The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-03-25
BELL GANGS TACTICS.
Saw They Were Beaten, but "Died
HRPd.3


The small faction of the Democratic
party which has for the past four years
made division in the party ranks and
brought disheartenment and defeat to the
Democrats of st. Paul made an unsuc-
cessful attempt yesterday to perpetuate
Republican rule in the city, and by so
doing further their own personal ends. 1t
has been apparent since the calling Of
the Democratic primaries that the object
of the faction headed by r. w. Bell was
not, as 1t was claimed, to harmonic diff
ferences and to work toward party sue
cess, but rather to play into the hands
Of the Republicans, and, if posi-
BILE, to repeat the programme of
four and two years ago, by Sc
| curing split in the Democratic party
which would not only make the election
of the Republican ticket possible, but
leave the Democratic organization in the
hands of the few men who could barter
it away for their own personal benefit.
This was the programme which the Bell
faction arranged for at the convention
he,1 yesterday at Sherman hail. but, ow-
ing to the spirit Of fairness which the
rank and file of the Democratic voters
| possess, and the failure of Mayor Kiefer's
police force to obey; orders the plan fell
through. 1t had been arranged by Mr..
Bell, through the Republican politicians,
/ that in case their own crowd could not
| control the convention, then the police
| force was to be called in, and those not
| in favor of their programme were to be
summarily ousted from the hall. Just at
the point that the police were about to
| eject from the hall those who were oppos-
| ing the schemes of Mr.. Bell and his fol-
| lowers, Deputy Sheriff Frank Robert de-
| feated the plot by announcing that he
had been authorized to swear in deputy
sheriffs. He called on those who desired
| to be sworn in to hold up their hands.
| and he thereupon administered the oath
of office to over 100 of the delegates. This
| dramatic and entirely unexpected scene
put the Bell faction to rout, and the score
| of policemen, who until then had been
very much In evidence, and were about
| to remove Chairman ]. G. Michael and
Secretary James r. Hickey from the hal,
| disappeared as If by magic. The Bell
| crowd, amidst the greatest confusion,
made show Of nominating John w. Will
lis for mayor, Anthony Yoerg for comp
troller, and Otto Bremen for city treas
urer and then adjourned, after attempt
ing to pass a resolution declaring r. w.
Bell the chairman of the city committee
for the next two years.
The delegates, after the "absconders,"
as they were called, had left the hall,
proceeded with the duties for which they
had been called together, and nominated
! Democratic ticket, placing at the head
Robert A. Smith for mayor, John Rogers
Jr. for comptroller and Otto Bremen for
| city treasurer.
Sherman hall was entirely too small for
the delegates and audience which re-
| sponded to the call for the convention.
r. w. Bell mounted the platform at 1906
o'clock after holding short conference
with John c. Hardy, Lou Cornick and 2.
| D. Scannell. A few vigorous raps with a
gavel called the convention to order and
| Mr.. Bell announced that Lou Cornick,
Patrick Carey and ]. H. Colwell were ap-
| pointed ergeants-at-arms. William
| Keefe, who was said to be assistant Sec
| rotary of the city committee, at the direc-
| ton of Mr.. Bell, read the call in detail.
! This having been completed Mr.. Bell an
| nounced that the temporary list of dele
gates to the convention would be read by
the secretary. A delegate from the Sew
enth ward inquired if the chair was adj
vised as to the list Of delegates entitled
to seats in the convention. Mr.. Bell in
formed the astounded delegate that he
was out of order; that the temporary list
of delegates had been prepared from the
best means obtainable and that if there
were any contesting delegations the ques-
ton would be decided after the temporary
chairman had been selected. The secre-
tary proceeded with the reading of the
list of delegates, which had been prepared
evidently several days before the primar-
les were held, for 1t was noticed that in
all of the wards with the exception of
the Seventh the names OF delegates who
had been defeated at the primaries were
announced as being entitled to seats in
the convention. The reading of the list
of delegates having been completed Mr.
Bell said the first business would be the
election of a temporary chairman c. F..
Stanley, of the Sixth ward placed in
nomination the name Of Judge E. II.
Wood. The nomination was seconded by
William Johnson, on behalf of the First
ward, and by P. d. Scannell, on behalf
of the Second ward. F. A. Pike, of the
Tenth ward nominated J. c. Michael.
This brought out the statement from +.
d. Scannell that the name of Mr. Pike
was not on the temporary list of dele
gates.
Thomas ]. Jordan, of the First ward,
seconded the nomination of Michael, and
as the delegates commenced to shout
Mr.. Bell ordered the sergeant-at-arms to
place Mr.. Pike and Mr.. Jordan outside
the space roped off for delegates
| M. Doran Jr. inquired the action to be
taken as to contesting delegations He
was Informed that he was out of order
and ordered to sit down by Mr. Bell
j. NJ Pottgieser, Of the Third ward,
seconded the nomination of Judge Wood
and +. w. Foote seconded MichaePs
nomination. Mr.. Bell directed the secre-
tary to proceed with the roll call for the
election of chairman and then pandemon-
ius broke loose.
| Delegates were on their feet in all parts
of the hall shouting at the top of their