The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-08
A BRIEF session HELD
The Democratic Central Committee
Meets and AdiOurns.
Nineteen Members Out of Twenty
Four Assemble ut Meyers Hotel
short Meeting Construed 90 Mem
n Victory for the Norris Faction
How Signatures Were Obtained

The Democratic Central Committee OF the
| District of Columbia met last night at
Meyers Hotel. Twelve members had signed
, the call by which the meeting WIS con-
vened but after the rolleaIl 1t was found
that the promoters of the special meeting
were in hopeless minority, and a motion
to adjourn to February % was carried by
a vote of u to =
The members of the committee present
were Victor Boyer, representing the First
district; DR.. Henry Darling Second; John
Maher. Third Arthur Small. Fourth,
Thomas L. Common. Fifth: John Boyle. Sew
enth; William J. Donovan Eighth: Charles
II. Turner. Ninth; George Neitzey Elev-
enth; Michael b. Scaulon. Twelfth: j. Fred
Kelley. Thirteenth. Frank McQuade. Four
tenth; E. L. Jordan Fifteenth: J. c. Wit
tekindt. Sixteenth; William l.. Wells.
Eighteenth; George Killeen. Nineteenth; f.
Lynch. Twentieth: John A. Clarke. Tween
ty-flrst, and John B. Miller, Twenty
second.
William B. Holtzclaw. of the Sixth dis
trict, was represented by Mr.. Neumeyer as
proxy; Thomas b. Kalbfus. of the Tenth
district. is absent from the city in the
Philippines. and Robert E. Doyle, of the
Seventeenth district. was confined at home
on account OF Illness.
The motive for the call of meeting of
the committee was explained last night to
a Times reporter to be an effort Of a fac
ton of the committee to supplant Mr.
Norris as member of the National Demo-
cratic Committee to succeed the late Law
renee Gardner. MIR Norris was elected in
that capacity last October. after spirited
canvass of the committee, and has been
recognized as a member of the national
body.
His election. however. was disputed by
a portion Of the committee. and plan was
started so it is alleged. to call special
meeting of the Central Committee to in
troduce proxies for absent members. to
elect new chairman in place OF Commit
teeman Kalbfus, to divide the Anacostia
and Brightwood districts thus introducing
two new members. and finally to unseat
Mr. Norris.
The event proved that this extended pro-
gramme did not last through the first num-
bers. The minority, known as the Holmead
faction. is said to have been working for
two months to obtain a call for meet
Ing. Letters were shown last night. signed
by members of the committee. stating that
they had been waited upon by another
member of the committee and asked TO
sign call for a meeting to express sym
pathy for the Beers. IL was alleged that
a typewriter call TO that effect was read
to the members referred to- and that when
1t came to signing the letter another was
substituted which simply indicated a call I
for a meeting of the committee for bust
ness on February {. 1900
clio
four of them. it is said. in the manner
above described. The vice chairman. John /
A. Clark. issued the call. and the commit I
tee met. only to adjourIt without the con-
OF any business whatever
The majority Of the committee. not con-
tent with exercising its power to force an
adjournment. in addition. set the day of
meeting on February %. the day after the (
meeting of the Democratic National Com
mittee in Washington.
The vote On adjournment is construed to 4
mean victory for the Norris faction of I
the Central Committee and to establish 1
MFR. Norris right to sit in the Democratic
National Committee.