The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-03-13
FRIENDS
PROVOKE STRIFE,
Action of City Committeeman
Means fractional Fight Re-
newed in st. Louis.
REFUSE TO GIVE DETAILS.
Admits That He Has Been Asked
to Resume Leadership of
Party in st.
Louis.

Another merry war IS promised IN TIE
Republican ranks of ST. Louis by an CT
fort of some of the direct primary"
members of the City Committee who
have made overtures to Chauncey /. Fill
ley to assume command of the party in
the future. or at least past the next cam
paign.
Only three weeks ago a similar attempt
was made in the Twelfth Congressional
| District, but It was frustrated by the &C
tivities of the so-called reformers and the
old Ziegenhein crowd. which united and
managed to show up with practically all
of the members of the Congressional
Committee when the time came to fix a
call for selecting district delegates to the
Republican National Convention.
At the last meeting of the Republican
City Central Committee a committee Of
five was appointed to visit the "Old Man
at his mosque in Chestnut street. They
arrived after dinner and remained until
midnight. Both sides were reticent re-
garding what took place. but it was plain
to be seen that the City Committee had
eaten humble pie and acknowledged that
it did not know enough TO run the party
itself.
1t is said that the proceedings were
something In the nature of a farce, for in
a large measure those committeeman had
been primed beforehand as to the part
which they should take. The resolution
which they presented to Fflley requested
cal affairs of this city and State" e1-
pressions which meant complete subtec-
ton to his will.
The committee which waited upon the
r~edoubtable Chauncey L, who Is now in
his seventy-ffth year, consisted of City
Chairman W. H. Blake of the Twenty
fourth Ward. c. H. Without of the Sec
ond Ward. Robert Walker of the Fourth.
Wilbur S. Parker of the Twenty-sixth.
Ed Koeln of the Eleventh and Charley
Day of the Twenty-second. They were
his hour of need and helped to throw the
machi to the old Ziegenhein gang.
the plan to put F1lley at the hsad
of affairs will precipitate a lively warfare
both in and out of the City Committee is
admitted by all concerned. The solar
walkers are especially bitter against him
The old Ziegenhein gang in South St
Louis is against him.
1t Is said that Bartholdts friends are
likewise against his re-entrance into poll
does not particularly favor abdicating in
his favor. a proposition which it knows
must be accepted before Filley will con
.new-found friends expect to place him.
From a party viewpoint there Is not
much regularity In the proceeding, how
ever much the ability of Filley to organ-
iZe forces may be conceded. For the last
five years he has run his typewriter as
siduously in his fight against the Kerens
and Akins factions. He has kept up an
organization of followers which has never
failed to poll at least $500 votes in an
election. In season and out of season he
has never failed to give a knock-and
usually with reason.
Neither Mr.. Finley nor the men who Wis
tied him will tell just what conclusions
they reached. That Fflley is we'll posted
on the local situation there can be no
doubt: That he is able to boss the
bunch" the Republican ward workers also
acknowledge. The difficulty will be in get
ting their consent to his dictation-