The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-10
FOR TODD
OR BRAUER
Is Up to the Henrico County
Committee To-Day.
TODD WILL STAY IN RACE
He Issues a Statement Saying He
Never Admitted jurisdiction OF State
Committee = Cards from
Brauer and Rufin.
TODD WILL STAY IN RACE

All eyes are centered to-day upon tho
new Democratic Committee of the county
will meet to organize and to plan for
the campaign incident TO the Novembe,
election.
Stirring scenes and live and hot debates
are confidently expected by all when af.
ter the work OF organization Is complete.
the new committee will plunge in medias
res, as it will undoubtedly do into the
Hechler- Brauer-Todd muddle. Efforts to
settle the dispute and clarity the situ-
alton in advance Of the meeting have
proven fruitlcss and it is now sauarely
up to the new committee to pronounce Its
position. 1t must either endorse the ac-
ton Of its predecessor and thereby go
on record with the other as defying the
supreme party power in the State: or it
will have to set aside the action of the
old committee and come strongly forti,
with a recognition OF the man declared
by the State Committee TO be the DEM
ocratic nominee. Either course involves
entanglements from which 1t will be I'M
possible to escape; whichever way the
committee turns it will meet with OBJ
stacles that cannot be lodged. Be the
action of the body what it may 1t will
leave behind it a trail that will not be
e1aced until the election next month
settles things once for all.
Speculation is rife as to the direction
In which the new committee will move
toward Todd or toward Brauer. At this
time 1t Is impossible to predict results
with any certainty 1t may be stated,
however that the Brauer element Is
unusually strong, and that tremendous
fight will be made from this wing
Whether this fight will be Of sufficient
strength to upset the other side, which
is also very strong. remains to be seen.
Todd Won't Retire.
The movement yesterday to get Mr..
Todd to withdraw and leave the field
to Brauer was totally without the desired
effect. On the contrary 1t served to bring
out very strongly the fixed and un-
movable determination OF Mr.. Todd to
fight his fight to finish.
One OF the old committeeman who had
modified his Views on the subject and
who now wanted Mr.. Todd to withdraw
was no less person than Chairman
Ruffln himself. conference extending
day. Mr.. Ruffln and Mr.. Todd were pres
ent. Mr.. Hechler was there also, The
meeting was In the office Of L r'laherty
and Fulton, counsel for Mr.. Hechler. Ar
ter about three hours consultation Mr..
Todd issued formal statement. replying
In detail to the editorials published In
this paper urging submission to the doci-
sion of the State Committee, This state
ment is published In full herewith.
The result of the conference was tho
announcement by Mr.. Todd that he has
no idea of getting out of the race. He
denies emphatically that he agreed before
the State Committee to accept the decision
OF that body and says he and his coun-
sci were present 10 protest AGAINST any
interference by the State Committee and
after it decided to 30 into the case they
retired from participation In the matter
and remained only as onookers. Accord
ing to Mr. Todd further, the people of
the county are rallying to his support.
The Hechler people, he says, are flocking
tn his standard and his telephone
constantly ringing, people from all over
the county urging him to stick to the
fight and stand up for his rights. A dele
cation of the political friends and SUP
porters of Mr.. Hechler called on him
| Crodd) a few nights ago and assured
him of their cordial support.
! If Mr.. Todd Is elected 1t is believed that
Mr.. Hechler will be his deputy The
| two will go into the fight together and
stump the county for Todd and against
W.. A. N