Mexico weekly ledger., 1903-11-26
HON. HARRY B. HAWESI
OF ST. LOUIS
addressed the Democrats of Hannibal and s,,rro,,,d.
ing country wednesday Night, November 70. He
discussed issues That Are Now Interest,"
ing the Democracy of Missouri.
Mr.. Halves Said:
thought to their personal enterprise.
OF ST. LOUIS

thought to their personal enterprises.
Inc character and legal attainment
Oh our circuit judges were lower In
standard than evor known before in
inc city, Cases were tried in the o
ice courts, In the criminal courts, and
even in the circuit courts, moi by law
n evidence, not by lawyers, but by
politicians, and decisions were meas
ured out by the size of political pulls
rather than by law and evidence.
Aiesenhein and Becker, Wurtzberger
n Schumacher, Florsheim and Kratz,
danoed the carmagnole while the peo-
pie were robbed and the city fell into
decay.
THE JEFFERSON CLUB.
The reformation of the City Of st.
Lou has been brought about mainly
through the instrumentality of the JEFF
ferson Club. That organization. by
systematic, intelligent and patriotic
political work, probably has done more
in the cause Of good government and
in behalf Of the Democracy than any
other similar organization in the whole
United States. That IL is misrepre-
sented, abused and villihed by Repub-
lican speakers and the Republican
press, is but natural. That its very
name should cause Republicans anger
and lead them to resort to the vilest
SANDER, is what might be naturally OK
pected.
Let us see what the Jefferson Club
really is, of whom it is composed, and
how it works, 1t was organized on
July "a, 1892. had the honor of call
ing the first meeting which brought
1t into existence. Seventeen young men
formed the first organization-to-day
its membership is almost eight thou
sand. In order to appreciate this large
membership, one grasps some idea Of
its size from the statement that it
would comprise the total voting pop
ulation of a town of forty thousand
inhabitants-that is, estimating five
persons to each voter, which is the
ratio accepted by the United States
government.
It's early history is not SO well
known, as it did not come conspieu-
ously before the public until within
the last six or seven years. The st.
Louis Democracy had no organization.
It was ruled by a city central com
mittee Of arbitrary power, dominated
by the most Objectionable elements.
They had not Vol a fight for the Dem
oeratic party since coming into con
troll OF the party machinery. Their
whole usefulness seemed to be the car
rylng OF primary delegations to State
conventions. In South St. Louis there
was more than a suspicion that the
Democratic leaders in that section had
an understanding with Republicans.
No strong effort was made to carry
South ST. Louis. Democrats assisted In
| Republican primaries and Republicans
co%nspicuously oificiated In Democratic
primaries. Some South st. Louis Dem
oeratlc leaders could secure nearly as
many favors from Z%iegenhein as could
| Republicans. Ii therefore became the
first duty of the Jefferson Club to in
augurate a fight within the ranks Of
the Democratic party TO drive out and
annihilate the old, inefficient and self
seeking regime and to replace it by a
systematic organization with ward,
precinct and block representatives.
This was done. The last committee,
before its absorption by the Jefferson
Club. had but $50 in its treasury with
which to conduct a city campaign. 1t
had lost the confidence alike of party
workers and those business men who
contribute TO their party's support.
They refused to trust it with campaign
moneys and the workers refused to
follow leadership which was too sus-
piciously connected with the Repub-
lican management.
I charge that until within the last
four years no real honest. systematic
effort was made to carry the Southern
part Of the city for the Democratic
party, and that even now the close af-
flation in that section Of certain So
called Democratic leaders with prom
lnent Republican politicians is q aust
of constant suspicion. Instead OF the
city Democracy being represented by
twenty-eight men, a call issued to-
night would bring together at the JEFF
ferson Club twenty-eight ward men
and 1893 precinct men. In twenty-four
hours OF less time a meeting can be
had of representatives of every pre-
| cinct in the City OF St. Louis.
The main cause of the remarkable
growth and the present political su-
premacy Of the jefferson Club is due
to one provision in its bylaws which
keeps the organization entirely out OF
primary fights. 1t spends no money
and takes no part as an organization
in fights between Democrats. Its by
laws prohibit the indosement Of any
candidate for an elective Office and
also prohibit the Endorsement Of any
candidate seeking an appointive office,
thus combining Its work exclusively to
carrying out the will Of regularly con-
stltuted Democratic conventions.
Its business affairs are conducted in
the same systematic way as those of
any mercantile or banking establish
ment. All of the moneys paid into
its treasury are deposited In bank, ac-
companied by a record showing from
whom the money came. All moneys
paid out are by check, which is issued
only after a voucher has been made
BY the chairman Of the committee
making the expenditure and approved
by the president, secretary and treas
urer of the club. Not so much as n
dollar is spent by the organization
which is not issued by check.
Republican papers continuously
charge that its sources Of revenue are
open to suspicion. We have but two
| sources of revenue. One is the pay
ment of regular initiation fees and
dues. and the other is by voluntary
| contributions at campaign periods. The
| initiation fee for membership in the
jefferson Club is S., the annual dues
are s6-that is to say, fifty cents a
month. While the dues seem small,
the membership is so large that 1t
brings in a handsome annual income.
The membership is 1900, | believe, at
| TIE present time. Multiply the annual
dues of Sc by that membership and
yor will find that the income OF the
! jefferson club from dues alone amounts