Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-30
LEADERS WORKED UP
DISTRICT DEMOCRATS APPAR-
EMILY IN HOPELESS TANGLE.
Organized Labor Proposes to Take
Hand-Mr. Seton Has Conf
dellce in the Commission.


! ing strenuous time these days. fractional
fights are becoming acute, and today it
transpires that a personal encounter be-
tween John T. McGraw, democratic national
committeeman from West Virginia and
Charles w. Slater of the Hearst forces in
the District was narrowly adverted Mon
day evening, in Mr.. McGraw's quarters at
the Shoreham. According to the story
which gained currency today, Mr.. Slater
having become acquainted with the purport
of the rules drafted by the subcommittee,
of which Mr.. McGraw was member, call
ed on the latter and denounced the report
and its authors as being maliciouSly unjust.
1t is said further that Mr.. McGraw took
offense at this arraignment, that heated
argument followed and that the principals
advanced toward each other.
Friends interferred, and rumor has 1t that
Mr.. Slater was requested to retire. This
incident is admitted by Mr.. Slater and
vouched for by several friends of Mr.. Nc
Graw.
At all events, the fractional antagonist.
has drifted into personalities, and it be-
gins to look as though the local democracy
has involved itself in hopeless tangle
Every democrat apparently is opposed to
every other democrat, and the party seems
to be pulling on the traces from fifteen
different directions. Local leadership is
claimed and disputed by several, While
others announce they are for national is
| sues, without the medium of delegates, pri-
maries or any other local political institu-
ton.
Labor Will Take Hand.
What is perhaps of more significance.
however, is the result of local canvass
just completed by The Star. From con-
sentative sources it has been learned that
organized labor, through individual men,
bers, contemplates taking firm hold on
local politics, and that probably 1900
union ahOr will ballots at the
polls May 3. From public and private ex-
pressiOns made by leaders among these
men it is further learned that they are al
most unanimously for the candidacy of
Hearst for President, and these men claim
that local leadership is absolutely unim-
portant, because even if Mr.. Norris is seat
ed as national committeeman from the Dis
trict he will be compelled to take a dele
cation to st. Louis instructed for Hearst.
1t is also taken into consideration that the
Hearst supporters are not all democrats.
They compose every creed and political
faith; they are eXhOrted by their leaders to
place party politics behind them. This is
being dOLe to a great extent. and the en-
tire Hearst strength may be traced to this
method of campaigning.
The Hearst democrats are arranging for
a mass meeting to be held in Convention
Hall the latter part of next week. at which
several prominent men have promised to
make addresses
Confidence in the Commission.
Mr. Edwin Seton, member of the newly
appointed commission of four to promulgate
rules for the approaching primaries, in dis
cussing the policy of the commission this
morning said: Fs.-.-5-
This committee is going to pursue such
course in the formulation of rules and
regulations will best reflect credit upon
its appointment.
The factional differences which have I'M
fortunately crept into local democratic poll
tinci in fEa OF will ait her hn a x
discussed by the elections commission.
believe the duties of the commission to be
to formulate such rules and regulations as
it's members think will be best for the party
in the District of Columbia, and further to
conduct the primaries and local conven-
lions so as to enable the majority of demo-
Gratis who may favor this policy Or that to
have their votes properly recorded and
counted. l believe, also, that the action of
this subcommittee in handing down this
decision was done in the interest of the
democratic party, generally, and not in the
interest of any faction in the District of
Columbia, and each of the gentlemen who
composed that subcommittee has given very
careful thought and attention to this propo-
Sition, and the conclusions they have reach
ed are, as they believe, the very best mode
of determining the political enigma. Speak
ing for myself, l will say that my action,
as a member of this commission on cleo
lions, will be in the interest of the whole
democratic party of the District of Column
bia.'
Local Situation Described.
The local democratic situation is briefly
this: In order to secure harmony in the
District both the Slater and Norris fac
lions agreed to abide by the rulings and
appointments made by the special sub
committee of the national democratic
committees; for the personnel of COM
! mission to govern local democratic pri-
maries, each faction submitted a list of
names, it having been agreed that two
names would be selected from each fac
ton, these four to select the fifth men,
Der. 1t now appears that this agreement
has been broken, for the reason that
while two members were named from the
list submitted by Mr.. Norris, only one
member selected from the list sub
mitted by Mr.. Slater. Gordon and Mat
thews for Norris, Bride is for Slater,
and Seton is Independent.
The other thorn in the path of local
politics is that the subcommittee has
prescribed only one judge for each of
the twenty-five election districts. The
anti-Norris faction claims no honest pri-
mary can be had unless each side is rep
resented. 1t has been argued that if the
Norris faction is honest and fair it can
not oppose two judges or dozen, for
that matter. The anti-Norris people hold
that as only one judge is to be allowed,
and that a Norris judge the whole report
and transaction is condemned. Unless an
equal number of judges can be obtained
be assured of an equal show at the polls
a bolt is probable, and MFR. Cotter T. .
Bride, the Slater member of the commits
sion, will resign, leaving the situation
more tangled than before
Action of Committee Denounced.
More than a hundreds democrats, promi-
nent in organized labor circles in the Dis
trict, met last night at Painters Hall, 506
9th street, for the avowed purpose of CON
sidering'' the report of The subcommittee of
the national democratic committee as an
nounced yesterday, concerning the rules and
| regulations for the approaching democratic
primaries in the District. TO say that the
! report was considered" is putting it mild
| ly, for after a severe iarraignment of the
subcommittee by Mr. Charles W. Slater the
| meeting unanimously adopted the following
resolutions: -r4a4
Resolved, That we, the representatives
of the democracy of the District of CO.
lumbia. do hereby denounce the action of
| the subcommittee of the democratic ma
| tional committee. consisting of James NJ
Guffey of Pennsylvania, John T. McGraw OF