New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-22
THE USURPERS DENOUNCED.
STRONG WORDS AGAINST THE MACHINE
IN THE COUNTY COMMITTEE.
THE PLAN FOR REVISION FINALLY ADOPTED. BUT
ONLY AFTER THE POWER ARBITRARILY TO
ERASE THE NAMES OF REPUBLi-
CANS FROM THE ROLLS rs PRAc-
TfCAL,Y REVOKED.

TICAL,.Y REVOKED.
The machine managers Of the Republican
County Committee at its meeting last evening
heard their unsavOry plan for capturing the pr'-
maries next month Ioundly denounced ana con-
demned Although the report OF the Committee
on Organization detailing the scheme for re-
visng and doctorng the rolls In the Interest OF
the Platt-Lauterbach ring was finally approved
this vas not done until amendment was at
tached which instructed the committee to restore
70 membership any members Of the election dis
trjct association who might be stricken of IN
violation OF the constitution. 50 as tn permit
then, to vote at the primaries Of December TO-
The long narrow and BADLY ventilated hall at
the top of the Telephone Building. in West
Thirty-eighth-st.. was crowded with an ex-
pectant throng when Edwar Lauterbach called
the County Committeeman to order. so many
outsiders were on hand that members Of the
committee found difficulty in finding seats.
After dispensing with the roll call. Mr.. Lauter-
bach requested Secretary Bidwell TO read the
minutes of tte meeting Of October Il, at which
the extraordinary powers FOR reorganizng the
election district associations, which have
created such widespread condemnation. were
granted t. the Committee on Organization. The
secretary followed this up with report OF tho
action taken by the Committee on Organization
III pursuance OF lNe TeSOiuNl IFS dtoptti ~ tho
r~cetng referred to- This report gave in detail
the committees proceedings when it created
committee of three for each Assembly district,
with authority to invade every election district
association, and, on the pretence OF reorganizns
IT, under the reapportionment and the new elec-
ton district lines, strike from the rolls of mem
bership the names of any Republicans whom
the machine desired to get rid OF. on the ground
that they were simply purging the association
of members who mad died, removed from TN
district had ceased to be Republicans"
The rules adopted required the sub-committees
to report their action to the Committee on Or
ganization on or before November 26 and
graciously provided that any members improp-
ery stricken from the rolls might be restored
on appeal" 1t also provided for advertising
the places for enrolment tomorrow night In
one morning and one evening newspaper.
AGAINST THE REPORT
John Sabine Smith opposed the adoption OF
the report OF the Committee on Organization
and its arrogation to Itself Of the power 10 say
who had and who had not ceased to be Re-
| publicans. He said the whole scheme formu-
lated by that committee was founded a mis-
conception and Misrepresentation OF the con-
sttution of the Republican party in this city.
/ Under this scheme. If any chairman a1i Sec
! retary fall 10 revise lUcr HStS 10
ton Of the committee of three the latter could
proceed to do it themselves. The consttu-
| ton directed that the revision and re-enrolment
should take place in June. Why had II not
! been attended to at the proper time?
Mr.. Smith denied that either the County
! Committee the Committee on Org1riZation
! could delegate the power to exercise discretion
/ as had been conferred upon the committees
Of three 1t proposed to give these committees
! power to say who are and who are not Re
pubcans.
They tell US" pursued Mr. Smith, that We
can 60 to the courts and the Committee on APP
peals" In his judgment the power granted was
: not Inserted by mere accident by the Organ!za-
tion Committee He would not say that the
reasons were bad. but there were reasons well
known to the authors of the plan. There was
no warrant for this usurpaton. even in the re-
organization of the broken districts.
Another serious question must be met, the
speaker said These rolls had been taken from
the secretaries Of the organizations who were the
only lawful custodians Of them. l. they could be
taken from the custody of the secretaries on the
nresent pretext. where would the end Of this
business be? The action Of this committee was
legally. morally constitutlonally in every way.
wrong and ndefensible. Applause)
IN DEFENCE OF THE REPORT
Secretary Rldwell being called upon by Chair
man Lauterbach, read a long statement pre-
nared TO bolster up the action Of the Commit
| tee on organization and asserting that the pres
ent procedure was necessary on account or the
| demoraized state Of the organization. Since tho
nlan Of the Committee Of Thirty was adopted
nearly TWO years ago. ll4l election districts hdd
been maintained on the first enrolment without
revision. There had since been no re-enrolment
or no revision except N twenty-five districts.
| There were now 1892 districts Instead OF llfl,
and the changes Of boundary had changed the
lines OF two-thirds Of the districts. while in the
remaining one-thrd or about 40 districts. whose
lines were not chang over $50 districts were
| without effective organization. II was 10 meet
this condition of affairs. the statement said. that
the extraordinary action had been taken.
Alexander V. Campbell, one OF the committee
| Of fnree for the XXNtn Assembly District told
how he had labored with his side-partners ANA
sa Thornton and Gale Smms TO secure
| proper revision In his district. NJ. Campoeu
! said that ne mad taken the ground that the pro-
! vision % the Committee IN organization AID NOT
| mean to authorize the striking off names ON me
rolls without notice 70 the persons concerned.
He gave notice that he would oner an amena-
| ment to the committees report t. that effect
After some further debate Benjamin Oppen-
| hemer the anti-machine member Of the CONF
mittee Of three In the NNNlllth District, s,iErsd
UP the animals Of the machine by re atins MS cN-
! perience He said that the two Plat members
of the committee. Messrs Adee ana Herri,n.
| after fixing several dates for meetings 4 tho
| conmittee at which they had failed 10 meet him,
| went of by themselves somewhere and revised
the rolls Of the election district IN me AANlil'h
| to suit themselves. What they had done or how
! they had done 1t Mr. Oppenheimer said he was
! wholly without any knowledge. Wnlie he was
speaking the heelers In the rear of the ha'i mace
! a good deal OF disturbance. and Assemblyman-
elect Stephen G French demanded that the nan
| be cleared
John Sabine Smith read letter from Colonel
| George Bliss who one of the authors OF ths
| Committee of Thirty plan. in which he said that
the divided districts doubtless required Teo',
| oanizatior Rut 10 take advantage. the Colonel
| said Of that necessity 10 give anybody power 20
| add or strke names from the rolls was gross
- - ;, H.,,or H. sav that tho Rapuhlcan