The Great Front Street Fraud: City Council Exposes Fake Petition for Cable Car

The vote is significant as showing the attitude of the councilmen on the important question.

WILLIAM WALTER PHELPS CRITICIZED. An attack upon William Walter Phelps, the nominee for Vice-President by the Republican Convention, was rejected for vice-president by the Republican Convention. He spoke out against negro suffrage when a member of the House of Representatives voted in favor of the restoration of his [negro] rights; he was a Greeley mugwump in 1872, and was vigorously opposed to Grant's re-election. He is identified with the Pennsylvania railroad monopoly. Mr. Depew and he are better calculated to sit at a New York club dinner, a large corporation banquet, or some other mutual admiration society, than they are as broad-gauged statesmen who are able to command the confidence of the American people and keep it.

The 'Oregonian' is sure of its facts before making such a bitter attack as this upon one of the most able and popular leaders of the Republican Party. In publishing in its editorial columns a long succession of falsehoods about Mr. Phelps, it has done William Walter Phelps a grave injustice. To begin with, he was not in the House of Representatives until long after the negro had been placed in full possession of the ballot by the adoption of the Fifteenth Amendment and he had no opportunity to vote one way or the other on the question of negro suffrage. To continue, he was not a 'Greeley mugwump' in 1872 but was a warm supporter of General Grant for re-election, was the Republican candidate for Congress in the Fifth New Jersey district in that year and by his untiring exertions did much to bring the State into the Republican column for the first and only time since the formation of the party. To conclude, he is not identified with the Pennsylvania railroad monopoly. He won the hostility of that corporation by favoring the passage of the bill to give the Baltimore & Ohio the right to bridge the Kill von Kull, which was bitterly opposed by the Pennsylvania management, and he has always been regarded as remarkably free from corporation influence of any kind.

With these misstatements corrected, very little remains of the 'reputable' attack upon Phelps that is now worthy of comment. The great sin of the New Jersey leader in the eyes of the Oregonian is the fact that he is a friend and admirer of Mr. Maine. This alone could have prompted its vicious attack, for every one of the statements upon which the attack was based is notoriously untrue.

Mr. Phelps has from his boyhood been a consistent Republican. When a young man he was nominated for representative from a district which had until that time always been Democratic, and succeeded in carrying it by a large majority. He has since represented it continuously in Congress with the exception of the four years that he spent in Austria as United States Minister (1893-97) having been appointed to this office by President Cleveland. He is universally recognized as the ablest political leader that the Republicans of New Jersey have had in recent years, his political methods are acknowledged even by his enemies to be both fair and honorable, and he has never been a candidate for office when he did not poll a vote greatly in excess of that secured by his associates on the ticket. He has for years been a consistent advocate of the American system of protection, and upon every great public question he is in entire harmony with the Republican Party.

Indeed, it would be a most fortunate thing for the party if it had a few more such men as William Walter Phelps scattered around in the doubtful states.

It is, perhaps, too much to expect of the Oregonian fair treatment for any close friend of Mr. Maine, but its assault should not be so palpably without foundation as is this one upon Mr. Phelps.

The vote of Oregon has at last been officially counted. Hermann's plurality over Leavitt is 1,400, against a plurality over Ruder two years ago of 2,500. The Prohibition vote was only 1,971, or about one half that of two years ago.

For Supreme Judge, Lord's majority over Huntley was only 800. Six counties in the entire state gave Democratic majorities, and these majorities were small in every one. The U.S. Republicans made decided gains in every county. If the 'free trade' Democrats can extract any comfort from these figures, they are welcome to it.

ANOTHER GREAT FIRE. [Wire copy regarding a fire omitted for brevity as it is not local Seattle news]

CABLE RAILROAD FRANCHISE. At this juncture Clerk Farnum read a petition from John Derry, asking for the cable franchise Mr. Thornton has striving for, and Mr. Derry proposed more generous terms. His petition stated that, in consideration of a franchise for 50 years, he would construct a standard gauge cable road on Front street and have it in operation within two years, and that he would pay into the city treasury $2,000 per year for the privilege. On motion of Mr. Selig, the petition was referred to the street committee.

