The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-07
Willie Higgins
Gets Mad.
81 CAST THEE OFF,"
Rheutan's Manager Takes
His Tin Kitchen and is Off.

Gentlemen, l resign from this COM
mittee. Some day I'll tell you what we
had to contend with in the chairman
this year"
With his finger pointed at Chairman
Tatman, his hand upon the half open
door and his voice trembling with sup
pressed anger, Willie Higgins, member
of the republican city committee, gave
| utterance to the above declaration,
and turning, went forth from the re-
publican fold into the cold cold world
/ 1t happened last night at republican
| headquarters, and now there's a va
cancy in the republican city commit
tee and blood in Mr.. Higgins eye.
If the event had been properly
staged it could have been classed as a
! tragedy, but coming, as it did, without
warning or preparation of any kind
| it sunk to the level Of a farce comedy
To have produced the right eff
feet the revolver should have
exploded, the hero should have
shouted Great heavings, I'm hit,
and the curtain should have
dropped like sandbag from a
/ balloon, but all this was missing.
The revolver was left in the
wings, the hero forgot his cue. and the
| only thing that dropped was silence, as
! it settled down in the tracks of Mr..
| Higgins speech. And even that didn't
last through the meeting. Those pres
| ent forgot it, and broke forth in APP
plause.
Taken all in all, last nights meet
| ing was undoubtedly one of the
Warmest that has taken place in the re-
cent history of the republican city COM
mittee. 1t settled several things-frst,
that the committee is unqualifledly OPP
posed to republicans running on indie
pendent tickets; second, that Mr..
/ Rheutan. through his manager, Mr..
Higgins, can't be frowned down by the
committee; third, that Mr. Higgins is
ready to die digging for Mr.. Rheutan;
fourth, that Chairman Tatman thinks
more of party principles than he does
of sleep, and fifth, that life is
not all that it looks to be, even in
political circles.
Last nights incident in the Rheutan
campaign was opened by Chairman
| Tatman. The meeting was mixed
one, members of the republican city
COMMITTEE the republican candidates
and the executive members of the Re-
publican Club being present. Chairman
Tatman called upon all present TO use
their influence in securing the largest
possible vote for the six republican cah-
didates for aldermen.
Mr.. Higgins, who was present. Sos
up and said that he had taken out
nomination papers for MI. Rheutah.
He asserted that his candidate was
good republican and entitled to repup-
lican votes He believed that Mr..
Rheutan and the six regular repub-
lican nominees could be elected, ana, at
all events. he could see no reason why
Mr. Rheutan should not receive the
support of the republicans
These remarks brought Chairman
Tatman to his feet. He said that it
had been the custom for the municipal
convention to nominate six candidates
for aldermen. that the voters had at
caucuses thought it wise to provide for
the nomination of only six candidates,
that at the municipal convention this
was done, and that any man who sup
ported an Independent candidate,
thereby opposed the candidates of the
straight republican ticket, and endan-
gered the success of one or more of
them.
Mr.. Higgins then jumped up, declared
his resignation, and made his dramatic
exit from the ROOM AS he left the
room, some of those present applauded
and several went forward and con-
graduated Mr. Tatman upon the stand
that he had taken.
Mr.. Higgins, when seen after the af-
fair, expressed himself as highly dis
satisfied with the attitude of Chairman
| Tatman, and certain other members of
the city committee toward the candi-
dacy of Mr.. Rheutan. Mr.. Higgins
says that he has no fight with the
other candidates, but he does feel that
Mr. Rheutan was not decently used in
the convention, and he proposes to
fight it through to the bitter end.
| He is thoroughly sick and disguised
with the way that things have gone in
/ the city committee, and is glad to get
out of it.
The Rheutan fight will now doubtless
| become one of the most bitter in the
whole campaign. Mr.. Higgins Is deter
| mined that his man shall be elected,
| and certain members of the committee
| are equally determined that he shall
not be-
Another thing which transpired yes
to-day to disturb the natural order of
things in the republican city commit
tee, was TRADE from Otis D. Arnold,
an ex-member of the committee Mr..
| Arnold don't like the idea of having
committee of 40 instead of one of "a, as
provided for in '999, and taking time
by the fetlock, he resigned He used
up lots of good paper and ink in ex-
pressing his dislike for this system,
and incidently expressing his personal
dislike for the committee as a whole
anu lAo OAllNlclS, pQI Tie COIlIlllllGe Is
still in operation.
Chairman Tatman, when seen by The
Spy man in regard to Mr.. Arnolds as
sertion, said simply:
THE position of chairman Of the re-
publican city committee means hard
work and no pay. 1 have tried to do
my duty as chairman, because [ be-
lieve in straight republicanism, and /
shall continue to work until the election
is over and all bills paid. have no use
for men who are sore because they
have found that they can't bully the
rest of the city committee and the
municipal convention ,4-4'''
Mayor Dodge, who was present at
! last nights meeting, when approached
upon the subject was not inclined to
discuss 1t for publication. He thought
that there had been some friction in
the committee, but said that as far as
he knew the charges made by Mr. Ar
mold We're not based on facts
Alderman Brannon, who was pres
ent at the meeting, said that he had not
acquainted himself with the charges
made by Mr.. Arnold, but as regards a
committee of 40, he considered it far
| preferable to one of "a.
why in our ward" said he eve
! have four precincts, and only three
committeeman. Now. if we had an
other man, much better work could be
done"
The only thing approaching a refer
ence to Mr. Arnold's charges to come