People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1893 — SWIFT IS MAYOR. [ARTICLE]

SWIFT IS MAYOR.

A Republican Chosen to Succeed Carter Harrison. Chicago. .Nov. B.—George B. Swift was elected m?y or P ro tem - al the re «* alar meeting cA * he city council Monday night The V Tran ff le between th® republican and aidermen was settled during the tx, a y by an agree-* ment that Aid. McGillen k e - permitted to preside at the regular that his rulings of Saturday should .not be challenged and that the mayor-elect should not qualify until Thursday. In return for these concessions several democrats agreed to vote for Swift? ; The agreement was fully carried out At precisely 11 o’clock a. m. Monday Chairman McGillen called to order the adjourned session of the council. More I than one-half the seats were vacant j The decision of the republicans to remain away from the morning meeting was apparent. Not one ors them appeared, and after a call of the roll showed no quorum present, an adjournment was taken until 5 o’clock p. m., McGillen ordering the sergeant-al-arms to arrest the absent aidermen and force their attendance. Hearing this the republicans, who were holding a caucus, locked themselves in a room at republican headquarters, and no one was allowed to enter or retire until all danger had passed. When the adjourned session was called to order at 5 p. m. the chairs of the republican aidermen were still vacant. Chairman McGillen called on the sergeant-at-arms to explain why the order to bring the absentees to the council chamber had not been obeyed, and that official said that he had been unable to find a single member. Hearing that l they were at republican headquarters in caucus, he had attempted to secure admission to their presence, but it was denied him. No quorum being present, the chairman adjourned the council until the hour for the regular session, 7:30 p. m. At 7p. m. the republican alder men who had been in caucus since morning, left the headquarters in the Title and Trust building and marched io the city hall and took their seats in the council chamber. There were thirty-seven of them, Aiderman Epstean, of the First ward, having held aloof from the caucus throughout the day. It is be who is credited with having cast the blank ballot for mayor pro tern, on Saturday, which has been the cause of all the trouble. He took his seat a few minutes after the arrival of the republican aidermen at the council chamber.

The clerk at 7:35 called the roll and each of the sixty-eight aidermen answered to their names Before this the time had been taken up by leaders of both parties in conferences with each other, and the democrats, apparently realizing that there was no further chance of defeating the election of Alerman Swift for mayor pro tern., crave evidence of their intention to yield gracefully. After the rollcall Aiderman McGillen (dem.) was elected chairman, on motion of - Aiderman Kent (rep.). The chair announced that the unfinished business before the council was the election of a mayor pro tern., the ballot of last Saturday not being conclusive since Mr. Swift had one less vote than a majority. Tellers were appointed and the council proceeded to ballot. The candidates were Aiderman McGillen and Aiderman Swift. The resultof the ballot showed that sixty-nine votes—one more than the legal number —had been cash One aiderman had voted two ballots folded together, one for McGillen and one for Swift The vote stood: Swift, 50; McGillen, 19. Chairman McGillen denounced such methods and ruled that another ballot should be taken. This resulted: Swift 62; McGillen, 5; blank, 1. Chairman McGillen thereupon announced the election of Aiderman Swift as mayor toserve until the successor to be elected at the special election called for December 18 should have qualified. Mayor-Elect Swift was escorted to the ehair, and in a brief address expressed his thanks for the honor conferred npon him and the peaceful outcome of what seemed might be a serious matter. The council then passed a switchtrack and sidewalk ordinance, postponed the meeting in memory of the late mayor to a week from Thursday, and adjourned to meet at 7:30 o’clock Thursday evening, when Mayor-elect Swift’s bond will be approved.