Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-19
VOTERS ARE ANIMATED
Week Will Be Interesting to District Demo
Gratis and Republicans.
National Committee of Former and
Local Commission of Latter viii
Meet for Business.

The present week promises to be full of
interest to District democrats and republic
cans alike The democratic national COM
mittee. which will meet at the Raleigh Ho-
tel next Thursday, will be asked to settle
the controversy between Mr.. James l..
Norris and Mr.. William Holmead over their
respective rights to the place on the ma
tional body made vacant by the death of
Mr.. Lawrence Gardner, who was the MEM
Der from the District of Columbia. Both
Mr.. Norris and Mr.. Hulmead and their in
dividual adherents declare that each is the
choice of majority of the members of the
democratic central committee of the Dis
trict. while the Holmead men declare that
the alleged Endorsement of Mr.. Norris was
secured by Illegal means. This charge will
be made before the national committee
Thursday.
What May Happen.
As the national body has sole authority
over its own membership. regardless of
recommendations or Endorsements and as
many of its members are of the opinion
that the District, being disfranchised, real
ly has no claim to voice in political af
fairs it Is regarded by usually well-inform-
ed persons as being highly probable that
the vacancy will be permitted to continue.
1t is also said that, even If successor to
the late Mr.. Gardner is selected, ii will not
be either of the parties to the local disa-
greement, but some District democrat who
has been and is an unequivocal supporter
of Bryan, 16 to l, and the whole Chicago
platform. and adds thereto answering 10y
atty to the antitrust and anti-eXpansion
principles.
In Republican Ranks.
While the voteless Jeffersonians in the
District are considering the problem as de-
hp6 he haII
republican principles are looking forward to
a settlement of the question as to the
method and time of choosing two delegates
to the Philadelphia convention. At the
recent meeting of the national republican
committees at the Arlington Hotel Mr. NJ
NJ Parker, the member from the District,
offered a resolution, which was adopted,
creating a commission of three to devise a
plan that would make fraudulent voting at
primaries impossible. Judge John B. Cot
ton Mr. l.. NJ. Saunders and Mr.. W. Calvin
Chase were appointed as the commission
with Judge Cotton as chairman. The latter
is expected to call meeting some day this
week, when it is probable that a plan pro-
posed by Mr.. Parker will be adopted. 1t
provides that the candidates for delegates
to the national convention shall be voted
for directly at the primaries, which shall be
held in each of the twenty-five election dis
tricts. The primary tally sheets shall then
be turned over to central canvassing
board, consisting of three republicans,
neither of whom shall be either a candidate
tor delegate or alternate, to be appointed
by the. Cotton commission, and this board
shall announce the result from which it is
provided there shall be no appeal.
The plan also provides that delegates and
alternates shall be voted for separately 1t
is understood that Judge Cotton and Mr
Chase will support this plan, which If
course, means its adoption. 1t is also known
that Secretary Dick of the national COM
mittee has expressed personal approval Of
the Parker plan.