Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-12
Executive Committee of National
League of Clubs in Session.
INFORMAL PRELIMINARY MEETING
Change in the Constitution Pro-
posed and Discussed.
CITIES AFTER CONVENTION


Republican League Of Clubs met today in
the tea room of Wiliard's Hotel and began
its proceedings by holding an informal
open session. which was attended by many
prominent members of the organization
other than the committeeman The pur-
pose of The regular meeting is to select a
time and place for holding the national
convention of the league in 1900 and to
consider such other business that may be
called up. and In today's preliminary inter-
change of ideas a suggestion to change the
constitution was discussed and the claims
of several of the cities which desire to Sc
cure the convention next year were pre-
scented.
The chair was occupied by the president,
George Stone of San Francisco. The roll,
when called by Secretary D. H. Slime Of
Newport, Ky, showed that forty-four Of
the fifty-siX members of the executive COM
mttee were present, the largest on record
at such meeting.
The proceedings were opened by the pre-
sentation of a resolution by Mr.. Myers OF
New Jersey. which was unanimously adopt
ed by a rising vote, reciting that in the
death of Vice President Carrot A. Hobart
the National Republican League had lost a
warm friend and supporter: the Senate q
wise and impartial presiding officer. and the
nation an irreparable loss, and that the
league would ever cherish his memory and
be proud of the patriotic record Of his life.
The Constitution Criticised.
An interesting and sometimes animated
discussion was inaugurated by Mr.. Melville
Hayes of Ohio. who proceeded to criticise
Article XIII OF the leagues constitution.
which prohibits it from endeavoring to in
fluence the nomination of any candidate or
the adoption of any policy by any state or
national convention. He declared the exist
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the power of the organization, and offered
a resolution that it was the sense of the
executive committee that Article xiii
should be repealed and that the secretary
should give due notice that a resolution to
such an effect would be presented at the
next national convention of the league.
Member. in Opposition.
Mr. Hiram Lloyd of ST. Louis. who said
he represented club with a membership
of 5000 voters. 1900 of whom paid their
dues regularly. opposed the suggestion.
He claimed that such move would lead
to office-holding politicians getting hold of
the machinery of clubs and running them
in favor of some particular man other.
The change would be dangerous. 1t was
due, he claimed. to the work of his club
that st. Louis had given republican ma
jority of 5000 The club was now unit
for the party's good. A change, such
as proposed, would lead to the formation
of four or five different clubs all pulling IN
different directions.
Mr. H. w. Woodward of Nebraska, Mr..
w s. Hyams of North Carolina and others
discussed the proposition, Mr.. Hyams, who
was a proxy, diverging from the subject TO
warn his fellow republicans that the propo-
sition 10 reduce the southern representation
in the national convention or elsewhere
would mean the death of the republican
party in that section. Returning to the
question at issue, he said the object Of the
republican league was to build up the
party, and rot to pull the wires for any
man who had political ambition.
Mr. L. J. Crawford OF Kentucky inspired
great applau-e by stating that he should be
in Kentucky today, assisting In the tnaugu-
ration of a republican governor. He then
offered a resolution providing that COM
mittee of five be appointed to present to the
next national convention of the league
revision of the constitution and bylaws;
that said committee be instructed 20 in
corporate into such revision an article pro-
viding for the revenues of the league, SO
that it may be self-sustaining, and also to
take into consideration whether or not the
interests Of the league would be best con-
served by embodying in its constitution the
right to declare its preference for particular
party policies and to critictse, If necessary,
acts OF public officials.
Upon motion of Mr.. Hayes 1t was de-
cided that all further resolutions and
amendments should be submitted in execu-
tive session. The discussion, however, was
continued. Mr.. A. ]. Edwards Of Pittsburg
made an emphatic if brief speech, in which
he declared that all propositions to change
the constitution such as presented would
have the effect of changing the entire OBJ
ject and purposes Of the league, which was
to advance and uphold the principles of the
republican party.
Some Differences.
Mr.. Boyd Of Maryland secured the floor,
but Mr. bowling, a past officer of the
league. made point that the consideration
of other business before the time and place
of holding the league convention had been
settled was out of order. This led to
rather breezy discussion between Mr.. Boyd,
Mr.. Bowling and the chair.
President Stone called attention to the
fact that he had announced al the outset
that the meeting was an Informal one. The
differences We're smoothed over by the
meeting deciding to take up for discussion
at once the subject of the time and place
of the holding of the national convention
of the league Mr.. bowling offered a mo-
ton that the convention be held within a
month after the national republican con-
vention was held. The chair ruled that all
such motions should be entertained only in
executive session, only an Interchange of
views being permitted at the one in pro-
gresS.
This led to the discovery that number Of
gentlemen present who were not members
of the executive committee, but who were
high In the league organization, and who
had been invited to participate in the in
formal session, occupied rather peculiar
sible. until Mr.. Boyd of Maryland made a
motion. which was agreed to, that all such
gentlemen should be permitted to partici-
pate in all discussions. but only members
Of the executive committee should be per-
lnitted to vote.
The roll was then called by the secre-
tary to permit the presentation of the
claims of cities ambitious for convention
honors. When the District of Columbia
was reached Mr.. l.. NJ. Saunders made q
brief speech welcoming the executive COM
mittee cordially to Washington, where he
said all the meetings should be held, and
regretting that the non-existence of any
political organization here prevented him
from presenting the claims of the national
capital for the convention.
st. Pauls Claims.
The advantages of ST. Paul were set
forth by Mr.. D. NJ Reese. clerk of the Min
nesota supreme court, who was introduced
by Mr.. Bowling. Mr.. Reese made a telling
speech setting forth the attractions at St
Paul. and was particularly applauded when
he urged the holding of the convention in
July. After Congress has adjourned and
after the national convention has nominated