Dan Hemingray nominated for ticket for Mayor

OVER THE RIVER.

Pertinent Points at Issue in That

Election Puzzle.

A Field Full of Would-Bes

Already at Work.

Woman Burned to Death in Newport —

Social, Religious and Political

Gossip of Kentucky Towns.

It is the one topic of talk heard on the street cars, in the drawing-room, at church door, before and behind the Bar, in places of pleasure and places of business; everybody is discussing the question of whether or not the municipal Boards and of­ficials of the second-class cities shall be elect­ed in 1895 or 1897. Much of the talk is chaotic. Much of it runs in the line of delicate phras­ing, in legal technicalities. But whether in legal discussion or layman gossip, the theme is of universal interest and universal com­ment. Simply stated, the situation is set forth for the benefit of the many who have asked a diagram as follows. Under the old State constitution and the old city charter the municipal Boards and officers of Covington, Newport and Lexington, the three cities that under the new constitution rank as of the second class, were elected for four years. These elections under the old order fell in 1893. The new State constitution provided that charters for all classified cities should be passed in conformity with its pro­visions not later than the term, of the Gen­eral Assembly elected in 1893 — that is, not later than 1895. It further provided that the old charter of these cities should be operative until the enactment of these new char­ters, the old dying at the birth of the new. The charters for all cities except the three cities of the second class, as above named, were created by the General Assembly immediately following the disolution [sic] dissolution of the Constitutional Convention. Through a failure on the part of Representatives and Senators of these thee [sic] three cities in that legislative ses­sion the making of a charter for these cities went over to the session of 1894-95. In the meantime the municipal election, as provided by the old charters of these cities, came on in the autumn of 1893. If that charter could have remained in effect these terms would have been for four years, the succession to be elected in November, 1897. In 1894 the Gen­eral Assembly enancted [sic] enacted a charter bill for these three cities within the time limit of

the new State constitution, this new charter plainly says the Mayor and municipal officers, including the municipal Boards, shall be elected in November, 1895, for a term of four years. It is held by the present officers and their adherents that their election having been under the old charter, but after the en­actment of the new State constitution, their terms of office can not be curtailed by any provision of the new charter, but shall be for the constitutional term of four years, and dating from the old charter term of four years from the date of inaugural following the election of 1893. The electionists hold that under the con­stitution. which by mandatory provisions re­quired the passage of a charter bill not later than 1895, the old charter became a dead letter and inoperative in any and every point upon the enactment of the new charter bill. They hold, and they claim by authority of abund­ant precedent, that the constitution could shorten, as it can lengthen, any term of office, and that this being the case, the plain and unequivocal provision of the new charter for cities of the second class, ordering an election of municipal Boards and officers to be held in 1896 is peremptory and can not be evaded. That is in a nut-shell the case that is at present so greatly agitating the public and the private mind of dwellers in the three cities of the second class, and the case the highest Court of the State will shortly be called to pass upon.

— It is understood that the City Solicitor has prepared an ordinance which Mayor Rhinock will to-morrow night transmit to the Board of Council, ordering an election of mu­nicipal Boards and officers for next Novem­ber, as called for by the charter. Although it is understood that this ordinance will be contested in the Courts, the Willin’ Barkises are falling over each other, or being by zeal­ous friends pushed pell-mell ever each other, in the scramble to get into line for the prob­able successions. The Board of Aldermen is composed of four members. Of these President Droege is certainly a candi­date, Alderman Holtrup a probable candi­date and Alderman Reidlin a candidate in the sense that he is determined the Repub­licans shall have a leader for their ticket, if he has to head it himself. Alderman Moore is the only member of the Board who selfish­ly refuses to let himself be offered even as a reluctant sacrifice on the altar of party claims of public policy. Mayor Rhinock will undertake to be his own successor. T. Jeff Smith, the well known publisher, whom Mayor Rhinock defeated for the present term, is ready for another go, and another formid­able entry sprung on the Democratic side is ex-County Judge Shine, who has just been retired to private station by that stalwart Republican, Judge Stephens. And there are others, perhaps when all the precincts are heard from. The Republicans are disposed to make a choice from the very excellent quartet, Ed J. Hickey, the mer­chant; Wm. Riedlin, the brewer; Daniel Hemingray, the glass manufacturer, and James T. Thomas, the capitalist. Ex-Collector D. N. Comingore is given complimentary mention, but it is understood that gentleman preferes to disport himself in the large field of State politics, and has a weather eye skinned on the position of Railroad Commis­sioner from this district. It is an open field and a fair fight. For the minor officers there has as yet developed no general rush.

— Col. Weden Oneal returned from Fal­mouth last night with a large sized legal laurel wreath, entwined about his professional brow. Col. O’Neal had been in Falmouth all the week engaged in the defense of James Rochford, charged with the killing of Burt Finn, whom he succeeded in acquitting. Col. Oneal's victory gathers importance from the fact that on a former trial Roch­ford had been pronounced by a jury to be guilty, and sentenced to serve a life time in the State Penitentiary. The evidence in the case was altogether circumstantial, but by all accounts was in great part exceedingly damaging, the chain of circumstances con­necting Rochfort with the probable committal of the crime being exceptionally strong. He and the murdered man were deadly enemies, he himself having been the victim of an attempt at assassination, which was laid at Finn's door. In this trial Col. Oneal suc­cessfully attacked the testimony of several of the Commonwealth’s witnesses, and suc­ceeded in convincing the jury that his client was the victim of a conspiracy to get him out of the community, if not entirely out of the world. The jury had the case from Thursday about noon, reaching an agreement at 2 o’clock yesterday. They were at first divided, eleven to one, the majority voting not guilty.

— "In case there is an election this coming November, and the charter appears to im­peratively demand that there shall be, I have a candidate to offer as a fitting head for the Republican ticket," said a stanch [sic] staunch Re­publican. "Name him? I’ll do it. I nomi­nate Col. Dan Hemingray for Mayor on the Republican ticket, and move that the nomi­nations close. Yes, I know Ed Hickey is a good man, and would make a good Mayor, first-class. So would William Reidlin, but outside of the fact that both those gentlemen are coy of going after the honor, there are several things that suggest Hemingray as peculiarly strong just now. Several, elements will enter into the coming contest, for I take it the contest will come this autumn, that in themselves are somewhat antagonistic; anyhow, are not al­together harmonious. Col. Hemingray can come nearer harmonizing these elements into one solid and formidable whole than any Republican — in fact, than any man in Cov­ington that I now have in mind. I think the Republicans will do well to put Dan Hemingray at the head of the ticket."

·

·