The morning call., 1894-07-03
BUT HE CARRIED THE DAY.
Warm Meeting of the General
Committee.
A COMMITTEE OF SEVEN CHOSEN.
Talk About Bossisn1 and HatChiBg
Conspiracies at Fourth and
Townsend Streets.

tee held a meeting in the Metropolitan
Temple, and for the first time since Mr.
Popper has been chairman there was stout
opposition in the body to one Of his meas
ures and his control was openly ques-
Ct. toned. Duriug the past week Popper's
course has been considerably criticised.
When he found that Buckley and Rainey
were stufIing the rolls be threw up his
hands and talked about refusing to sign
the roll in the FOrty-third District and oil
abandoning the field
This was not the stuff Of which his fol-
lowers thought leader should be made.
They said that instead of "sQuealing'' he
should have risen superior to the emer-
gepcy and devised some means of over
coming the obstacle lie found in his path.
That was what be tried to do last night,
and for a time it looked as though he
would not be supported. But when one or
two of his stanchest friends rallied round
him it was found that he sill held major
ity Of the committee ana the result was a
triumph and someth ing of an ovation for
him. He was content with this. and failed
to present his much talked Of postal
primary plan, probably because it has
been condemned as impracticable. AS this
matter was expected to come before the
committee there was a large attendance
and a great deal OF interest in the meeting.
As soon as Chairman Pepper had called
the meeting to order he resigned the gave
to Vice President James OCOnnoT, and
then offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That a committee of seven men,
bers of The general committee shall be ap-
pointed by the chairman OF the general commit
tee, whose duty II shall be 10 see that the
canvassing committees ofth district clubs per
form heir duties OF canYaSslDg the club rolls
thoroughly and faithfully; to see that the rolls
contain the names only of those entitled 10 sign
under our constitution aud rules. and also 10
see that the election officers for the primaries
are fit and proper men; the primary committee
10 have The power. in their discretion, 10 remove
The same and substitute others, and In general
with the power TO act for this committee under
section 3 OF article / of the constitution, in the
intervals between the meetings thereof, always
however, being responsible 10 this committee
ana subject 10 its control
The resolution brought Gavin McNab to
his feet. He made an energetic speech in
opposition, beginning by saying that he
was not favOrably i'm pressed with commit
tees Of seven, because IL was a committee
of seven that had conducted the Republi-
can primary in the interests of bossism.
He urged that If committee was Deces-
sary it should consist of eighteen members.
If only seven were appointed the man who
politics of the city. The inevitable result
would be bossism. Any four members of
the committee could combine and woulG
lave complete control of the party ma
chlnery. McNab declared he was Op-
posed to bosses. whether Buckley, Rainey
or anybody else.
P. NJ. ClaTkson moved an amendment
that committee consisting of one from
each district be appointed, but there was
no second.
Thomas Chandler raised the point that
no resolution could be considered that was
an amendment to the constitution.
ct There were also motions to lay on the
lay on the table, which occasioned wild
cOmmotion. Major Harvey got the chair
mans eye, and spoke in favor of the reso-
luton. He said it was of vital i'm mportance
There was widespread discomfort owing to
the manner in which the enrolment had
been accomplished, and he was in favor of
any measure to improve the present meth
DDS and exclude bosses. When Popper
was elected Harney said he had opposed
him and McNaD had supported him. He
asked If it was because of Peppers efforts
to parity the politics Of the party that he
had made McNab desert the standard of
his friend. Harney said that there were
Influences at work TO down the party, and
he urged the committee to support any
resolution or measure that would defeat
the machin ations of the enemies of the
party.
Robert Boyd replied to Harvey and
charged that Pepper mad once before
sprung little joker" of the same kind as
this in the shape Of a resolution to con-
duct a primary. Instead the committee
had appointed q subcommittee OF eighteen
which had called for an enrolment. Then
Mr.. P0Dper had proposed his postal pri-
mary plan. Boyd declared that centrali-
Zation of power was what the chairman
was aiming at and appealed to the COM
mittee TO defeat l.
Joe O'Conner said that he considered the
resolution an insult 10 the committee and
that it should be voted down.
William j. Simon declared that the COM
mittee had adopted rules for the election
of a new committee and he thought that
they should proceed under that plan.
2. NJ. Clarkson offered an amendment
that a committee of eighteen be appointed
Committeeman Kelley supported Pop
per, and made feeling appeal 10 the com
mittee- to have confidence in its chairman.
where would France be now" be asked
dramatically, ''If she hadn't had con-
fde2ce in Napoleon?"
This historical allusion was received
with laughter and jeers, and when some
thing like order had been restored ANDY
Clunie got the floor and said that Popper
had the confidence of the committee: he
had been paid the highest compliment ever
bestowed on any Democrat. But Mr..
Pepper had been misled by statements of
persons who were interested in a non.
partisan ticket, and had been filed with
fears that were groundless. He wanted TO
see Mr.. Pepper lead the Democratic party
to victory.
Joseph Rothschild argued that the reso-
Iution conveyed 10 such sweeping power
as the gentlemen opposed to it seemed 20
think. He did not believe that Mr.. Nc
Nab understood the resolution. The
whole thing was subject to the approval
Of the general committee. He had entire
faith in the chairman of the committee
and was satisfied that he would not intro
duce any resolution which he did not be-
lieve would bring about desirable result.
IF You believe with me-" he said, adopt
this resolution"
Here there were loud call for Popper.
a tumult of applause.
He said: You might well ask why
have taken stand that might appear con-
Trajectory to that which l have taken in
the past. But there are times when men
must change their minds. | have devoted
the best part of my life to the establish
ment OF perfect organization III this city
and State. l have always claimed that In
politics there must be line of demarha-
item which none shall wipe out. This COM
mittee should control the primary affairs
of the party, but it should not attempt to
control the convention. l hope | shall
not live to again see the day when any
two men shall sit in a SIDE room and segd
out lieuteDants to pull the strings that con-
troll the people. / hope that the young
men will resent any such attempt
l admit that l nave INDUCED in that kind
of work. was as close to the throne as