Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-30
1lTHHOUR DASH
ON REFORMERS
MADE BY FOES
Vare-Smith Attorneys Re-
argue Town Meeting Case
Before Commissioners
FOLLOW DAvIS's RULING
Decision Is Made After Confer
ence Between Jurists-New
Ware Attack Fails

Using every conceivable "e'eventh-houf |
device to prevent the Town Meeting ticket
from going on the general ballot, attorneys |
Of the Vare- Smith machine this afternoon |
resorted to tactics which consumed Two |
hours of time, and, although finally blocked |
in their endeavor made 1t necessary TOT |
the utmost speed TO be exercised IN oruer
TO have the amendments TO the nomination |
petitions in readiness by IL O'Clock tomor- !
row morning the hour set by Judge Davis |
IN his decision on the case yesterday.
When the work of amending the seventy !
seven petitions which Judge Davis had ruleu !
were susceptible OF amendment was taken |
up before the County Commissioners at : |
o'clock this afternoon, the attorneys for the !
Ware Smith fact on, led by William T. Con- |
nor, began an attempt to try the whole case |
over again before the commissioners When !
the first of the seventy-seven papers was |
introduced Mr.. Colnor began an argument !
as to what questions the commissioners |
should ask Of the 1--WE atlantis for the !
paper and even began to question the Aft I
ants himself
Thomas Raeburn White and Robert s.
Bright, of counsel for the Town Meeting |
party, objected vigorously in an argument
which lasted half hour. Finally attorneys |
for both sides accompanied by County !
! Commissioner George f. Holmes, left the
County Commissioners Offices II go before
Judge Davis and ak fer a rulr rg as to the
procedure for the amendm INT of the papers.
William A. Glasgow, Jr., also of counsel
for the Town Meeting party, was sent for
and also appeared before the court. After
another lengthy a gumant the dilatory tao
tics of the Vare-Smth attorneys were put
an end to by a ruling from Judge Davis
that the court would appoint notary pub
lie. who would be authorized to ask ques-
tions of the new atlantis and to be indl'
! vidually responsible for the amendments
For this work Judge Davis assigned
Burns and Hanna. two court notaries. An
he consumed
Z ing them their instructions. The work was
then resumed in the County Commissioners
Offices and the first papers amendment was
completed in ten minutes. 1t was then
O'Clock. and TO complete the amending of
the other seventy-slX papers the work will
have to be rushed without interruption
The commissioners will sit unit 8 o'clock
this evening and from until IL O'Clock
tomorrow morning. to utilize every moment
. before the amendments are called for at IL
O'Clock tomorrow.
Arguments on all the ward nomination
petitions were concluded shortly before 3
o'clock Judge Carr expects to render a
& decision early tomorrow.
The Republican machines attack was
finally scattered when Judge Vessel, Of
Court Of Common Pleas No. , announced
that all the Town Meeting party papers
for ward and other minor oGhces, as well
/ as for city and county offices-wOuld he
7 treated alike and were open to amendment.
was the result of an agreement made by
him. Judge Carr and Judge Davis. Judge
Carr and Judge Vessel are hearing the Re
publican city committees object ons to the
ward papers and Judge Davis late last
night ruled that faulty papers could be
amended in a decision covering the city anc
county offices
THE decision OF Judge Davis the re-
sult of a conference between Judge Davis,
Judge Carr and myself" said Judge Vessel
at the resumpt on of the hearing before
him this morning.
II will follow Judge. Davis's ruling wher-
ever II is applicable"
William T. Connor. counsel for the OBJ
iectors, asked for specific ruling in regard
TO cases where 1t is shown that the papers
bear forged signatures. Judge Vessel de-
cined saying that Judge Daviss decision
covered the ground
The first case taken up by Judge Vessel
today that of the nomination papers
for Councilmen for the Forty-third Ward.
In most OF the cases the witnesses indenti-
ned their signatures to the Independent pc
titions. Some admitted not having made
afidavit and a few said they had not seen
theN petitioners sgn the papers to which
they were atlantis Nathan Quinn repre-
sented the Town Meeting party at the hear
ing and was assisted by John Haney, Town
Meeting party candidate for Select Coun
Gilman.
After testimony in the Forty-thrd Ward
cases was heard the Town Meeting repre-
sentatives left the court 10 amend defective
petitions, according to Judge Vessels rul-
ing. The Judge said that signatures should
be stricken off except in cases where the
purported signers made a mark.
Argument against the Judges ruling was
made by Harry Mackey Ware lieutenant in
the Forty-sixth Ward.
He cited the case OF son Of Joseph D.
Rogers, who signed for his father Mr.
5afackey contended that such an act was
forgery and he urged that the whole petit
tion of sixty-eight names be invaidated.
Rogers testified yesterday that he had au-
thorized his son to sign a paper for him.
Only twenty names were stricken from this
list
Mr. Mackey objected to the names of four
candidates for Common Councilman In the
Forty-sixth Ward on the Town Meeting
ticket for the reason that the same candi-
dates are also running on the Washington
party ticket He based his objection on
a decision OF Judge Stewart in 1897. The
Nominations which he opposes are those Of
Francis f. Burch, J. Walter Thompson,
William T. Coburn and Louis Karstaedt
Judge Vessel. after comforting with
Judges Davis and Carr, requested counsel
for the Town Meeting party to submit
briefs in these cases before o'clock to-
night
BY virtue Of the decision Of Judge Davis
late last night, the independents have until
tomorrow morning AT IL O'CLOCK 10 correct
the defective afidavits and file them. The
Town Meeting party ticket, having wealth
cred the violent political gale set in motion
BY the Republican city committee. viii
appear as follows in next Tuesdays cleo
ton, except In a few wards where the
Organlzations objections 70 the nomiha-
tion afiidavits were sustained;
For City Treasurer
WILLIAM r. NICHOLSON
~ For Receiver Of Taxes
al THOMAS f. ARMSTRONG
For Register Of Wills
WALTER GEORGE SMITH
Judge Davlss lengthy decision sustaining
ne Town Meeting party declared that the
honesty ana sincerity 0f those citizens de-
.'t'nG 70 form a party and nominate candi-
dates of thar own choice should not be
ItIe4ted BY tho unscrupuous or reckless
acts q thoec who, from motives OF revenge
reward. would defeat the objects OF the
|N||N|tHf4 and deprive than Of the right
||H Wt IaH ~ the commonwealth 20
|HF|4 of their choice"
-.