The daily sentinel., 1906-10-10
! q q q o q o q q o o q {
is THERE A BIG FIvE?"

y A COIlIn nuulCdIlOu mas peeu
a addressed to The Sentinel ask
q ing whether there is really in
a existence such a cabal as is
a generally known as the big
a five" in Mesa county politics.
a This is rather a delicate
a question for us to answer and
q it is our purpose to tell the
a truth, so far as we know of
a such a combination of men.
a The name was given origin
q ally by this paper to a small
a coterie of individuals, who
a seemed to dictate practically
a all the nominations and the
q party policy of the Republican
q party in Mesa county, without
a submitting the selection of
q candidates or the solution of
a any of the questions to the
a rank and file of the party.
q Having watched the leader
q ship of the Republican conven-
a tions of the county and city
dfor a number of years and know
a ing somewhat of conditions
a and who seemed to control
a such conditions, we sifted the
a debating element of the party
a down to about six or seven
4 men. For matters of conven-
\ fence. we denominated these
4 men the big five." of the Re
\ publican party, because we
\ knew, as do large part of the
\ Republicans of the party in the
4 city and county, that these men
4 were the real dictators of the
4 policy in Mesa county.
y Nor has our deduction in re-
y gard to the controlling force of
y the party been at fault. Those
y individuals candidates for NOM
= ination, members of the Re-
\ publican party of the county
a will bear the Sentinel out in
4 this when they recur back to
q the time of the county conven-
a tion and ask themselves the
q question whether they We're
a The choice of the big
a five" of the party. If they were
a not they were defeated. If they
a were, they are now candidates
A of the party in this county.
a There are very few Republi-
a cans who are honest with
a themselves. who Will deny the
a existence of this cabal for the
a control of all things in the Re
a publican party in Mesa county.
a Many and many a time have
a ambitious Republicans run up
a against the stonewall of author
a ity of this combination of indi-
q viduals, to be hurled back dis
a comfitted and defeated in their
q ambition to become nominees
q of their party,
a We will Illustrate. The rank
a and file of the party in the
a county thought 1t inexpedient
q to nominate George ]. d. VIII
a liams for treasurer for a third
a term. Party councils were held
a by those not within the sacred
a circle of the big five" and
a they made known their opposi-
a tion to Mr.. Williams. But what
q did it avail, after the word had
a been said for Mr.. Williams
a nomination, nothing whatever.
q To illustrate further. At
q each recurring election the
a party leaders in this county re
q ceive a large contribution of
a money from the state campaign
a fund. Into whose hands do
a the rank and file of the party
a believe this money goes. Nat
a urally they believe 1t will go in
a to the hands of the county cam
a paign committee for distribu-
a tion, but does it? We will ans
a wer for you. it does not, at
a least 1t does not go there di-
a rectly. 1t first reaches the
q hands of the big five" and
q then 1t reached those individ-
a uais who will carry out the be
a hests of the big FIVE" and
a here is the basis of their
q power,
a 1t is almost farcieal to watch
a those outside the inner circle
a who believe that they are do
a ing something and are of some
a weight in the party. They are
a as nothing whatever. for dur
a ang an observation of many
a years. we know that from this
a big five" comes the entire con-
a troll of the party and that many
q men who in their own judg-
q ment are of some consequence