The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-02-21
The ==.'
Retired Politician
MOraliZes

s'vividIy do recall the warm DAYS
Of Tammany and the Mullet factions"
dreamily remarked the Retired Poll
tician, taking a seat at the Merchants
hotel which had been vacated by a
stranger. "Yes, those were times
when politics were drawn to fine
point, and when issues were very
sharply drawn. Things started brisk
ly months before an election, land
even after the election was over, bit.
terness lasted. 1t is matter of COM
parative late history, and within the
memory of voters on the registration
hooks today paying poll taxes, how
the mayoralty fight was carried into
the courts, when one man, Pat Nc
Hugh, who was the Tammany candi-
date, was ousted by w E. Anderson,
the Mullet chief. That was the be-
ginning OF the end Of Tammany, and
when John Holland died sometime af-
ter, from a bullet wound inflicted after
an annual picnic at Kupfrian's park.
It was forgotten. Just the other day
however, something happened which
n ade the old days come back again
with much clearness. 1t was In the
city hall, when a certain tax matter
was being looked up, was informed.
when the name of McHugh was found,
attached to a document and Wallace
as marshal. A force which was too
much for the Tammanyites developed
when j. s. Leonard and Dr. w E
Anderson, both deceased, entered the
arena. Neither of these two highly
esteemed Pensacolians ever aspired to
cfffce, so far as II can recall, but thew
were ready to help their friends, and
to their efforts, in the main were re-
sponsible for the total elimination of
Tammany as a factor to be feared in
cleo, ions.
TT Is a strange thing how a man
| who has the best Of this worlds
goods will act around a political eau
Gus, isn't it? This remark Is occa-
stoned by caucuses which I have at
tended, and have seen lawyers, doc
| tors, bankers, business men. etc, all
on the same level. Ward heelers in
| my time were numerous There were
| no -nisters to names in these m eetings.
| Mister or Colonel or Captain on thu,
streets were just plain Bill, or Jim, or
Jack as the case might be. But that
Is politics, and as we say, politics
make strange bedfellows'
(! "As a later date, and after Tam
many had been wiped out, another hot
mayoralty election came on, and re-
| call how folks laughed at the idea
when Captain Welles authorized the
| announcement that he was going to
run against Moreno Jones. Moreno
was at the zenith OF his political pop
ularity at that time. and / always will
believe that his defeat (for he was
beaten) was brought about by the
| confidence Of his friends. I remember
that Captain William Hays, a strong
| Jones many telling me one evening
| after the vote had been counted and
| Welles was declared the winner by
but a few votes, that he had been
| so confident of Moreno's election that
| he had actually failed to go to TIE
polls that day to vote. And 1t was the
| case with dozens of others. Jones
made one Of the best mayors Pensaco-
al ever had, and, be it said to his ev
erlastirg credit. he threw such scare
| into some old sinners IN the place
| that they reformed without delay
was present one day when one ward
| heller and a leader IN the old Tam
| many caucuses, questioned Mayor
Jones when the latter 1ectured him 5
| severely that II rang In the ears {
| those who heard him for months.
| Moreno was holding court, for the
| mayor presided at police court at the
| time, and this old man came before
| him. He had been having his undis-
! puted way for years and years, It
| was said, but when Moreno Jones in
! formed him that he was disgrace to
! himself and family, the party spoken
| to resented it by trying to argue the
point The mayor, as I recall, let him
| off with suspended sentence. and the
very next day or it may have been
several days afterward he showed UP
again He was ordered locked up and
kept in cell for some time, at least
until he lad sobered up Then. as
recall it, he was brought before the
city court, made a profound apology,
paid a fine and promised to try and
be a better citizen and he did. to the
day of his death. There are several
! whom he handled without gloves in
this manner. whom many old time
voters will remember.
'welIes. as I recollect, beat Moreno
at the polls, but the last night before
she election just to prove how things
simmered in those days. a political
speech was delivered by Col Charles
Laney on a stand on Garden stree,
which was so bitter that none of the
three newspapers in the city at that