El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-22
GREAT CROWD
CHEERS MAYOR
Given Ovation When Speaks
for County and City Ticket
Friday Night.


II mayor Tom Lea was 4 candidate
| for reelection-which he is not and
swears he never will be-he would
have been elected by an overwhelming
Ncte Saturday, judging by the crowd
wrich gathered in Cleveland square
Friday night to hear his closing speech
OF the county campaign and the ova-
ton he received when he COMPLETED
mis- dignified address to the voters.
Although he spoke in behalf Of the
Candidates On the County and City
Democratic club ticket-the anti ring"
ticket-the meeting was in fact a Lea
meeting and the mayor was shown by
the crowd attached no weight to the
charges which had been made against
MIN by the ring" speakers, although
the mayor was not candidate and
was only showing his appreciation Of
the work Of his friends who worked
LOT ms election last spring by speak
ing IN their behalf in the county cam
paign.
Big Crowd.
The crowd was conceded by ring
men present to have been the largest
that had ever assembled in Cleveland
square for a political mass meeting.
Long before o'clock every seat and
cnalr IN the square had been occupied
end there were several hundred who
stood about the speakers stand and
sat on the lawn and listened to the
speeches. Three sides of the square
were so thickly lined with automO-
piles that traffic was almost blocked
End the lawn was covered with people
PACK 10 the Fl Paso street front of
the square and practically all of the
space in front of the stand was filled
with people seated and standing.
An effort. early in the evening. to
CT a mn 10
ing brass band past the park failed
to reduce the crowd except for a few
small boys. Leaders Of the anti ring
SIDE declared this was a trick Of the
ring which failed One feature of
the mass meeting was the large num-
Der of women present
Women Cheer Mayor.
They cheered the mayor as loudly
as did the the men when mayor Lea
was introduced and stepped to the rail-
ing in front of the speakers stand.
The only disturbance aside from the
ring brass band. which came too
early to disturb the speakers. was
created by a number Of bows too Young
speakers stand in spite of the presence
OF women near them. and attempted
to make alleged funny remarks e bout
the speakers who were addressing the
voters.
Mayors Best Effort.
FRIENDS OF mayor Lea declared that /
his effort Friday night was the best
he has made since he entered politics
in FL Paso. He made no personal re-
marks except to answer the charges Z
which had been brought against him
by the ring" speakers and he an
Swered these in a dignified Wav which /
had its impression upon che audience /
as evidenced by frequently cheering.
Inc crowd was in a sympathetic mood. /
This was shown when the mayor was /
introduced by judge Paul Thomas and I
L in h1r
the attacks made upon the mayor had l
reacted in his favor and II was shown I
Friday night plainly that he is more I
popular with Fl Paso at the close of !
the campaign than at any time since (
he announced as a candidate for mayor /
last spring
Speaks as Citizen
Mayor Lea announced. after he had 2
the cheering given him, /
that he would not dignity the mud /
singing tactics Of the opposition /
ring" speakers by replying to their /
attacks upon him
I come before you as citizen who I
as a citizen. has the right and privilege /
to speak to you who are my friends. g
Cn the issues and candidates in this .
ampaign.' the mayor said in his open +.
ing address Some Of the men who &
were thrown into the scrap heap last 4
+ ebruary Is are trying TO come back |
but the people are not being fooled !
BY the change in name for they all I
These same men are responsible FOR the /
in this campaign. They
remain in the background and say they
are not responsible. Yet every one is !
Tines that prints their attacks CAP I
Dlause).
The Jail Fire.
Ny heart and the hearts OF all of Z
you FL Pasoans were sad enough over !
hat awful Jail fire Yet 10 have a !
citizen of FL Paso who had been hon /
cred by the city. q. L. Sweeney, to !
stand here last night and call an hon /
orable man a murderer and capitalize !
the screams Of the dying and the /
corpses of the silent dead in this cam /
paign in an effort to get votes. Is I
beneath the dignity OF such man and 8
he does not deserve the esteem Of the /
patriotic people Of FL Paso. Gap !
They accused me Of taking the /
read and butter away from Teddy Nc +
Hold Yet the fact is that he quit his /
job few weeks before and went to .
work for the ring. When he insulted ,
me and the people Of FL Paso bv max /
ing the charges he did I had the right /
TO say what I did and I said it
Vowel Miffed. /
Mayor Lea explained Charles Vow !
ellis opposition and attacks upon him .
by saying that, as he could not give I
every man a Job when he was elected and /
gave the office Of city attorney 10 I
,SliAC plA1 SAot tAA EoL Illlltu ana, Z
later, Joined the other side He re-
ferred to the tax increase in Fl Paso
county by saying that ". B. T. NcSain. (
the best assessor and collector the CITY
mad ever had. raised the city tax as
easements and the county followed
SUIT. He said the county had raised
the Times $4,000 and that was one
eason they hOwled.
He said that VIII Watson had reen-
tered the race and declared that he be !
lieved the people of Fl Paso wouId
put the stamp of disapproval upon the !
conduct OF his office at the election /
In referring to ". ". Bridgers he said |
I IA IT.