The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
xtzyoR s1rr1xeEs or nrssoURL
6aSssS e me psan wss wss Biaehsanea In
the D. Sau,es Ciuh or Montreal.

go (
6afssg e tbs a1nn whs was Blncksa1ea In
81 the o.. Sanes cius OF nHOntreal.
1fatot John L. Bittinger. United States Con-
aulGsnera at Montreal. who was blackballod
In the st. James Club, has had q picturesque
career in Missouri.
81 have known Major Bittinger for thirty
years." said q Missourian now in New York.
He 10 the stillest but the most determined
man in the State. He went 10 Missouri Just
before the war an unknown man. When the
war was over he had been Postmaster at 81.
Joseph, editor Of the st. Joseph Herald, and q
Major In q volunteer regiment. Since then he
has been membe Of tho Legislature. Postmas.
ter again, internal revenue collector for tho 81.
Joseph district, and editor of the Herald. He
was ono of tho original Republicans In Mis-.
souri,. He was contSnporaneous with @. d.
Drake. Carl Schurz and Frank Rodman. He
helped Carl Schurz into tho United States Sem
ate, and l have heard him say that he was sorry
forit.
came so successful that It split, Major Bittinger
led tho fight against the Finley faction, which Is
The sI haS S SS; NJ no y poiitieai feS i'P IN this hi t Country ma!;
SO bittor and unrelentinR rs that. II has spread
from caueuses and conventions into churches
In Missouri towns than the slavery question.
There are u Filley and an. anti.Fiiley fac
factions meet and pull hair whenever
there is q convention, State, county, town, or
township. When the Missouri delegation shows
up in a national convention 1t is maze up OF
Filley md anti.Filloy. They drag their foud
into national affairs, and when the election 10
over they continue the fight In the White House.
In the White House grounds and on the steps,
and in the corridors OF tho national Capitol.
fought Filley were McCullagh Of the Globe Dem
ocr0t and Bittinger of tho st. Joseph Her,id.
The former 10 dead, but the latter has kept up
the fight. When Harrison was President Bit
finger was an applicant for q mission. The Fill
ley crowd defeated him.. but he had an appoint
i've place in his town. When. Mckinley was in
%augurated he encountered the same old fight.
Filley and anti.Filley. Bittinger was an appli.
cant for a mission abroad. The Filley crowd
fought him from the start. He SUCCEEDED
in getting the place of .Consul.G General in
his confirmation. After he had won his
fight In the Senate and. gone to his post
in Montreal tho Filley feud followed him there.
1t repeated the story of BittinHer's connection
with the whiskey ring in Missouri. for he was
ono Of that crowd, and 1t was represented TO
Canadians that Major Bittinger was AN ex.
convict. That was not true. He was convicted
with others in the whiskey busin, IS, but was
quickly pardoned. 1t WIS not q crime in Mis-.
souri, TO have been a member of the whiskey
ring But the Fillcy faction tried to make 1t a
may depend upon IL that the Eilley faction 10
back Of the blackballing in the st. James Club.
II they don't drop Bittinger through a hole in the
ice of the 81. Lawrence River he'll take care of
himself. and he'll take care of the interests of
the United States IL the entire populace of
Montreal should rise up against them.. And ho
won't mako any noise about 1t, either"