Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-17
AFTER WILLIAMS,
His Opponents in the Democracy
Trying for His Scalp.
Anti-WilIiams Men Claim a Majority Of the
State Committee win Be Present
at Next Saturdays Meeting.
Especial Dispatch to the spy.)

Especial Dispatch to the spy
Boston, Jan. 15.-The first steps OF the
movement that is liable to mark the
passing of George Fred Williams, as a
factor in the politics Of Massachusetts,
have been taken. The skirmish of the
conflict that will end, it isbelieved, in the
defeat of Williams and the Williams
faction in Massachusetts, has already
taken place. and in few days the strife
of the heavier conflict will be on, and
| the democracy will know whether it en-
joys the heritage of which 1t has so often
boasted-the custody Of the principles
handed down by Jefferson.
The fight for the organization Of the
democratic state committee in Boston a
week ago marks the beginning Of the
fight against Williams. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that the williams men ap-
pear to have succeeded in organizing
the state committee, there seems little
question that the period of their suprem-
acy will be short. The anli-Williams
faction may fail in securing Immediate
control of the state committee, but the
moment the victory for the Old Guard
arrives, Mr.. Williams will cease to be
the prominent figure in Massachusetts
democratic politics. It is evident that
the real leaders Of the party have at
last reached the conclusion that the
only way to deal with Mr.. Williams is
to tight him and to lick him, and that
the battle has already been too long
delayed
The results of Saturdays meeting a
week ago haven't discouraged the anti
Williams men in the least. The state
ment OF this faction, in the form of an
ADDRESS to the democratic voters of the
state, relative to the proceedings at the
american House meeting a week ago,
demonstrates the fact that the Williams
faction has a determined Opposition to
meet, and that the battle to which they
nave been invited is one for their fur
ther existence. The anti-Willfans men
now claim that at the meeting of the
opposition called for Saturday, there will
be a majority e the members of the
state committee present, and that fur
thermore they will have no trouble in
organizing. The opposition is weak in
the contention that the democratic state
committee is a continuous body, is a
point made in the address sent out to
the democracy of the state Upon this
contention is the hope to gain the or
ganlzatlon Of the committee which is
now held by the Williams men. But the
democratic state committee is not con-
tmuous body. The point has already
been settled that parliamentary or leg
islative bodies, the terms of whose mem
bers expire at the same time, are not
continuous bodies. The United States
senate is continuous body, from the
very fact that but one-third of the mem
berS retire at the same time, and that
there is a majority of old members hold
ing over all the time.
The anti-Williams men would have at
tempted to organize last week, had not
they been cautioned as to the useless
ness and impossibility Of organizing a
minority of the committee. This point
was suggested to the determined, but
Ill advised leaders by Worcester demo-
crat, whose knowledge of the caucus
acts, and whose Interpretation of vari-
Gus sections of the law had been found
in previous instances to have been re-
liable.
This was former Representative Mo-
riarty, who happened along just at the
time Of the bolt. And, following the
advice of Mr.. Moriarty, the attempt at
organization was not carried out.
The meeting next Saturday is
likely to prove most interesting. The
anti-Williams faction claims that ma
jority of the members of the state COM
mittee will be in attendance, and that
it will be comparatively easy thing to
organize. Then the question of fact
arises as to the actual presence of a
majority of the committee at the meet
ing a week ago, when the alleged or
ganization was completed by the choice
of Chris Callahan of Holyoke as the
chairman of the committee. It doesn't
matter whether Mr.. Callahan received
q majority of the committee in the vote
cast for him as president. If there was
a majority of the committee present
when the organization was made, this
is sufficient and the Williams organiza-
ton will be a fact, as it is now claimed
to be, by friends of the statesman from
Dedham.
There is an easy way, however, for
the anti-Williams men to undo all that
has been accomplished, especially if
they hold the majority of the members
of the state committee. A special
meeting Of the committee can be called,
and all former rules can be rescinded,
and the president, Mr.. Callahan, can
be forced to resign through the hostility
of a majority. The executive commit
tee which now exists can be easily done
away with by vote of the majority, and
a new committee can be organized, to
be called campaign committee or any
thing else whose duties may be the
same as those now held by the execu-
tive committee.
The attendance at Saturdays meet
ing will indicate at once whether the
anti-Williams men have the control Of
the state committee.
If they are as strong in numbers as
they claim there will be little hesitancy
in assuming the rights and powers OBJ
tanning in numerical strength, and the
Williams end of the committee need ex-
pect little quarter. The anti-Williams
movement will insist upon the retire.
ment of everything and every move
ment that looks to any continuation of
the dictatorship that has been exercised
by Mr. Williams for the past two years.
The fight against Williams will be
continued until the fall and then the
conflict Will wax warmer. 1t is we'll I'M
derstood among the Old Guard that Mr..
Williams proposes to keep himself in
power il 1t Is possible until 1900. This
is for the purpose of taking Massachu-
setts delegation with him to the national
democratic convention and thus secur-
ing the second place on the democratic
ticket Mr. Williams opponents say
this shall never be.
The leaders Of the democracy have
been scared by the Williams power.
Boston democrats, including Quincy,
have baen fearful of his influence in
that city, and his supremacy on the
state co nmittee and in the state con-
ventlon last fall was allowed for the
single reason that Boston must be saved
for Quincy. But the results Of the past
two stare elections and the last munich
pal election in Boston have demonstrate
ed the weakness Of Mr.. Williams and
the insignificant strength of his follow
ing The real democracy has just real
lied that Williams might have been
beaten last fall, IL not year ago, and
has concluded to begin the fight against
tl,n most trnnhlasnnne element that the