The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-11-20
CARROLL REPUBLICANS.
Two Interesting Articles Concerning
Factions and Their Work in the
Late Campaign.
Clabaugh and Seabrook the
Leaders of One and Huber
Heads the Other.
SHARPER, SCHAEFFER AND
LAWYER NOT MENTIONED.
Mr.. Huber Defends His Course
and Criticises MIR. Clabaugh.

and Criticises MIR. Clabaugh.
In the political article of the Sunday 4me,f-
can of November Z, written by Mr.. Clarence
Seabrook, son of the editor of the Westmin-
ster Sentinel, some reflections were cast upon
Mr.. A. H. Huber and his friends for their
course in the late campaign, aid in the Sun
day american of November IA, Mr.. Huber
makes reply Both articles make interesting
reading, and are given below:
The Status i'm Carroll.
From the Sunday American, Nov T.
There is a story attached to that election of
Brooks on which hangs tale. As related,
there are two factions in the Republican party
in Carroll county. Or, rather, faction and
a half The half follows the lead of Mr. Abra-
ham Il Huber, Westminster druggist, who
for many years was postmaster, and after
wards served in the custom house, but who
longs for power, and, in grasping for it, it is
said cares not whom he may pull down. The
other faction, or, in other words, the Repub
llcan party organization, is content to follow
the lead of Attorney General Harry NJ. Cla-
baugh and the editor of the Sentinel, Mr.. W.
! L. w. Seabrcok. For years Mr.. Huber has
felt it incumbent upon himself to oppose the
organization. Each year finds him fighting
the organization with n coterie Of adherents
who don't like Clabaugh any better than he
| does, and this year was no exception to the
rule. Now, Joseph d. Brooks belonged to
Mr. A. H. Huber's little party. He aspired
to be nominee for clerk of the court. The
| primaries were bitter Brooks, with the rest
of the Huber element, went down in the push.
and delegates were elected to the convention
favorable to Jesse Roberts, of Taneytown, for
clerk. The convention met. Huber, Brooks
of hoH Hnpa 20 ,nrfk
in the convention, but here is where the or
ganization people played politics. Instead of
ignoring Brooks and his contingent entirely,
as they might have done, and been no worse
off than they are at present, in the interest of
harmony, they offered the olive branch by
nominating Brooks for register OF wills. 1t
was a graceful, magnanimous act. Brooks
accepted, and. it is said, as far as he was con-
cerned, all tactional differences were at an
end. Not so with Mr. Abraham H. Huber
1t is no secret III Westminster that he declared
himself against Mr.. Jesse Roberts for the
clerkship, and threw all of his influence to
elect DR.. ]. Fl. Bllingslea, the Democratic
nominee for the clerkship. True to their
Republican principles, the organization peo-
pie stood loyalty by the whole ticket carrying
Brooks with them, really fighting harder for
him than for anyone else, and Huber sue
ceeded in accomplishing his purpose. He |
defeated Roberts, and contributed in no lit
tie degree thereby to weaken the balance of
the ticket. Brooks, the one man one would |
naturally suppose the Republicans would have |
cut, beat n. w. Steele, against whom and B. |
f. Grouse, one of the Democratic legislative |
candidates, bitter war was waged. In let |
ter which Mr.. Huber wrote during the cam
paign he frankly avowed that it was not Rob-
erts he was after, but that he had his knife
out for Clabaugh, whom he was striking at
over Roberts shoulder. 1t is natural to sup
pose that Mr.. A. H. Huber does not stand
ace-high with loyal Republicans in Carroll
county, and his action during the past few
weeks is not conducive of elevating him in
the eyes of the people of his party as far as
politics are concerned. Attorney General
Clabaugh says there will be a settling of old
scores one of these days, and that he will not
get the worst of it.
