The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-05
HE'S In 1t.
Bates To Run
For Congress.
HOAR'S CHANCES.
They Are Good in Spite of
the Deal to Do Him.

Theodore c. Bates is to run for con-
gress.
He said as much to a Spy man last
night, and already the work of his cam
paign has been inaugurated.
Nomination papers were taken out
yesterday from the Office of the secre-
tary of state, and today the work of
securing signatures to these papers
will be started.
According to Mr. Bates friends, there
will be little trouble in securing the
requisite number. The announcement
made exclusively in Yesterdays Spy,
that Mr. Bates might possibly figure in
the congressional fight, was received
with acclaim by the old guard of the
Bates movement of years ago. and the
Harvard street residence was besieged
yesterday by those who were ready to
pledge their cooperation to battle
against the present congressman re-
election.
AS was stated in yesterdays Spy, the
campaign will be a lively one. The
former senator from the old western
Worcester district proposes to take the
platform himself and, to use his own
words: ITO tell the people of Worces-
ter many Of the things about Worces-
able to tell them through the columns
of a hostile press
This means that the old Rice-Bates
! fight will be brought into prominence
again. and that Mr. Bates win devote
considerable energy and effort to a ref
utation Of the oft-repeated charges that
he accomplished the defeat of Con-
gresham William w. Rice in 1885,
And in this particular connection,
Mr.. Bates told The Spy man last night
that he should certainly accept the
| challenge issued "by Mr.. Walker, last
night in the Gazette through his clerk
Frank Roe Batchelder, who wanted to
know if he, Mr.. Bates, was going to
| say all he forgot to say last time, and
| if he would tell the voters of the dis
trict how he defeated w. w. Rice
when they were rival candidates for
| congress"
You may thank Mr.. Bachelor for
me-" said Mr.. Bates, for the text he
has given me. I shall speak upon that
very matter when l take the platform
| shall not only say all 1 forgot to say
last time, but I shall say the things
that have never had the opportunity
before to say to the people of this dis
trict. Mr.. Batchelder's query stamps
MIN as a youth with scanty knowledge
OF the political history Of Worcester
and shall be most happy to be his
teacher for the next few weeks"
Ihis was ali that the former senator
would say about the matter His
friends, however, are more communica-
tive and they didn't hesitate to state
| that Mr.. Bates was in the fight to stay,
although they admitted that the chan
| ces of winning were very meager.
But Mr.. Bates, said one of them to
The Spy man last night, doesn't care
a rap about winning. He has someth-
ing to tell the voters of the district
about the way politics have been man
aged in the congressional fights for the
past ten years, and he proposes to tell
them. He has been charged time and
again with the defeat of Congressman
Rice, when John E. Russell won out
in the old ninth district. He has docu-
mentary proof that he did all that he
could to save Mr.. Rice from defeat,
and he's going to reveal it.
I'm former years he has found it i'm
possible to ges his side Of the story in
print. The newspapers were hostile to
him. Now he's going to take the
platform and tell his story to the peo-
pie If they care to hear It. He'll leave
the verdict in their hands. That's all
there is to the movement this time"
The course of the democracy in this
turn of affairs in the congressional dis
trict is a matter of conjecture. There
may be an effort to nominate a strong
party candidate. Alderman James H.
Mellen and John OGara of Spencer,
| who were seen yesterday at the con-
vention, were in favor of such a course,
and thought that good man might
win out in the three cornered fight.
There are plenty of others among the
democracy who see no prospect of
success, even with two candidates split
| ting the republican vote. They con
| the district is too large and that a
! straight party nomination means moth
ing more than an easier path for the
present congressman.