The morning call., 1894-07-30
Max PLAYED A LOSING GAME.

The situation in the affairs of the local
Democracy is not by any means an edify-
ing nor a pleasing one to the conservative
members of the party who are interested
in its welfare as a matter of principle, and
who have no axes to grind on the political
grindstone.
What is more, they have no hesitancy
in expressing themselves very fOrcibly on
the subject. They feel that things are not
going right and that their leaders have
brought about a bad mess which might
have been avoided, while at the same time
politics might have been purified in the
superlatiVe degree.
All in all, unless there is some subtle
strain of clever handiwork and cunning
anti-boss craftsmanship underneath all this
bungling, they are inclined to thinK that
the local wing of the party has received
blow which will cripple it during the COM
ing campaign.
l, is even strongly hinted that the call
ing off of the primaries was not the result
of any feeling of virtuOuS Indignation al
the array OF so-called suffers upon the
rolls OF the clubs in the in erests of his eX-
political mightiness, Chris Buckley, but
that the real reason is desire on the part
of certain manipulatOrS In the party TO
control municipal nominations with fu-
IuGo pIOSp6Cb VI ldb lu buO Sa5O
of success.
''lf it were not such a serious matter for
the party" said one of the disgrunted
Democrats yesterday, 1.-THE high moral
plane upon which these sanctifed purifiers
place themselves would be ludlcrous. In
their report four oil the committee of seven
speak of roll stuffiing with naiyete that
is charming to say the least.
1.-The voters of the party would like to
know where these gentlemen were and
what they were about while all this stuff
ing was going on. AS simon-pure Demo-
Gratis, why did they not try to put stop
to it while it was going on? Weren't the
suffers hauled around town by the wagon
load night after night to the various dis
triets? Whether they were in BuckleyS
interests or some one else's don't know,
but every Democrat who has any interest
in his party affairs knows that no effort
was made 10 prevent stuffing. Then, after
after dilly-dallying for a week or two in
the interests of pnrity, as they said, they
threw the whole thing overheard on the
eve Of the primary they had been prepar-
ing for.
"To my mind there is job in this whole
piece of business from Max Peppers
lightning back-someTsault act to the ex-
hilaTating me-tO-my-arms-agaln scene,
and the final turn in calling of the pri-
maries. If | thought that these men were
sincere in their pTetenseS of circumVentlng
Blu ckley l would be the first 10 honor them
for 1t, but knowing them doubt them.
Now, l attended several meetings of the
committee of seven as a spectator, and L
formed my opinion of them, that there was
a lack of sincerity in the deliberations Of
the members, especially toward the last.
Had any of the actual necessary prelimi-
Uaries for the holding of the primaries
been made up to Friday night?
Everything was allowed TO drift along
he lap CT vVaaE olmOsf with inHi-
cations of decision on any policy or plan.
The gnOst of Buckley was hauled onto the
stage to give Mr.. PoDper a chance to run
out with hair on end and terroT-stricken
coun;eDauce and thus inauguraIe stam-
pede. The others pretended 10 stand firm
and then the specter gave ghoulish grin,
whereupon they precipltately dashed after
Pepper and hung tTemblingly onto his
arms, and pleaded TO be projected from
that awful bogie. Max smiled bengnly,
favored them with a reassuTing hug, said
be fergave them for harsh words which
they used against him, and the scene
closed amid blaze Of Ted-light apologies
all around. That was the drama prepared
for the members of the Democratic party
You don't think the Buckley movement
was what was claimed for it then ?" was
asked.
ION the other hand [ do. There was no
doubt that Buckley was getting the whip
hand again. Wasn't he allowed to have
his own way and time to do il? Was any,
thing done to prevent his doing about
as he DleasedP Bat this whole mess is to
my mind scramble for power. and in the
struggle oGr chosen leaders have placed
the party in one Of the most undignifed
positions 1t was ever in. Now it also
seems to me that the general body of the
party should not be shut out as this gem
eral committee evinces desire to do. Is
1t going to assume the right of getting up
a convention which it can manage? Even
if new members are added, [ saw that is
no proper plan, and the Democratic voters
of this city are entitled to have their saw
as TO the makeup of the convention. IF
they don't want to be run By Buckley thew
most assuTedly don't want to be dictated
to by the reorganiZers Just because the lat
ter holds City Hall positions which thew
want to retain"
DO you mean to say, then, that the
committee of seven was playing a Rama
and did not intend to hold the primaries
from the startP"
Not exactly that They were selfshly
sincere for themselves and intended
having delegates to a convention which
they would control elected al primary.
But they found that they had been beaten
at their own game and the discovery threw
them into confusion. To save themselves
from utter rout and to keep the power in
sAOiA O"h hahQo kuC1 SdCffHC6Q LA6 DartV
interests upon the altar of their petty am
btIon."
The above pertinent views seemed to be
In accord with those entertained by a
large number Of Democrats who have
Deen viewing the wrangling in the party
and the muddled state of affairs with
hearty disgust. They hold that the lead
ers who now have the party management
In hand had better settle down TO some
order OF business and show their inten-
tlons to pull the party through the cam
paign by more concerted action and less
Disconnected talk
Among the aspiring members of ,he
party-that is. those who loiter aronnG
headquarters and think that thew are
keeping the machinery of the party in
motion-a painful quiet reigns, and opin-
ions are very scarce as to the exact status
of affairs.
Candidly speaking. they are somewhat
Highest OF all in Leavening Pc