Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-31
LOCAL DEM OCRACY
Preliminary Skirmishes Be-
tween the Rival Factions.
NO HEARST BUREAU
A PUBLISHED STATEMENT DEsIR-
ED BY MR.. SLATER.
Correspondence Between Him and Mr..
McGraw Given Out - A Political
Puzzle-Status of Mr.. Norris.
NO HEARST BUREAU

Political skirmishes between the rival fac
tions of the local democracy have become
thing of the past, the heavier guns have
been wheeled into position, and the first
cannonade of real war is heard echong
through each of the twenty-five legislative
districts of the District of Columbia. Chal-
lenges and contradictions are being hurled
by the contending forces as thick and fast
as they can be drafted and given out. Fuel
was added to the fire this morning, when
Mr.. Charles W. Slater of the local Hearst
democratic club, and prominent leader in
that faction, emphatically denied that the
Hearst followers in the District contem-
plate carrying a campaign fight into the
home districts of such democratic congress
men as may be opposed to the nomination
of Hearst for the presidency.
1.-The statement which has been publish
ed" said Mr.. Slater this morning, Ito the
effect that there has been organized by the
local Hearst democrats a bureau of infor
nation, with the avowed purpose of carry
ing a fight into such democratic congress
sioRal districts as are now represented by
opponents of Mr.. Hearst, is not so. Fur
thermore that statement is put out for the
purpose of prejudicing the members of the
democratic congressional committee which
is to be organized April 4.
THE democrats of this District have no
grievance against any democratic member
of Congress; on the other hand, they are
all more than friendly and the District
democrats would be only too glad, instead
of throwing any obstacle in their way,
to assist them in any way possible to have
them returned to Congress We believe the
democratic representation in Congress is
excellent. The Hearst forces in the District
have not organized any committee of any
sort to carry any fight into any congress
sional district. The only fight outside of
he nj W we
template is against the members of the sub
committee of the national democratic COM
mittee."
A Battery Of Correspondence.
Nor is the din allowed to cease with the
lessening echo of this first volley. Follow
ing this, Mr.. Slater exhibits a battery of
correspondence which originally passed be-
tween Mr.. Slater and Mr.. John T. McGraw.
From this correspondence 1t appears, first,
that while Mr. Slater delivered a copy Of his
brief in the contest to Senator Blackburn,
counsel for Mr.. James l.. Norris the oppos-
ing brief was never delivered by Mr.. Norris
&c Mr.. Slater. Mr.. Slater says he ultimately
managed to see copy of Mr.. Norris brief
but that 1t did not come direct, as promised.
The more serious allegation, however, is
that Mr.. Slater was denied a copy of the
contest proceedings. as explained in the fol-
lowing letter, dated March o, and addressed
to Mr.. McGraw:
THE stenographer who took the steno-
graphic report of the proceedings before
your honorable committee at the hearing of
the District of Columbia case, agreed that
l should be furnished with copy of the
same at my own expense He now informs
me very much to my SUI prise, that Mr.. Nor
ris has instructed him not to let me have
same He informed me that you had receiv-
ca a copy of the proceedings. If this is the
case will certainly appreciate it very much
If you will be kind enough to have copy
of IL made and sent to me at my expense.
(Signed) CHARLES w. SLATER
Mr.. Slater claims no copy of those pro-
ceedings has ever been furnished him. On
the following day. March 10, the subcom-
mittee held a meeting in Washington, to
which, according to the correspondence
available Mr.. Norris was invited, but Mr..
! Slater not even notified of. The letter says,
in part:
My Dear Mr.. McGraw-I must say that
was grieved beyond expression to learn that
the subcommittee had met in Washington
for the purpose. as stated in the daily pa
pers, of making further investigation and
laying down rules and regulations for the
holding of an honest democratic election in
the District of Columbia, that all other
parties, namely. Mr.. Norris and Mr.. Black
burn, were notified. and that was not noti-
ned. after you had given me positive assur-
ance at the last meeting that all parties
would be notified when the subcommittee
met at Washington to further discuss the
District of Columbia matter.
I'm fairness to yourself and to your COM
mittee desire to give you an opportunity
which were employed at the meeting of
the subcommittee. 81
No Replies Received.
Mr.. Slater claims no reply was ever re-
ceived by him to this letter, and that no
explanation has ever been made
The following paragraph from a letter
from Mr.. Slater to Mr.. McGraw March II
is pertinent:
1T has possibly come to your attention
that / am a friend of Mr. Hearst and that
may be used. from what / am told. as
against the interests of the democratic
committee which i represent to have a
packed committee of five which would
controlled by certain element, which ele-
ment has been in the past against fair and
honest primaries in the District. 1t Is not
necessary for me to mention the names:
you know them too well. What / desire
TO Impress upon you is that we are going to
have a fair and honest election in this Dis
trict II II takes a lifetime to get it
Again, says Mr.. Slater, there was no
answer. save the echo"
The Hearst Democratic Campaign Club
or the District of Columbia was organized
today with headquarters in the Colorado
building. Capt. James A. Collins was nam
ed as chairman
A Political Puzzle.
The effort and energy of almost every
democrat in the District is being devoted TO
an attempt to solve the great political
enigma OF who's who in the local field
The subcommittee of the democratic ma
uonal committee has declared Mr. lanes
Il. Norris, national committeeman from the
District of Columbia. The anti-Norris fac
ton challenges the authority of this sub
committee, and aftlrmS that Mr.. Norris was
never seated at the last national conven-
tion. and that that body took no action
which could be construed as seating Mr..