The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-14
PERNICIOUS ACTIVITY OF ALA
BANA OFFICEHOLDERS IS LAID
BARE IN PHILADELPHIA
REPUBLICANS begin WORK
COMMITTEE DECIDES TO THROW
OUT BOTH DELEGATIONS
FROM ALABAMA
WANT A BIG, STRONG MAN
Managers Are All at Sea as to
Where to Find n Suitable Run
( ming Mate for Mr..
Mckinley.

PHILADELPHIA, June 13-The nation
II Republican committee met at the Hotel
Walton al noon today, and Immediately
began the investigation of contest cases,
preparatory to the formation Of the tenn
porary roll for the national convention.
Chairman Hanna was not present when
The committee was convened and Mr..
Henry c. Payne, member from Wiscon-
Bin, was chosen to preside In his place.
senator Hanna came in from Washing
Z ton about 1870, but he did not assume the
flutes Of the chair during the afternoon.
= The entire afternoon session was devot-
I'd to hearing the recital of testimony and
: The arguments in the contests from the
etate of Alabama. There were several
contests from that state including that
Dver the representative of the state at
large, and those from the Second, Third,
Fourth, Fifth, Seventh and Ninth dis
tricts. Half an hour on each side was
! given to the contestants on the state del
egation, and fifteen minutes to each side
In the district cases.
The newspaper representatives., as well
Rs the public at large, were excluded from
bearing, in the main, consisted of recitals
of petty acts of bribery, an dof intimida-
ton, from both sides of the controver-
sies. and in some cases affldavits were
read, in which the witnesses had testified
on both sides of the case, giving abso-
lutely contradictory testimony. The prin-
cipaI developments of the day, however,
consisted in bringing out the fact that the
federal officeholders in Alabama, and some
Of those from the state who are employed
in Washington, had been exceedingly ac-
tive IN shaping the result of the contests
for delegates.
In the state contest there were two fac
tions one of which was known as the
Vaughan faction, represented by District
Attorney Vaughan, and the other headed
by District Attorney Wickersham. The
technical grounds of the contest had ref
erence to the regularity and irregularity
of the two delegations. Mr.. Vaughan is
now chairman Of the state central COM
mittee, and, notwithstanding he has held
the position for the past two terms, is
candidate for reelection. The controversy
grew out of his renewed aspirations. He
appeared before the committee in support
in the interest of his followers, each de-
manding recognition of his own faction,
and denouncing the opposition.
PERNICIOUS ACTIVITY.
It developed during the hearing of the
state contest that the federal ohicehold-
ers had been very active in the campaign
on both sides of the controversy, and
hearing upon the district cases served to
accentuate this fact. 1t was brought
out that, previous to the beginning of the
convention for election Of delegates, a
number of OfficehOlders met in Washing
ton and resolved that, ''as it was the wish
of the president of the United States that
no federal Officeholders should participate
IN the selection of delegates, they would
refrain from taking any part in either
the primaries or in the state convention"
The further fact was developed that,
notwithstanding this action on their part,
most Of the participants in this meeting
hurried to their homes, and Immediately
started campaigns in behalf of their ia
Vcrites, with view of controlling the
state delegation, and thus, it was argued,
directing the disposition of patronage un-
der the next administration In case of Re
publican success. 1t was found that Of
fcehoIders had also been prominent on
the other side Of the contest.
So palpable did it become that the fed
eral patronage was the principal object
in view, that the committee was not long
In reaching a decision to exclude all the
contesting delegates from the temporary
organization of the convention except
those from the Ninth district. In fact,
the contestants had hardly left the room
when Committeeman Joseph Manley, of
Maine, offered the following resolution as
s. the sense of the committee:
! Resolved, That the committee decline
\
{testing delegates or alternates from Ala
lbama, except in the case of the Ninth dis
trict and in that district that A. d.
Winds and ]. w. Hughes and their alter
mates be placed upon the temporary roll"
INVESTIGATION ASKED.
This resolution was speedily adopted,
and it was hardy disposed of when Com
mitteeman Payne, who had been acting as
temporary chairman, introduced the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resolved, That this committee request
the president to direct the proper officers
to cause an investigation into the acts
and dotngs Of certain federal officehold-
ers in the state Of Alabama in connection
with the election Of delegates to the pri-
mary conventions, and to the state and
( 9istTict fQlYegtiqp held in said state to
fefbgS g ESD e h the Pa5ii9nRR c0nTf
I 18th inst. and if the facts as stated In
the hearing held before sa!Q c9r99rqttttee, M
regarding the contests in saiddistrlcts and
state, be true this committee asks, not
in the interest of the Republican party,
but of the country, that such action shah
be taken as. the, good of the public inter
terest requires -z,ss=. .e.s-.a
- ~ B 2 - t-.sEsN I's'
! In presenting the resolution Mr.. Payne
said that he introduced It because of the
evil, pernicious activity Of the offlcehoId-
ers in the campaign, and he believed 1t
would be a very serious mistake for the
committee to fail to ask that official cogni-
zance be taken of this infrac.ion of the
laws Of the country. The committee, how
ever, had agreed to take a recess after
the disposal Of the Alabama case, and
eome Of the members insisted that as it
was then half past Z o'clock this deci-
sion should be adhered to. Accordingly.
, the committee dissolved for the time Mr..
Payne requesting that action should be
postponed until tomorrow
The resolution was the subject of much
discussion among other contesting dele
cations present, and District Attorney
of