The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-04-03

The boss held them in line.
The bill had its second reading at
the council meeting Tuesday, but I'M
der orders from Kerr nothing further
was done with it 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 next
two years? If he let it sleep now
and the election went his way then it
could be passed soon after. BY the
time another election rolled around,
Belmont would have forgotten.
So it came about that the Kerr adj
herents tried to forget the franchise.
When the bill disappeared they were
loud in their denunciation Of the OPP
position thieves who had stolen it.
With this outburst they were willing
to subside and forget the matter, but |
this the News would not permit,
Wright kept it to the front and they |
were forced to accept it 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 been no news
paper to marshal the forces but now
it was increasing to the volume of a
tidal wave which Kerr would have
hard work pouring oil upon.
The editor of the News recognized
that it was only Pyrrhic 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
| ton. Now that he had aroused the
town and had committed himself TO
fight against the ring, he determined
to carry it on. 1t had not been his
purpose, before the franchise bill had
drawn his fire, to enter with great
heat into the coming election cam
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 cleo
ton would be a great advertisement
for the paper. If it lost, the News
could not be any worse off than it was
now.
Kerr forgot none Of the precautions
he had taken in being prepared to en-
barrass Wright in his work If the oc-
casion should arise. The merchants
who, through Kerr's influence, had pat
ronized the News, suddenly withdrew
their advertising. Many who had been
in before the paper had changed hands
now ceased to use it's columns. If a
store was using the News and furnish
ing supplies to the workhouse or the
Jail, it faced the alternative OF losing
fat account or combining its adVer
T, Using to the Banner. The proprietor
being part of the machine, else notn
ing would ever have been purchased
from him for the city's use, prompt!
gave up the News 1t was the same
J. with meat markets. Other lines o
e business were approached in othe
l. ways, but the result was always TIL
l. samoa loss of advertising revenue
< to the News. Even the railroads wer
derelict in delivering his white paper
e and Wright spent many an anxlou
a hour tracing cars from the mill I
o find them lost in the Belmont yards.
a. One valuable source Of informatlo
d was developed by the News in 10
1t mer machine hanger-on named Jac
t. Durken. He came to work In the CT
n culation department of the paper, an
IN Wright first heard of him through ID
ID circulation manager At Wrights r
lie ouest the man came to his office an
lie from his story the editor gafnere
n. that ne had not received fair trea
ut ment at the hands of the other gan
te sters. He had lived in the disrep
W table first ward, and had had trouo
TT with Mike Noonan, g ward leade
be For his work he had been mace
street cleaning inspector, but att
,r- having incurred the ire of Noonan ne
N, lost his job.
,r. Nothing the enemy did was al
* to keep Wright from publishing ?
,e, per every day. Every issue was
ed constant reminder to Belmont N
tie things we're not as they should De al
IN. that the way to remedy conditions W
ed TO defeat the city machine at the poi
he The editor spent all his daylight hou
he at his office, and often was there un
as late. in the night in conference WI
Sc. various leaders. The opponents
ed Kerr had some old scores TO sett
ms and this was their chance. Inc Pc
he master was usually to be found
8" Kerr's side, although under cover,
he this time he could not AFFORD 10
The his Influence for his party in city
lei fairs-even for a consideration. l
ale boss knew the game too well 10 pr
Nm him