New-York tribune., 1901-04-19
CITIZENS UNIONS WORK.
PLANS FOR THE MAKING OF PLAT
FORM AND THE FORMATION OF
A CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE.

A CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE.
The Citizens Union convention held its first
session last night in the large hall of Cooper
Union. and spent over three hours in effecting
a working organization and preparing for the
construction of platform and for the selection
of campaign committee of 100 that will
suggest nominations for city offices in the fall
campaign. Another session of the convention
is to be held next Thursday night in the same
hall to pass upon the work of committees which
were appointed last night. About four hundred
delegates were present at the convention last
night and the proceedings were far from har-
monious at times.
r. Fulton Cutting. the chairman of the Cen
traI City Committee of the Citizens Union
called the convention to order at o'clock, ana
made an address. He was cheered loudly when
he declared that the campaign committee 10 ne
selected must not sell itself to the nomination
OF any man for partisan purposes. Then the
committee on nominations presented nominal
tions for permanent officers of the convention
which went through without protest. The Off
GERS selected were George Haven Putnam, chair
man: + n Seligman F. L. Marshall. W. r.
Cogswell and Arthur Hallock vice-chairmen;
Thomas A Fulton. secretary. and Robert Baker
assistant secretary.
F. c. Huntington gave notice or changes IN
the constitution of the Citizens Union 70 he
voted on AT the next session of the convention.
fixed for April % and one of the changes was
intended TO permit the convention 70 enlarge lts
campaign committee from seventy to one nun
dred members The convention then listened to
a resolution authorizing the chairman to ap-
point a committee of seven to prepare plat
form for the consideration of the convention at
its next session.
in he
precpitated by ]. NJ Price. who wanted the
committee to consist of sixty members. one
member TO be appointed by each Assembly dis
trct delegation. Several of the labor men in the
delegations from Brooklyn and Queens Joined in
the demand for district representation in the
committee. Everett 2. Wheeler and other dele
gates declared that the committee of sixty would
be too large, and that small COMMITTEES could
do the work better. One labor delegate shouted
I'VE are here to work to turn out Tammany
Hall, and we are proposing to do business as
Tammany Hall does it,
COMMITTEE ON PLATFORM.
Another delegate said that it a question
if the convention was to he a business organi-
zation or a debating society. After much argu-
ment and considerable confusion. the amend
ment offered by Mr. Price was voted down and
the original resolution was carried. Mr.. Putnam
then named as the committee Oh seven on reSo-
lutions and platform the following:
4 J F4gI1 RogLToN F. EoTER & RUSTIKgToN' FoTIKe
AnoGPH AfaLPH of5PffiM oPPsSHEiM ALI ''-'-
The next resolution was offered by Everett P.
Wheeler. and it led to long wrangle in the
convention The resolution provided for the
appointment of committee of seven. to
select the names of a campaign comit-
tee of one hundred, to be elected by
the convention at its meeting on April %
The committee is to be empowered. when
lected to confer with various organizations. and
to report to another convention of the Citizens
Union. in September ticket for the next mu-
nicipaI election in the fall. Mr.. Price offered an
amendment that part OF the committee be Sc
Iectad bv the district organizations, one mem
ber from each Assembly District and that the
committee thus selected be empowered 10 select
the remainder of its members Mr. Huntington
offered substitute that the committee OF seven
select the committee of hundred. according
to a scheme in which the boroughs would nave
representation the basis of the number of AS
sembIy districts in the boroughs. Then. for an
hour or more. there was an exciting discussion,
Franklin Pierce was frequently hlssec BUT
this did not deter him in the least. and he kept
on.
George W. Bailey. labor man, added some
fuel TO the excitement by shouting:
This has been all cut and dried, Everything
was fixed I'D by clique before We got here!
At the end of the long debate the Huntington
substitute for Prices amendment was carried.
and then Mr. Wheeler's resolution. as changed
by the substitute. was adopted An amendment
offered by Mr.. Seabury TO allow the chairman
of each district organization to have voice
in the committee was defeated by vote Of
215 to 100.
LABOR MEN ON THE COMMITTEE.
Before adjournment was taken until Thursday
evening next Chairman Putnam announced the
members of the committee OF seven. They are
Everett P. Wheeler, James B. Reynolds, Charles
H. Strong Timothy p Healy. Willis L. Ogden.
Michael J. Flaherty and John W. Weed. OF
this committee Healy and Flaherty are both
prominent labor men, who figure as leaders in
NJ bor tionR.