The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-11-22
REPUBLICAN FACTlONAL FIGHT
SHOWS NO SIGNS OF ABATlNG.
Anxiety Is Plainly Discernible on
the FurrOwed Brows of Fac
tional Followers.
WHAT WILL ROOSEVELT DO?

Making the cards come right In a new po-
litical deal is hard work. IL the furrowed
brows and the haunted air of Missouri Re
pubicans who have '.just dropped in town
in the last few days may be taken as good
evidence. large number of rural Post
masters and place-hunters attended the re-
ception at the St. Louis Republican Club. a
distinctly anti-Kerens affair Congressman
Bartholdt's straight talk about getting next
TO the pie counter worried them With one
foot in the new Akins-Joy- y-Bartholdt- Globe
band wagon. they still hesitated to get there
with both feet.
To date the fight between the Kerens and
the anti-Kerens factions rests on the ap-
pointment of a Surveyor Of the Port. Il Is
alleged that three legislators from St. Louis
Charles Ehrhardt, Il. F. Biggs and Thorn
as B. Walsh-all controlled by Smith. bo;ted
Republican caucus and helped pass the
general appropriation bill in 1899. Smith :
opponents claim that he directed them to &c
so in order to help pass the Nesbit law. as
seventy-one votes were absolutely necessary
to carry the appropriation bill. This is n
case where the Hitchcock men insist that
the minority should not be put in the ma
1ority.
said a well-informed Republican yesterday.
Collector Smith is charged with helping
foist the Nesbit law on st. Louis in order
to make friends with Ed Butler. Now, Smith
Is Kerens's private secretary. BY innuendo.
therefore. Kerens is put in an equivocal po-
sition.
Kerens Stands by Smith.
when Kerens heard of the charges
against Smith he Immediately made Smiths
fight his own-just what his enemies wished
Yet he could do little else kerens attends
few conventions; Smith represents him.
Kerens does not know 30 Republicans out
side of ST. Louis Smith is his proxy. If
Smith falls he falls
Congressman JOY and Bartholdt brought
a direct assurance from Secretary Hitch
cock that w. G. Boyd would succeed Smith
This has been duly passed down the line
Yet dispatches from Washington announce
that r. c. Kerens ate lunch with the Presi-
dent-and many things may happen when
men break bread together.
Collector Smith had his application for re-
appointment prepared shortly before Pres
ident McKinley's death continued the we'll
Informed Republican. Beneath Kerenss in
snS Sas sfne had
lived Smith probably would be the next
Surveyor.
cock and Atkins stock began TO soar. In or
der to save United States Marshal Bohle
and Consul General to Mexico Barlow
Houser declared allegiance to the new deal
and Is now considered fast member of the
combination. of course, his Endorsement of
Smith could not be allowed to stand.
Saturday and tell the President that he had
changed his mind.
But here appeared Kerens's proxy.
Smith himself. and put some straight talk
to the deacon. He told him that things
were not so sure. Finally he got the Globe
Democrats Endorsement for a dozen or so
Postmasters out in the State, all Kerens
men. As a matter of fact the Globe-Dem-
ocrat has signed the petitions of almost
every applicant for country postmaster
ship. When Joy and Bartholdt heard of
this they let out a roar that went from the
north to the south end of the Tenth Con-
gressional District-Gnd that's long way
rIala fs
in the Globe office expostulating. To make
a long story short, HOuser did not go to
Washington. He is betwixt and between.
ConEressmen Have Another Seance.
Joy and Bartholdt had another little see
ance over an article that appeared in Chair
man Alkinss organ. the Political Review,
last week. This paper has usually been sup
posed to be the mouthpiece of the State
chairman. But this short item was a
scorcher. 1t said that a report was current
that the two Congressman had been OPP
posed to the nomination of Roosevelt as
Vice President at the Philadelphia conven-
ton, as they regarded him unstable and un-
safe for the business interests of the coun-
try. This interesting bit of gossip wound
up with the gentle query. How about this.
gentlemen
Were they sore when they saw that?
You should have heard them tell him that
unless he saw that the item was denied.
disclaimed repudiated and generally
around State headguarters. m e business p'N" up
Several st. Louis Republicans departed
Yesterday for st. Joseph to attend the con-
vention of Republican editors. Atkins has
sent a call for his friends throughout the
State to he on hand. in order to prevent the
kerens forces from capturing the aggrega-
tion. If possible resolutions will be intro
duced indorsing Atkins in time to reach
President Roosevelt. As the President is
known to be partial to the country editor.
1t Is hoped that enough pressure can be ex-
erted to influence the nasty fight in WASH
ington.