New-York tribune., 1899-01-17
GIBBS IN BY A FEW VOTES.
THE REPUBLICAN CLUB ELECTS HIM
TO MEMBERSHIP.

REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
on THE CHARGE OF REPEATING AT
THE DECEMBER ELECTION. WHEN
GIBBS WAS BLACKBALLED.
Due precautions were taken at the reeu'"
meeting Of the Republican Club last night "heh
the name Of Frederick S. Gibbs was again
brought forward for membership. to prevent
repetition OF the duplicating Of votes to winch
It has been ascertained. was Justly attributed
the blackbang OF Mr.. Gibbs at the December
meeting. At that gathering. 1t VIII De recAlieu'
Mr. Gibbs's name was presented for member
ship. but when the ballots came TO be couhteu II
was found that he had not received the requisite
proportion for election. In the hutbup 'hat en-
sued charges were openly made that the voting
had not been honestly conducted. and that al
least one member had been guilty OF repeating.
The accusations against the validity OF the
election were Of such direct nature that
resolution was ultimately passed suspending ac-
ton upon the result of the poll and instructng
the Executive Committee TO investigate the
whole matter and submit a report to the meet
ing scheduled in ordinary course for last night
As was reported in The Tribune. that COM
mittee met fortnight ago and. after deVotihg
several hours 70 examining witnesses in the et-
fort to probe the truth of the allegations came
IN the conclusion that the charges had been
sustained in so far as they appertained to one
member.
The committee so reported last night, but
while It withheld the name Of the member IN
question his identity is no longer secret his
only excuse which he offered to the committee
was that he did not remember voting at all
THE REPORT ADOPTED.
The committee in its report frankly urges
that this members course was due 10 intoxica-
ton When the committee presented its re-
port last night it adopted without COM
nent Of any kind. as was also resolution
from the chairman Of the committee providing
for an election and Offering lggestions
as to procedure in the fresh ballot so as TO
avoid any recurrence OF the previous trouble.
The committee offered no recommendation af-
fecting the continuance Of the accused mem
hers good standing in the club. md there is
feeling among the members generally that as
the man had already been sufficiently pun
shed by publicity the matter should he allowed
to drop
It has been a long time since meeting OF the
club has been so largely attended as was last
nights
The utmost efforts were made to secure a fair
nou and as each man deposited his vote his
name was checked of. 1t known that Mr..
Gibbs's nomination would be opposed by many
members. and until the result was announced
the greatest tension prevailed. II was not uhtll
about 1920 o'clock that the figures were an
nounced Then it learned that Mr. Gihos
had escaped rejection for second time only oy
the skin Of his teeth" Less than half dozen
more votes against him would have excluded
him. There were in all 17S votes cast out OF
which Mr. Gibbs received 146
Chauncey NJ Depew presided over the meet
ing In addition to the interest whlch MI
Gibbs's candidacy aroused, the gathering WAS
irnportant for the reason that II was the annual
meeting Of the club. and that officers for the
coming wear were TO be elected. The routine
business Of reading the minutes and hearing
the treasurers report was eded over swiftly
and then came the presentation by Magistrate
Deuel. Of the Executive Committees report
The report was unanimously edopted without
discussion whereupon Magistrate Dueul offered
the following motion:
Resolved That an election be held for memosr, ,sio
slTp p IN he ' 'spnoinfad one 70 receive the ballots and
The other 10 record the name OF each voter llat
hat be placed upon the table in front o. me b'eS d
a,, ard that ail voters pass before the teers ara
mon vote. that election he held TOT a.! cdiu'
dates for election the names to be all ,rtI on 9le e
close OF the polls for election Oh o"'oe's u '''
club.
This resolution was Immediately carried with
out dissent and the meeting proceeded shortly
afterward TO vote upon the nominations. Inc
rrovisions set forth in Magistrate Deuers reso-
lution were carefully carried out by William
raarv and william Erdman, who were appoint
ed tel.ers.