The St. Louis Republic., 1903-09-23
LOCAL REPUBLICANS
OPPOSE HARMONY.
City Central Committeeman Hold
Caucus at the Southern
Hotel.
ZONE MORE FIGHT AHEAD"
Chairman Blake Considered the
Stumbling Block in Reorgan-
izatiOn and Trouble Is
Anticipated.

Harmony with a meat ak" would be an
appropriate title for the story of the local
Republicans during these haleyon days.
Not content with having two or three
clubs fighting each other Ike cats and
dogs. the two factions in the City Central
Committee have started trouble by at
tempting to reorganize.
Reorganization" is q favorite slogan
with local Republican politicians. Last
year bad City Committee was ousted for
trying 10 effect deal with the Meri
wether crowd. William H. Blake, who is
Commissioner of Indian Supplies. was
made the chairman of the new City Com
mittee.
In two elections the new City Committee
showed that IL was not made of the stun
which can get the Votes in the ballot
boxes. except in primary elections, when
there seems to be no limit. Last spring
the Republican vote was so small as to be
almost infinitesimal. At present there is
about as much life in the local organiza-
ton wen could be. and still be consid-
cred force III politics.
Monday night there was a caucus of a
few members Of the City Committee at
the Southern Hotel. 1t was held 'on the
quiet in room far from the elevator
and with appropriate outposts- Mum"
was the password and "a bas" the slogan.
Just who called the caucus is mys-
terry. Every one concerned is busy deny
ing all knowledge Of the affair. 1t is no
secret that among those present were
City Committeeman Charles Witthoefft of
the Second Ward. John B. Owen of the
Sixth. Fred Hutzfeldt OF the Seventh,
Harvey Feuerborn Of the Tenth, Louis Alt
OF the Twelfth. Billy Schlingmann of the
Fifteenth, c. j. Powers OF the Twenty
sixth, Freeman Wright of the Twenty
seventh, and II. c. Bonner OF the Twenty
eighth There may have been others, but
their identity has not been disclosed
According TO one story. Freeman Wright
called the meeting at the suggestion of
Influential Republicans, who thought 1t
would be good thing 10 have a confer
ence." 1t is said that when Bonner asked
for the names Of the ''infiuentials.'
Wright admitted that 1t was done at his
own volittDn.
HARMONY DID NOT PREVAIL
Be that as it may and whatever were
the motives of the men assembled the
caucus resolved itself into anything but
place of harmony. Some one said that
Chairman Blake of the City Committee
should be deposed. Representatives of
the St. Louis Republican Club. including
Hutzfeldt and Powers, suggested that
Blake wished to resign. as he was Fed
eral officeholder and did net think it
proper that he should hold the place.
If you fellows are 50 anxious TO get .
rid OF him. owen is reported to have re-
marked. why don't you have him resign
from the committee, too? II the line Is
to be drawn on Federal off;ceholders they
should not be permitted to hold member
ship in the committee \
You fellows talk about harmony" con-
T. Powers
went to Louis zepp and asked him if he
desired harmony. Receiving an affirmative
answer, Powers asked him IL he would
not lead the fight against me in the Sixth
Ward. II that is the sort of harmony you
wish, You can have all you want of IL
in IN the sixth Ward. and the sooner you
For my part. 1 don't want harmony
for awhile. We have got TO have another
fight, and then we will see what is what
As for Mr. Blake. he has done as well az
ne could with this committee. and no one
has brought any charges against him
When sixteen members Of this committee
and clerks in before the last day j don't
see how the chairman can be blamed. The
CITY Committee is composed of a lot of
they see it,
Witthoefft of the Second Ward, who has
heiped to reorganize the House of Dele
tons Were good things for those con-
cerned. Cut out yopr man Blake" he
advised. Lets take new start and have
another deal. / am tired of this propo-
sition."
WISHES FAIR PRIMARY.
Harvey Feuerborn of the Tenth rose to
remark that he thought a fair primary
would be demanded. I'VE have talked a
good deal about the Democrats stuffinE
the ballot boxes" he said, "and 1t is my
candid opinion that there are some of
us who don't need teaching in that line,"
and then he glanced around to see how
Hutzfeldt of the Seventh was taking the
shot
Freeman Wright was askel who he
thought should be made chairman. FL
nally the suggestion was made that Owen
would not be bad man for the place.
Owen promptly vetoed the idea by saying
that a thousand dollars a month would
not. induce him to be the bell wether of
such q bunch.
Some one is trying to knife Chairman
Blake and reorganize the ommittee. The
nine men who were present were not
enough to do it, and it is q problem
whether the purpose can be accomplished
Now every one is denying that he had any
thing to do with such a piece OF treachery
Some were trapped into the conference
Others did the trapping. Some OF those
present said more than they intended to
proved or disapproved. Some calmly dis
cussed the bad plight of the party organi-
zation, while others 'cussed." All of
which, in the language of one of the
speakers. means that there'll be hot
time in the next Republican Central Com