The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-28
Local Democracy Aghast AT
The Big Blunder.
Prominent Party Men Declare That There
is Collision With Republicans---City
Committee Chairman Refuses to
Say Word in Explanation.

ing that the chairman should delegate
his duties to an outsider, when he was
specially chosen to attend to them HIM
self. This fact of Mr. MeIlen leaving
the duties. to his son, proves to them
that he has not had the interests of
the democracy of Worcester at heart,
but has had the interests of James il.
Mellen of ward 4 alone in his mind.
In fact, the democrats threaten to
oVerturn, the city committee entirely,
and take matters into their own hands.
They express a desire to run the party
for the party's sake, and not for the
sake of a single member alone. The
older democrats sigh for the old days
when the city committees affairs We're
carried on in an orderly and legal man
ner and the younger members of the
party seem more than ready to throw
aside the yoke Of the Mellen faction
and it's republican alliances.
The democrats feel that it is an
awful reflection upon the party that
its city committee should order illegal
caucuses, or that the sacrifice of prin-
cipal or entire political body should be
f1agrantly made for the benefit of an
individual.
AS the situation now appears the
democratic nominations for the board
Of aldermen, common council and
school board will have to be made by
separate and single nomination papers.
with the result that some of the men
who We're endorsed by their constitu-
ency Will not be placed on the munich
pal ticket, and those politicians who
are the most anxious for the democrat
ic places on the board, will have equal
chances for election to the city's ser
vice
The filing of nomination papers will
require a good deal of extra labor, as
each paper has to receive the sigma
lures of certain number of citizens.
Some Of the democrats claim that the
delegates elected to the supposed mu-
nicipal convention may meet equitably
if not lawfully and formally support
the aldermanic nominees. In this case.
as it is claimed, the nominees might be
placed on the local ticket by one nom
nation paper, while others who have
made a study Of the law say that each
nomination viii have TO be made by
single paper
The result is the same the democrats
will have to hustle to get the papers
ready, and the men who have received
endorsements are saying to themselves
that they will not entrust the getting
of signatures to the city committee,
but viii conduct the proceedings them
selves. In fact the party is done and
completely done with its city commit
tee.
When James II. Mellen and J. F. H
Mellen saw the exclusive story in the
Spy and realized that the cat was out
of the bag, they felt worried that the
blame of the notable fiasco should be
laid to them, and at about $50 O'CLOCK
in the afternoon their fears as to the
feelings Of the party, became so intense
that they decided to make a visit down
TO the city to test what few voters
were about the street.
A Spy man met the duet, otherwise
the democratic city committee. near the
Worcester Academy. as they We're
ploughing their way through the snow.
When the question was preached to
Mr.. Nellen, ST., he cordially informed
the reporter, in a pleasant voice that
The Spy might go to HI. Continuing.
Mr.. Mellen, the big Jim" who is to be
an accredited representative from this
city to the general court, said: "Tha
Spy has been mean and contemplate
to me- and | have nothing to say TO
it. The democratic caucuses were le-
gally called"
When asked about the time limit OF
is days for the filing Of the notice of
the caucus previous to the day of the
caucuses, Mr. Mellen again said that
the caucuses We're legally held "The
republicans have not treated us us well
as we treated them" However when
pressed to say on what specific date
the notice appeared prior to Nov Ytn
which was manifeStly within the legal
time. when the notice appeared, Mr.
Mellen declined to indicate It, And
then the simple confession was made
by Mr., Mellen, who said that the dem
ocratic caucuses were no more illegal
than the republican caucuses.
In defense of the position Of his own
committee, Mr.. Mellen tried to bring
the caucuses of the republican commit
tee into similar contempt and Illegal
ity. Mr.. Mellen was again asked to
specify in what respect the republicans
had made a breach of the caucus law.
but he remarked that he would not
say. In closing, Mr.. Mellen said fur
Their, that the republican caucuses We're
illegal and there the discussion ended.
Me too, Plat" was the stand taken
by j. i. n. Mellen when questioned
about the seriousness of the situation.
Mr.. Mellen politely replied: You'll
nave 10 ASK the 'DOSS.
After the conversation the senior and
Junior Mellen Wended their way down
street, the latter going to the demo-
cratic headquarters, where he was sub
sequently found in conference with
some democrats in the Young Mems
Democratic Club rooms, but not at the
democratic headquarters. which We're
naturally closed on the day
Matthew B. Lamb, one of the best
known democrats Of the city. saw the
article for the first time in The Spy,
and when the illegality of the caucuses
was questioned, he burst into pro-
longed laugh at the expense of the
democratic city committee, which was
as hearty as it was sincere. Mr.. Lamb
said: ut will set the people wild, and
will disenfranChise 1000 democratic
voters in the city of Worcester. The
party has been made a nincompoop and
tool for a few of the democratic lead
ers, but this action will secure either
the selection of a competent committee
or the abandonment of the committee
entirely"
Mr. Lamb continuing, said that there
We're roo votes cast at the last NUM-
cipal election for Dodge and Mellen
alone. which was significant at the
present time. With the caucuses illegal
Mr. Lamb thought that 1t was one of
the greatest blunders in the history of
the party Mr.. Lamb did not care to
express himself fully upon the caucus
question, but thought it exceedingly
queer that the acting head of the city
committee should take the pains TO
warn the republican committee of its
pitfall, and allow his own party to fall
into a worse hole.