen. and \
lou', nivc 4 d who differs with me-
whether he he AN employee OF the city
or not"
Earlier i'll the day. in explanation OF
his connection with the reported
''plcdginG" of Water Department en-
ploycs to support the candidacy of
MIR liirschbcrG and Mr.. Mccarthy, Mr.
Dickcrson had issued the following
signed statement
ITO whom il may concern: MI pub
LEGATIONS and statements concerning
any attempts or efforts to cause en-
ployes OF the Water Department to
{ tote Tor or against amy aspirant for
the office Of Administrative Board are
most positively and maliciously false
and unworthy of the notice OF the pub
! lie. The greater portion OF the Water
w orkS men chccrfully indorscd and
earnestly recommended Mcssrs Hirsch-
berg and Mccarthy for reelection to
that office because they are satisfied
! thai both are real servants of the peo-
pie, and the experience they have had
in Office during the past eighteen
months should not he thrown away
| 10y the public"
\ IiOBSON AND MANN
AVOID CONTROVERSIES
| BESIDES the addresses Of MIR. IIirsch-
| berg and Mr.. Blair. campaign speeches
were made last night also by Graham
| u. liobson and John Mann. Jr. Both
! spoke briefly. rcfraininE altogether
+, from anything controversial. Mr. Me.
| ca"thy was kept from the meeting bv
! illness The meeting was held under
! The auspices of the West End Citizens
Democratic League, and the han held
between 100 and 100 citizens The sec
rotary of the league is William H.
| Finncgan.
Mr.. lohson. VINO was the tn,rd
! speaker OF the evening, drew attcn-
! tlon To MS long experience in the CITY
| Council and to his connection with
practical affairs lie Indicated his un-
wilnsheas To wage contest on per
crs that hts only utterance during the
| campaign that might be construed as
! AN attack upon the Administrative
had made some hlunders. lie stood
ready 10 make good that assertion, he
| SAD. any time II was challenged
| Incidentally Mr. Hobson announced
! that he would never again be Il can
didatr Ion the Legislature, where he
served during the last session as one
| OF the Richmond members The po-
! sition. he said. entailed endless hard
| work. which was rewarded only by
| criticism.
MIR. Mann told the West End voters
that he felt fully able to discharge
! the duties OF a member OF the Admin
| lstratiNe Board, and that forty-two
| years OF active business life gave him
| a good claim 10 prcicrmcnt in this di-
rectlon. lie WAS making no personal
| night against the tncumbents. he said
Oui asked Tor support on his record
! ~ q business man and as a member OF
l'nili,il f1-