Notwithstanding these troubles in their own
ranks, the Republicans, aided by exJudge
James A. c. Bond and other Independent
Democrats found time to wage bitter and
relentless war against Mr.. B. Frank Grouse,
one of the legislative candidates, and Nicholas
w. Steele, the opponent of Brooks. And in
this they were successful, though it was by the
barest majority that Crouse's opponent pulled
through, though at one time during the week
it looked as though the question of who con-
troled the House-Demoerats or Republi-
cans-would hinge upon whether Grouse was
elected or not. He was defeated by but ten
votes.
Mr.. Huber's Statement.
From the Sunday American. Nov. II
Mr.. A. H. Huber, of Westminster, writes
as follows regarding Carroll county politics:
"The treachery at the recent election with
which | have been charged by your reporter
in last Sundays edition of your paper COM
pels this statement: The washing of political
linen is at no time agreeable for public read
ing, but the inspired reporter will not object
to being set Alright. The writer of this state
ment voted and worked against the Republi-
can nominee for clerk of the Circuit Court IN
this county at the election on I'd inst, and
voted and worked for the Republican ticket
with that single exception. And this he did
openly and without the slightest effort at con-
cealment. In fact, he stated in advance of
the primaries that were W. Jesse Roberts
nominated for clerk he would publicly oppose
his election. The reasons therefor were
briefly these: In the campaign leading up to
the convention two years ago; our recently
defeated candidate for clerk, through the
influence of Attorney General Clabaugh, as
the aforesaid candidate admitted to me, gave
to the world through the columns of local
weekly paper the contents of confidential
political letter that | wrote him. In that
though [ opposed Mr. Clabaugh's
| earnestly and zealously sup {
ported him at the general election as no man
knows better than he, and as the returns then,
as compared with those on the I'd inst, will s
show. After the close of the November con-
test and while arranging with Mr. Sharrer-
Mr. Clabaugh's lieutenant-for the extra SEN &
atorial contest in December, | was personally
assured by the aforesaid lieutenant that as |
and my friends had so generously supported
Mr. Clabaugh, and as such ''magnanimous'
had reigned in the Republican
CAMP he was authorized by the recently
elected attorney general to say that in the
appointments my friends and
Mr.. Clabaughs should share equally.
''The result of that assurance was that when
the time came for Governor Lowndes to dis
tribute the patronage, my friends got nothing,
Or if they did, it was because was compelled
to have Mr.. Clabaugh believe that they were
my enemies. Worse still. my bitterest per-
sonal foes were favored with lucrative places
some of them being men who we're notorious
Tor their treachery to our party. Our candi !
late, Roberts, recently defeated for clerk, ad- {
nitted that in that same election he had cut ]
he name of our candidate for states attorney, |
who was the son of the late Judge Smith, and 5
hat he had advised others so to do. Beside :
his he is charged with voting for Senator
derlng IN the december elecuOn. Long IN L
advance Of the of the convention that nomi- |
lated Mr. Roberts, Mr.. Clabaugh was ad- I
1ised to arrange a Cancellation. After the
canvass began he was advised to suggest COM
promise. Mr.. Roberts himselfgave the writer |
lis personal assurance that he would see that
Mr.. Clabaugh and had an interview. but if
lie ever made the effort it failed. The at.
orney general was like the letter that never
.ame-I have yet to see him. /
"When Mr.. Brooks was defeated in the \
primaries it was done, as is well known, by
he expenditure of nearly 81 900 in this dis \
riot. A large majority of the white vote was {
With him, and it was part of this vote and I
If goodly number of our citizens who don't '
lttend primaries, that revolted against the
work of the attorney general, and his men in
Westminster district particularly and through (
nut the county generally on the I'd day of {
November. Clabaugh's remarkable exhibit
ion of graceful magnanimity'' in permitting {
Mr. Brooks to be nominated for register of I
wills, and Mr.. Buckingham for county treas {
lrer, when their friends wanted them for L
omething else, was intended simply to cap 5
ure the friendship of these two gentleman |
md at the same time show his political power. c
1.-The victories of the Republican party in F
his oountv haretofnra have haen won when q