The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-29
PARTRIDGE is FIRM.
He Will Not Notice
the Request to
Resign.
CHARGES AGAINST MEMBERS.
Two Of Them Took a Letter
Which v as Given Them
to Read.
CHARGES AGAINST MEMBERS.

There were several interesting devel-
opments in the republican city com
mittee fight yesterday. AS predicted
in The Spy, Chairman Leon Rice Part
ridge received a communication signed
by Is members of the committee, re-
questing that he put off his robes OF
state, vacate his private office, which
was pre-empted the evening before by
the remonstrants, in fact, to resign
step down and out, at the request of
the members mentioned.
The communication which was writ
ten in the chairman's private office, and
on the official typewriting machine, fol-
lows:
Worcester, Mass, Nov. 81, 1899;
To Leon r. Partridge, Chairman of the
Republican City Committee
Sir-The undersigned, a majority of
the members of the republican city
committee of Worcester, Mass, having
at heart the best interests of the com
mittee and, the duties for which said
committee was elected and organized,
hereby respectfully request you to re-
committee on or before the 18th day of
November, current at s o'clock p. m.
The undersigned believe this to be
necessary in order that its meetings
may be conducted in a dignified and
parliamentary manner and that 1t may
be enabled to perform the duties for
which the members were elected.
Furthermore, this belief has become
an imperative necessity, since you have
failed to call a special meeting in ac-
cordance with call duly made, signed
by eight members and duly presented
to you, which 1t was your duty to in
Struct the secretary to call, as required
by the rules
To serve the best interests of the
work which we now have before us, we
the wishes of the majority.
(Signed) Arthur c. Scott, Henry e.
Whttcomb, Aldus G. Higgins, Walter
F. Gleason Daniel 2, Aver, H. A
Leach, J. Wesley Gray, VIM. j. Bragg,
Chas. b. Wetherby. ]. Arthur Roy
Willie c. Young, H. Elmer Blake,
George r, Tuson.
This request was presented to Mr..
Partridge during the noon hour by Ar
thur c. Scott and Daniel b.
Aver These two members OF
the committee planned to deliver the
document in the chairmans office. and
telephoned Mr.. Partridge to this eff
feet, but the latter was busy and in
Vited his callers to come into the First
national bank, where he is employed
providing the call should be cut short
The representatives of the remon-
strants pushed their document through
the wicket and followed it up with a
query as to why the chairman had not
called special meeting on Monday
night, as requested by several members
of the board. Mr.. Partridge replied
that no date was specified, and that
the request made no specification OF
the purpose Of the meeting as required
by the bylaws, and for this reason, he
had not issued a call.
The committeeman differed in opinion
and in proof of his statement Mr.. Part
ridge read this letter, which was re-
ceived by him last Saturday:
Worcester, Mass, Nov, 1899.
To the Chairman of Republican City
Committee
sir-We, the undersigned, members OF
the Committee, request you to call a
special meeting on Sept o. 1899, at 5
O'Clock p. m.
(signed) Daniel E. Aver, Arthur c.
Scott II. Elmer Blake, Henry E.
Whitcomb, c. B. Wetherby, Herbert
A. Booth, George R. Tuson, C. e.
Slocomb.
1t was then that what may develop
an interesting feature took place. Mr..
Partridge says that his callers asked
to see the letter, and after looking ii
over, acknowledged the mistake. Mr.
Partridge says he asked that the letter
be returned, but that Mr.. Aver re-
marked to Mr.. Scott that he had better
keep it and the latter placed the paper
in his pocket and walked out of the
bank
Mr.. Partridge has consulted counsel,
and says he will serve notice on both
Mr.. Aver and Mr.. Scott today, that if
the\letter is not returned within a rea-
sonable time he will institute legal pro-
ceedings.
So far as the request for his resigna-
ton is concerned, Mr.. Partridge says
he will not resign, and from what he
has been able to learn there is nothing
in the rules or the law that can compel
him to resign under the present circum-
stances
1t developed yesterday that the
chairman has been aware of the drive
against him for several days past and
after consulting authority on the ques-
ton, feels justified in taking his pres
ent stand. Mr.. Partridge says he is sorry
the matter came out and that he is
willing to let it drop if his letter is re-
turned, but if not he will push the mat
ter. He has talked with a number of
leading republicans who characterize
the action of members of the commit
tee as childish and showing merely the
venting of personal feeling without re-
gard to the reaction on the committee
as a whole.
There is a special meeting of the city
committee with republican candidates
and their friends at headquarters to-
night The hour set for the meeting
is s o'clock, the hour specified by the
remonstrants for the chairman to lay
down his gavel. Men who signed the
document claim the matter will be
brought up at this time, but cooler
heads say the meeting is practically
public and called for a specific pur-
pose, and that it would hardly be good
form to bring up a question which re-
lates to the committee alone at such a
time. Again, Chairman Partridge
saws he will not entertain any such a
motion, and in event of his decision be-
ing overruled, he will take steps to
determine the power of the chairman,
In other words, Mr. Partridge is de-
termined to serve out his term of office
even though it becomes necessary to
go into the courts to do so.
Alexander II. Bullock. treasurer OF
the city committee, entertains decided
views on the subject. He said last
night. Il consider the action of GER
tain members of the committee very
foolish move, and one that win prove