Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-19
DEMOCRATIC trouble
Row in the. Party Over Conduct
Of the Chairman Of State
Committee.
Denounced at Home. Defended
Away From Home. Origin Of
the Quarrel.
New Candidates Brought OUT.
Interest in What Sixth Dis
trict Will Do.
Special to Times-Republican.

DeS MONIES, Aug. l3.-Ihe democrats |
# Iowa are not without their little trou-
oles as related to party management |
Already few of the faithful are strag-
ing in to attend the democratic state
day after tomorrow. There |
will be no two or three days work in the
obbies like that which preceded the re-
cent republican convention, but there
are enough things to interest the lead
ars to make the convention fairly
good one. One of the first matters to be
attended to, and it is one which is caus-
ng quite little i'll feeling, is that of the
of the state committee.
George Huffman, chairman, has recent
" been engaged with Secretary Charles
Walsh in the insurance business in Mis-
souri,, representing one of the Des
Moines companies. Huffman came to
Des Moines a few years ago and oper-
ated small jobbing printing office for a
time. Then he went into politics and
became chairman of the committee.
Soon thereafter he built for himself a
handsome residence, kept a carriage
and team and begun living Thoroughly
This aroused the jeal-
ously of some of his erstwhile support
ers in this city and they went after him..
Thru weekly newspaper which had
been supported largely by campaign
contributions and few legal notices
the attack on Huffman was made. In
defense of Huffman it was said that the
real reason for the attacks was that the
hol ,nt oh lis no oh 40
democratic state committee put up as
much money for campaign support as
the aforesaid editor desired. In short,
there was row over the division of the
spoils. This eliminated in the Polk
county democratic convention giving
consideration to the following resolu-
tions:
Whereas, The member of the state
central committee for this, the Seventh
congressional district has identified
himself with business in another state.
to which business he is devotIng hts
personal attention and time, and
Whereas, There is widespread feel
ing among the democrats of the state
and Polk county that his administration
of the affairs of the organization of the
party in the state and district has peen
inefficient to such oegree as to es-
tablish his incompetency to properly fill
the position which now occupies; there
fore be it
Resolved. BY the democrats of Polk
county in convention assembled, that
we believe the interests of the demo-
cratic party to be paramount to those of
any one Individual, and that said inter-
ests would be served by the immediate
resignation CT the present incumbent,
that his successor may be selected and
placed in charge of the business in
which every democrat is so deeply in
tersted at the coming session of the
state convention.
Resolved, That the secretary Of this
convention be Instructed to furnish a
copy hereof to George A. Huffman, to
whom these resolutions refer"
The resolutions were not got thru
but the convention refused, 112 to 70, to
table them. They We're afterwards re-
ferred to the state committee. The COM
mittee did consider the resolutions and
disapproved of them; but NJ. H. Belvel
their author. asserts that the white
washing of Huffman in the committee
was accomplished by Huffman voting
several proxies for himself The antag-
onism to Huffman is not confined to this
county alone, but is prevalent to q
large extent in other counties of the
district. Only one county, SO far as
heard from. has taken up Huffman:
cause and that is Fayette county, which
passed the following resolution:
Whereas, An attack has been made
on the chairman of the democratic state
central committee by certain men under
the guise of friendship to the democratic
party, and,
Whereas, This attack was made
while Mr.. Huffman was absent at tn,
deathbed of his mother. therefore be i
Resolved, BY the democrats of Fay
cite county in convention assembled
that we denounce the action of those so
called democrats as cowardly ant
| fraught with mischief and antagonist
to harmony and the best interests of ou
party, be it further
| Resolved That we extend to Mr.. Huff
man our sincere sympathy in this sad
| ness of sickness and death and pledg
| him our untiring efforts to promote har
mony and dispel discord in our ranks"
Here the matter rests for the present
| Whether any action will be taken in tn
Seventh district caucus antagonistic t
Huffman is not known. BY some 1t /
regarded as significant that the Wapel
| 10 county democrats indorsed the candi
dacy of T. j. Phillips for governor an
did not send Charles A. Walsh to tn
state convention as delegate. Walls
is Huffman's partner. He Is nationa
committeeman for Iowa and secretar
of the national committee. but will nc
be member of the state convention.
The fact that Phillips is to be put for
! ward as candidate for governor fror
the Sixth district adds interest to tn
. attitude of the Jasper county delegatio
which is headed by Gen. James B. wea
liver. 1t has been limited that Weave
would like to go on the ticket as car
didate for governor. He will attend tn
| convention as democrat. But Phillip
! is not OF the Weaver brand OF demot
4 racy, and if the opportunity arises ia.
] per county may present his name.
Il was the democracy Of Jasper count
which declared that the Kansas Gil