A Ring, a Resignation and a Democratic Landslide in Seattle

SEATTLE, March 10.—The democrats celebrated their big victory last night in a blaze of excitement. Speeches were made by Mayor-Elect Ronald, James Hamilton Lewis, and others.

Mayor Ronald says: "I don't think it was a democratic victory. I think it was an uprising of the people in rebellion against domination by a ring. The fact of the matter is, that there is some power here in the republican party that forced Mayor White to resign. This was openly charged frequently, and a prominent member of the city council openly stated it, as a fact, on the floor of the council. It never was denied. Another cause, which tended to prejudice the people against that ring, was the fact that Clancey and Burns, who are the owners of Whitechapel, had entirely too much pull with the city government. Some of the best citizens of Seattle have been compelled to wait for an interview with the mayor until after Clancey and Burns, who had sometimes for half an hour been sitting with their feet on the city's desks, had retired. Certain parties in the republican party aspired to run it and in furtherance of their scheme secured the appointment of Bolton Rogers, one of the tools of Clancey and Burns, for chief of police. These would-be bosses or ringsters, in order to control the government, took Clancey and Burns into close communion with them because of their political pull. They were perfectly willing to avail themselves of and receive the benefit of all the corrupt registration and diabolical cussedness that Clancey and Burns and Chief of Police Rogers could concoct. Clancey and Burns and the chief of police carried their illegal registration and corrupt practices a little too far and conducted them a little too openly."

Mayor Hall says: "The cause is evident—we have been accused of having a ring in the party, and the charge appears to be true. We have had too much of the Billy O'Donnell, Burns and Clancey element."

Nelson Bennett says: "The result of the election, I think, is a protest of the people of Seattle against boss rule. I think that is all there is in it."

Boss John H. McGraw says: "The result is due to a variety of causes—purely local. In my judgment the city, on a straight party vote, will show the republicans have a majority of 1,500 votes, and I have been assured by a large number of republicans who voted the democratic ticket yesterday, that when the fall election comes around they will work in harmony for the republican ticket."