Montana news., 1905-03-29
MAY EXPEL TITUS.

The following from the Seattle
Times of March IS explains a
little difficulty that has arisen in
the Socialist ranks, and we re-
produce it that all Socialists may
be prepared to receive more in
formation in the future and then
pass fair judgment upon the
same:
CDR. Hermon F. Titus, of Seat
tie, for the past five years a prom
inent leader i'm the Socialist party
in the state of Washington, and
who went east short time ago to
edit Socialist paper at Toledo,
O.. with a view to making it a
power in the national politics OF
the party, has had charges of
tampering with an election held
by the local party organization
filed against him. and as a result
his ambition to rise into national
fame may be nipped in the bud
by his being expelled from the
party.
THE trouble which threatens
the doctor now is the elimination
of factional fight that has torn
the local Socialist organization
into two contending factions.
Those opposing DIR. Titus claim
that he has an Unsuitable ambition
for power and wishes to become
a dictator in the party. They
charge him with being entirely
unscrupulous in gaining his point,
and as such dangerous to party
which has as its foundation prin-
ciple the equality of all men.
Back of the present charges
which are resting against the agi-
tating doctor, his opponents say,
lies long list of offenses against
the best interests of the party and
an attempt on his part to become
absolute as a ruler. For several
wears he was editor and owner of
the local Socialist paper. The
local Socialist party organization
has sought to acquire ownership
of the paper, but to perpetuate his
control on each occasion the doc
tor is charged with having de-
feated the will of the party.
The Socialist party in this city
is divided into several local sub
divisions called locals. The Pike
Street local was the one presided
over by DIR. Titus, while bitterly
opposing him are the members of
the Central branch.
Shortly before DIR. Titus left
for the east the matter of con-
solidating the locals was agitated.
DIR. Titus strongly opposed the
move, as his opponents charge,
because it would decrease his
power, and at the time of the cleo
ton is charged with having pre-
pared a fraudulent ballot by
which the measure was defeated.
The officials of Central branch
prepared charges. 1t was urged
that now that the doctor had gone
east the matter should be dropped
but the Central officials contended
that his presence in the east
would make him more dangerous
to the party than ever.
Sunday morning the charge:
were formally preferred before
the city central committee of tn,
party, including representatives o
all the locals. The trial began a
10 o'clock Sunday morning anC
lasted till 6:3o in the evening. BY
strictly factional vote the docto
was exonerated by the narrow
vote of IL to Ia. An appeal wa
Immediately taken to the STATE
central committee, where Titus
opponents claim he will get fai
trial and expulsion.
Tonight the members of tn,
Central local will gather in thei
hall at the corner of Fourth Av
; enue and Pine Street to hear tn,
, report of their representatives a
the trial and discuss such furthe
action as may be deemed neces
, sary to rid the party of the am
bilious doctors presence. In tn
meantime the Ohio branch of tn
Socialist party has been notifie'
of the doctors relation to tn
! Washington branch"
Il MI .... Jz.4, s,,.I, nc tLal 80