New-York tribune., 1900-01-19
Mr.. GRUBER VOTED DOWN.
COUNTY COMMITTEE DECIDES AGAINST
CHANGE IN THE SELECTION OF
ELECTION OFFICERS.

The Republican County Committee last even
ing voted almost soHdly against the proposition
OF Abraham Gruber. the leader in the XxIst Dis
trict. TO take from the president OF the County
Committee the power to select election officers
and vest it in the district organizations. There
had been an agreement by district leaders at
meeting in the afternoon 70 vote Mr. Gruber's
resolution down. Mr.. Gruber made a fight for
his resolution against overwhelming odds, and
there was long wrangle over points OF order
before the decisive vote was taken
Mr. Gruber's resolution was the one ne tried to
offer at the meeting Of the County Committee
month ago when he was shut OF by the hasty
adjournment Of the meeting in the absence OF
President Quigg He offered it again last even
ing after the County Committee had disposed OF
some unimportant business and Mr. Quigg had
named Committee On Election Officers. as
recommended by the district leaders The reso-
luton began with the following sentence:
All election officers and inspectors Of election to
act at unoficiaI primaries in every Assembly dis
trict shall selected from list TO be furnished by
a person designated writing by a majority OF the
delegates to the County Committee from the As
sembly district in which the officers and inspectors
are 10 act as such
As soon as the resolution was read Frederick
S. Gibbs moved to have it referred to the Execu-
tive Committee without debate. Mr.. Gruber
raised the point Of order that his resolution was
intended to be an amendment TO the rules and
regulations OF the County Committee and should
go over TO the next meeting under the rules.
There was a long wrangle TO whether the
resolution could be considered an amendment 10
the rules. Mr.. Quigg at length decided that the
rules contained mention OF unofficial pr1-
rnaries, and therefore the resolution was not
amendment He declared that the resolution re-
ferred only 10 election officers at unofficial pri-
rFrhf n
have his resolution interpreted differently He
took back the resolution. read it over and ap-
parently made a mark or two on the paper
Then he declared that the secretary had failed
TO make note OF two commas in the opening
sentence Of the resolution. AS he read IT, and as
It appeared after he handed il back, the resolu-
ton began as follows;
''AH election officers and inspectors Of election
to act at unofficial primaries. in every Assem-
bly, district etc.
Mr.. Quigg said Mr. Gruber appeared to be
frivolous
The gentleman who presides may take him
self seriously. as I do. may be-" retorted Mr.
Gruber but I have the right to offer resolu-
ton and have it read as it is" Mr.. Gruber
went on TO declare that his resolution referred
TO election officers in general, we'll as TO the
inspectors at unofficial primaries.
Gibbs renewed his motion 10 refer the reso-
luton to the Executive Committee. No notice
was taken of that. Gruber tried TO appeal from
the decision OF the Chair, but no appeal was
entertained James ". Perry talked a little
in favor OF giving TO the districts the right 10
select election officers. MI Gruber was allowed
TO make short speech for his resolution before
il was voted down. He said:
Those who vote in the Ist Assembly District
should have the right 10 name the election oTlcers
for their own district and It should be the same
~, ALL -Ha6 fzr = -elzCtiOu
We could be sure that arbitrary act would he
done D16a T3Gh 9nfr %0qa eottee R m NeYoTk For
instance last fall in the XXth and AAIAtn DIS
tricts-
James Yereance. from the XXIXth. got up
and interrupted Mr.. Gruber. and the latter
raised laugh by his quick retort about the
poor showing you made last election"
1T is not necessary for me TO argue the merits
Of this resolution" said Mr. Gruber. in con-
clusion Il submit it TO the honest judgment OF
this body
An attempt 20 get vote on the resolution by
roll call failed and then everybody except Mr..
Csruber and the other delegates from the XXIst
District voted against the resolution. and il
was buried
Mr.. Quigg declared that it had been the prac-
tice TO allow the district organizations TO select
the election officers. and he had failed 10 certify
the selections only in the case of the XXth Dis
trict last year, when he thought the interests
OF the party demanded the certihcation OF dif-
ferent list.
Mr. Gruber offered another resolution de-
claring that all election officers should be Sc
lected by the district organizations. John Sa-
bine Smith raised the point that the Primary
Election law must be followed in the certiica-
ton OF the lists OF election officers, and Mr..
Cr1ber's second resolution met the fate OF the
first one after another wrangle- Then the meet
ing OF the County Committee was adjourned
There had been a report before the meeting
that Mr. Quigg might resign the presidency of
the County Committee but he declared that
there was no foundation for such report