The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-24
A CAT AND DOG TINE

Enjoyed by the Democrats Of Bel
mont County at Their County oOm-
mittee Meeting Tuesday, at Bell
aire-some Interesting Details.
The row at the meeting of the Bel
mont county Democratic committee at
Bellaire was more terrific than hrst
Information indicated. 1t seems. that
A. A. Clark, editor of the st. Glars
Vile Gazette. D. s. Dreamer and per-
haps others who were not taken into
the Mclean fold last fall, charge that
the committee is controlled by John r.
Mclean and is anti-Bryan. In fact, a
letter was shown at the meeting writ
ten by one Of the gentlemen named
above, in which he said the Mclean
gang were endeavoring to throttle the
Bryan Democracy and charging all
sort of things against the Bellaire boys,
r. C. Meyer, John F. Finn. R. e. Crow.
NJ. G. Lynskey, James Follen and 9TH
ers.
This sentiment grew without the
knowledge of the Bsllaire or river-front
Democrats, and as 1t grew &essrs.
Clark and Dreamer gathered in proxies
and controlled things as they Choose.
During the progress of the scrap
Messrs Meyer and Creamer passed the
lie, and Meyer produced letters to sus-
tain himself, from the congressional
committeeman, but at this point It de-
veloped that H. H. McFadden, of steu-
benvllle, had been quietly stirring the
depths in Belmont county. In fact, an
amusing feature OF his part in the row
came when Mr.. Meyer produced let
ter from Mr.. McFadden. sustaining his
position, and Mr.. Clark produced an
other letter from the same Mr.. McFad-
den, supporting him in his opposition
to Meyer.
The climax cams when the boys who
claimed to represent the real Democ-
racy proposed that each committeeman
cast the Democratic vote he represent
ed. Then it was that those who were
hanging to the coat tail OF Mr.. Bryan
saw they we're up against 1t, and rather
than stand defeat they proposed to
withdraw. This threatened such party
dlscord that the chairman Of the coun-
~ committee weakened and instead of
voting the Democrats represented at
the meeting they proceeded to vote only
committeeman.
The short notice for county conven-
ton and no candidates in sight Indi-
Gates that those who wanted to defer
the convention were wisest. But the
suspicion that the Bellaire, Bridge
port and Martins Ferry Democrats are
under the wing of Mclean took the
convention to the quiet country retreat,
away from such influences where men
Will be drafted to make sacrifices of
themselves on the altar of thrlr party
for the sake of Bryan.
The expose of the distribution of the
corruption fund OF last fall was mar
rowly averted, but there was consld-
cradle ugly talk on the side. The river
front Democrats were fairly happy
after 1T was over, notwithstanding the
coup of the gentlemen who had hyp-
noticed the unsuspecting rural man,
and they wondered how they could
make and elect ticket without them.
Ex-Mayor Mitchell. of Bridgeport.
and the Hon. w. NJ. Lupton, of Mar
tins Ferry, were participants, as was
also the irrepressIble Ham Glass, Of
Flushing, and Emerson Campbell. Of
Martins Ferry. These fellows kept
along the edges of the room. anxious for
harmony at any price and willing that
Bryan. Mclean or any other fellow
who would pay the freight might get
the goods.
1t seems reasonably certain that the
Belmont Democrats will concentrate on
i, John t. Finn as national delegate, be-
cause he is for Bryan or any other man
the party dominates. and he is a fighter.
He did not believe the suspicious of the
alarmists were well founded. yet ne is
one of those who talk freely upon all
occasions about the voice of the peo-
pie being heard" and the cid wide
world can wag as it will, he'll be
Democrat stIll-prosperlty or 70 pros
perity."