Evening star., 1900-03-23
WAR TO THE KNIFE
Democrats Preparing for Battle Royal in
April
HOlmead and Norris Legions-Bryar
Will Have the Delegation No
Matter Which Wins.

War to the knife and the knife to the hilt.
That is the battle cry of the two factions
Of the citizens of the District who affiliate
with the democratic party and who hold
allegiance to Mr.. William Holmead and Mr..
kJames L. Norris, respectively. The fight
Is now on, SO far as the preliminaries are
concerned, and 1t extends over the entire
District There promises to be lively gen.
eral engagement April 10, when primary
elections will be held in each of the twenty
two districts to choose delegates to repre-
sent them in the convention April IL at the
Academy of Music, which is to determine
whether Holmead or a Norris delegation
of six will be sent to Kansas City to partici-
pate in the national convention.
Certain Instructions for Bryan.
1t can be regarded as a certainty that, no
matter which side wins, the delegation to
Kansas City from the. District will be in
structed to support Mr.. Bryan unqualifiedly
and unremittingly. There is a vague pos
sibility that Vice Chairman John A. Clarke
Of the democratic central committee, who is
candidate for national convention honors,
might disregard such instructions If the
name of his patron saint, Ex-Governor
James E. Campbell, was sprung on the
gathering; that is, of course, If he is chosen
delegate, but beyond this remote contin-
gency the District delegation will be for the
Nebraska leader, first, last and all the time.
No Chance for Harmony.
There have been strong efforts made in
the past few days to secure some sort Of a
harmonious understanding between the op-
posing forces, but they have been unavail-
Ing, and the announcement of Mr. HoI-
mead that there would be Holmead tickets
at every polling place April 10 precludes
the possibility Of anything but a fight to
finish.
Competent observers are inclined to quite
positive belief that Mr.. Holmead's forces
will have a difficult task in securing a VIC
tory. The Norris forces are in almost COM
plete control Of the local democratic ma
chinery, and are using all their energy to
add to their strength in other directions.
Again, many Of the most influential local
leaders who were opposed to the Norris
side four years ago are now working zeal
ously In his behalf. The Holmead lieuten-
ants are not less vigilant, however and do
not appear to be any less confident of their
ability to win.
The Probable Tickets.
What seem to be the most favored names
OF the Holmead faction for delegates to Kan
sas City are those Of William Holmead,
George killeen, Edwin A. Newman the
editor of the Silver Watchman; Robert F.
Mattingly, Cotter T. Bride and Herman ].
Schulteis.
AS stated in The Evening Star yesterday.
.iis iSoiiis people lncllne strongly toward
delegation composed of James L. Norris,
J. Fred Kelley, William F. Hart, William
7. Whalen, w. Cranch Mcintyre and John
A Clarke. The Norris people are very
much amused at the declaration Of their
opponents that the issue at the primaries
VIII be Bryan or anti-Bryan They confine
themselves simply to the statement which
Mr. Norris made this morning that such
an assertion Is preposterous on the face of
IT, But, no matter the issue, the battle will
be vigorously waged and both sides are
gfrding up their loins and sharpening their
axes in anticipation of it,