St. Paul daily globe., 1888-01-30
INSIDE ETHICS.
The Inner Workings of OfRepublican
Club ORGANIZATIONS.


Club Organizations.
The Republican mass meeting which
Vas held last Saturday evening at
nyer'S hall brought out some things
which have been heretofore kept from
the public. Although this meeting
had been widely advertised by hand
bills, calling on the Republicans to
organize and advertising the mass meet
ing at Dyer'S hall, there were very few
politicians OF any prominence present.
Most of those present were young men.
whose work in former campaigns has
been participating in tOrchlight
professions, and applauding the
Blaine speeches made by William
Henry Harrison EuStiS, at the meetings
of the Union league. After couple of
hours passed III general conversation:
the residents of the Fourth ward were
asked 10 occupy the seats in the front Of
the hall. while the Fifth ward
people occupied those in the
rear. Hon. Frank B. Hart
was chosen temporary chairman of the
Fourth ward contingent, and William
Henry Harrison EustiS was chosen to
preside over the delegation represent
ing the Fifth Nard. The first business
brought before this dual convention was
by wards or 10y precincts. Most of
those present who had some experience
in political organization advocated the
precinct clubs, and claimed the ward
clubs would be of about as much use TO
the party as the fifth wheel TO wagon
This assertion created considerable uD-
roar among the tOrchiight brigade,
and number of them Sprang 10 their
feet to answer it. Freeman P. Lane
had antagoniZed this element by a
speech he made at the meeting of the
Republican leagues held in this city on
the 18th of January, in which he called
them the kid glove aristrocracy. and
said when it came to an election
the labOring people had the majority of
the votes, and the party with whom
these people acted would be the sue
cessful party. Although there is no
doubt of the truth of this assertion, it
has made Mr.. Lane rather OBJ
noXious to this kid glove element.
and he now seemed TO see
chance to again make himself solid
with them, and he immediately took ad-
vantage of the chance by launching
forth in a fierce TRADE against the pre-
cinct club system. in which he said the
four precincts in the Fourth
and Fifth wards bordering on the
river did not contain twenty
Republican voters. and that
Republicans did not live in that part of
the city. The precincts referred to COM
prise the territory lying between
Fourth avenue north and Tenth avenue
south and the river and Sixth
street. and contain about 5000
voters. Loren Fletcher, who saw
that this kind of talk
would never elect him TO congress.
jumped to his feet and said that if 100
good, true Republicans could not be
found in each one OF these precincts.
he would give the last speaker $500. A
general discussion then ensued,
in which considerable rather
hot language was used. After
most of the speakers were exhausted,
vote was taken, and the precinct sys-
TEN was adopted in the Fifth ward,
while the Fourth ward decided to have
both systems. The Fourth ward peo-
pie then proceeded to elected officers for
their club. f. j. Davenport was elected
president, and number of names had
been presented for first vice president.
when F. p. Lane, the irrepressible, eX-
claimed:
Hold on there. I've got a man for
that position. | nominate Jasper Gibbs
and | want him elected"
What's the matter with you. Free
w
thunder is this Jasper Gibbs you are
springing on us?"
\ silence fell on the excited throng.
Mr.. Lanes answer was:
"Why he is head waiter at the West
hotel, and controls eighty voters, who
work under him."
The answer seemed to be satisfactory,
for Mr.. Gibbs was Immediately elected
first vice president of the Fourth Ward
IL IL, Il
other officers proceeded without any
thing startling happening until the name
of ). +. Olson. the old Republican
war-hOrse, was proposed for a member
of the executive committee, when Free
man p. Lane was again heard from.
He bitterly opposed Mr.. Olson for this
position, and suggested the name of Y.
ii GiertSOn, who he said was Repub-
lican that could be depended on in any
emergency. This nomination stirred
mp considerable strife, but, after some
discussion, Mr.. Giertson was finally ac
cepted.
While the Fourth ward had been en-
gagged in electing their officers, the
Fifth ward had voted to have only pre-
cinct clubs, bad organized these clubs.
and dispersed with the exception of
about a dozen of the advocates who
favored having ward club, and who
got together and organized ward club
with the following officers:
President, Z. a. Sumner; first vice
president, G. G. JOslyn; second vice
president, J. L. Moore: secretary, G. ID.
Meyer; treasurer, William Powell. Del
egates to state conference, G. ID. Meyer,
G. c. JOslyn, j. L. Moore, S. H. Chase.
Executive committee, Nelson Williams,
j. w. MolyneauX, Fl. Ii. Wadsworth, w.
X. Rogers, Loren Fletcher. Although
this meeting was thoroughly ad-
Vertised there were no representa-
tives of the large foreign population
who live in these two wards present.
The crowd, which numbered about 80,
consisted almost entirely. of what is
known as the kid glove" element and
colored men. The gentlemen of color.
who appeared to be under the leader
ship of NJ. Il. Lewis. who occupies re-
sponsible position in the register of
deeds Office, and seemed to
be rather displeased with the
political strength accredited to Jasper
Gibbs. The old Republican war horses
who were present. were very much dis
gusted with the way the ''kid glove"
element was rushing things, and they