New-York tribune., 1901-10-13

1rict and other younger Republicans associated
with General James NJ. Varlum, Charles A
Peabody 3r., Nicholas Fish, Oliver G. Barton
and others and succeeded the defunct Blaine
Club which was the Republican organization
club OF the district, with headquarters at NO.
is West TWenty-fourth-st. In the early part
OF that year the new club was incorporated, anc
the following year rented the three story build
ing No. LAG Broadway which ii now occu-
pies. next the Victoria Hotel: The house was
RENTED and a large sum of money expenceo
in furnishing it, The membership was then
two hundred and fifty. John A. Weekes. Jr.,
was the first president of the club, and has
continued to be its president ever since. The
other officers are Howard Conkling. first vice
president; William J. McI3wen. treasurer, and
Elijah ]. Keehn, secretary. The board Of gov
ernors auditors and counsel consists Of Howard
Conkling Arthur =. Sturges. William J. McEwen'
John T. keenan,. William f. Billings, Ward T.
CIute. George Blagden. jr.. Henry Birrell James
NJ Varnum. Bronson Winthrop Thomas W.
Folsom Job z. Hedges. John c. Oconor,
Thomas J. Quinn and the leader Of the district
McDougaI Hawkes..
The club occupies the entire building, with
the exception of the ground floor. The first
floor which was formerly the cafe of the Hotel
Victoria. IS used a meeting room, and
has a seating capacity of five hundred.
Adjoining this room is small private
ROOM used by the officers On the upper floor
are billiard and pool room and two cardrooms.
The location Of The clubhouse IS such that
transparency hung from the front of the build
ing is seen by thousands of people passing in
Broadway every day. The club has an unusual
Iy good lot Of campaign speakers, who will ad-
dress the meetings TO be held in the big meeting
hail Of the clubhouse until the campaign closes.
Nh ol,rGa Iob
Hawes, Howard Conkling, McDougall Hawkes.
Herbert Parsons and Mr.. Weekes.
I'VE have started our campaign in earnest"
said President Weekes to a Tribune reporter
yesterday. "and we expect that the XVIII Dis
trict viii give the fusion ticket a satisfactory
majority. The first aud most important work is
TO get cut the registration. We nave repre-
sentatives IN every ele. ion district IN the As
sembIy district whose duty It viii be 10 sec that
every Republican gets his name on the registra-
tion books. After that is disposed Of, VIII do
some effective campaign work -Four years ago
Seth Low received 3 100 votes in the district. as
against 1900 for General Tracy. out of a regis
tration Of 901o. Of which 7.;sf0 voted: so that
the sentiment iu the district for Seth Low IS
strong end he ought not only 10 get all the
votes cast for him IL the last mayoraty cam
paign, but also those received by General Tracy
and good number Of independents That will
give him comfortable majority in the district.
We expect to make appreciable decrease in
the Tammany vote. although they have dis
tributed considerable patronage in The district
end have lots of money to use in the campaign.
] should say that We ought carry the district
by 5000 for Mr.. Low. Last year was Presi-
deniial year and President Mckinley received
$500 votes. Governor Odell got 400, and was
elected TO the Assembly with a majority Of 2,6oO.
We expect to get all the independent votes for
Seth Low. and thereby cut down the Tammany
vote by from 'hEl to 1909 From what have
been able to observe. the small shopkeepers are
thoroughly tired Of being blackmailed by Tam
many Hall, and viii help TO overthrow the
Democratic organization this fall"
President Weekes is the Assemblyman from
the XXNth District. He is a trial lawyer Of high
standing. and a member of the firm of
Weekes Brothers. has been in active practice OF
the law for twenty years. He is a member Of
the Bar Association. Union Club and Delta Psi
Fraternity. He comes from a well known Re
publican family, who have been identified with
XVIII Assembly District Republican politics
for more than half a century