The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-28

Charles j. O'Iara of the board of
registrars, said that some time ago he
thought Of looking UP the caucus law,
but when he heard that j. f. II. AIellen
had been officially advising the repub-
lican party of its possible error, he
thought that the committee was in safe
hands, and did not look the matter up,
on the strength of Mr.. Mellen's court
eous advice to the republicans.
Mr.. OHara considered it Il serious
muddle and that the only remedy
would be in filing nomination papers for
each candidate. which would require
an extra amount of labor. He thought
that with this result, some of the demo-
cratic aldermanc candidates who had
been endorsed would fall by the way
side, and that the candidates who were
conducting affairs would be The surer
to win out.
AS he interpreted the law if the eau
Gus was illegal, the ilegaliry applied
to the delegates elected to the proposed
municipal convention as well as to the
nominees for the common council and
school board, The affair, as a whole,
he considered quite unfortunate
Some of the democrats who had
known the workings of the city COM
mittee, We're inclined to lay the blame
to the clerk of the committee, John III.
johnson. However, Lawyer Johnson is
elGectually cleared from all blame. and
has proved d substantial alibi, as at
the time the plans for the caucuses
were made, he was in Maine ON a bust
ness trip, and had nothing Whatsoever
to do with the matter.
City Solicitor Arthur F. Rugg was
seen in regard to the matter. but he
said that since the question of the le-
gality or illegality might come before
him officially, he would prefer not to
express an opinion at this stage of the
affair. Personally, he had seen no
breach Of the caucus laws by the re-
publican party as intimated by James
II. Mellen.
Alderman David F. O'Conneu, who is
the most thoroughly and intimately ac-
quainted with the caucus law, said that
he had good suspicion to believe that
the caucuses We're illegal, and that if
this We're the case, it would cause some
Inconvenience and much difficulty. Mr.
OConnell thought that if the delegates
were not legally elected, they We're
equitably fitted to represent the public
expression II appeared to him that
the municipal delegates might hold the
convention as planned, and that the al
dermanic nominees there endorsed
might be placed on the municipal ticket
before Friday by a single nomination
paper. Single papers would also be
required for the school committee The
wards to be the most affected by the
question would be wards 3, 4 and $, and
here Independent papers would have TO
be filed.
Eugene NJ Moriarty did not care to
discuss the situation. He would sim
ply say that if the caucuses were lille
gal the democrats would have to
resort to the filing of independent nom
ination papers before Friday, which
would afford them ample time, hide
pendent papers would have to be filed
for each candidate, so that any one
might file papers if he so wished. In
regard to the legality of the caucuses,
Mr.. Moriarty did not wish to express
himself until he had thoroughly studied
the law.
Councilman Philip ]. OConnel said
that if the Caucuses We're illegal, the
matter was of serious import to the
party. If the law provided specifically
that the notice of the caucus should be
advertised or published within the time
Of is days previous to the caucus. then
the candidates would have to file indie
pendent nomination papers.
Other democrats who We're seen did
not wish their names used, but said
that the city committee confronted a
serious dilemma. They had a queer
situation to face, and they would have
their hands fun to explain it, In fact.
they had better resign and give way to
competent men who would not bring
another stigma of this kind upon the
party.