Nothing further transpired until just before adjournment. Then the city attorney handed up a franchise which had been prepared, granting the franchise to Mr. Denny and his associates.

Mr. Moran said he was not prepared to vote on the matter at the present time. Mr. Selig stated that he thought that if the council was not prepared to consider the matter, all the papers bearing on the subject should be referred to the street committee, to report at the next regular meeting, so that the whole subject could be considered at once.

Mr. Prink thought it was an extremely too soon to recommend the row mill to put the matter over further. It had already been formed the present time and an adjourned meeting held yesterday.

Mr. Hitz stated it was not a public matter like water works, which required some system to construct. He said he was prepared and wanted to vote. Mr. Moran said he was not very familiar with the organization and wanted further time to consider it. A number of persons who are heavily interested in Front street property have asked that they be given further time to consider the proposition, and he believed they were entitled to it. For himself, he favored cable railroads, but was not prepared to vote on this question.

Mr. Hitz then said:

CABLE RAILROAD DISCUSSION. As follows: 'Since the gentleman has mentioned the matter of system, it has occurred to me that it is just as important to have rails above as under ground. I think the granting of street railway franchises in a haphazard way is all wrong. My idea is that the railroads should be put as near the wharves and depots as possible. We do not want to cover all the north and south streets with railroads at this stage of our growth, and think this matter should be referred to a committee to see if a system cannot be arrived at. I think there should be main lines—the water and wharves as now available, which could be intersected by all the line companies down the hill.'

CABLE RAILROAD FRANCHISE. The motion to refer the franchise and papers to the street committee to report at the next regular meeting was then carried by the following vote: Ayes—Green, Lake, Moran, Ness, 4; noes—Frank, Russell, Hitz, 3.

STREET RAILWAY ORDINANCE. The ordinance for a steam or electric motor line on Third and other streets, was introduced and referred to the street committee, on motion of Mr. Green. Any sympathy for this ordinance was given in the Oregonian a few days ago.

ORDINANCES RECEIVED. From L.T. Denny et al for grading and sidewalk at Robin street from Second to Republican—referred; from the Clerks' Association, asking that business houses be requested to close on July 4th from 12 to 5 p.m.—granted; from Mrs. J. Hummel, for damages for turning her residence into a tenement house—referred; from L. Smith et al against changing the trade of Sixth street and claiming that the proposed change was simply a land speculation—referred; from Port Townsend Iron & Machine Co offering to donate to the city a 12 pound salute gun—referred; from health officer, calling attention to the necessity of at once extending the Madison street sewer from Seventh to Twelfth—referred; from E. Downs et al, for raising sidewalks to grade on west side of 'South Second street,' Mast Mill and Washington—referred.

F.K. Sand et al for extension of Madison street sewer to Twelfth street: referred. From W.N. White et al for grading and sidewalk along Capitol, Depew and Harrison streets—referred.

Numerous petitions to refreshment stands in the First Fourth week were filed.

The meeting was adjourned till next Monday to file his land for the grading of South Eleventh street.

CONTRACTS. The contract for the improvement of Seneca street was awarded to Fred A. Lewis on the following basis: Earth work, per cubic yard, 25 cents; cribbing, per M, $10; sidewalk, per M, $8; box drains, same, $12; clearing and grubbing, $100 per acre. The other bidders were H. Bice, Kyser & Brownie; Hall & Ritchie.

The contract for the improvement of First street was awarded to the firm on the following basis: Earth work, per cubic yard, 30 cents; curb, $17; sidewalk, 12 inches wide, $6; box drains, per run, $15. The other bidders were J.H. Williams and H. Evans.

The contract for the improvement of Third street was let to Packer & Orr and Gould & Sahl at $40,000. Earth work, 30 cents; sidewalk, 12 inches wide, $6; box drains, per run, $15.

[End of Local News]