The San Francisco call., 1908-08-30

The executive committee OF the re-
publican state central committee car
ried out its long anticipated program
yesterday by turning down f. Fl. Dam
and recognizing Harry Worthington as
chairman of the county committee. At
the same time it decided that the coun-
ty committee had no right to increase
its own membership by the addition
OF "a men.
The action taken by the executive
committee had been on the program for
some time, but when the time came
for carrying it out the defense inter-
posed by f. H. Dam caused embarrass-
ment by its adherence to law and JUS
tice In consequence it took the COM
mittee five hours to set aside law and
facts and hand down its opinion.
The executive committee found for
the Herrin men of the county commit
tee by disregarding Dams brief and
accepting the brief of Secretary
Charles II. Forbes, a simple method of
decision. They declared in their find
ings that f. H Dam was temporary
chairman of the county committee;
that at the meeting which began the
dispute IS members were present and
constituted a quorum: that perma-
nent chairman was elected, the honor
falling to Worthington; that Worth
ington had the right to appoint WAL
ter Dyer to succeed Ed Kelly, resigned.
No reasons are given for these find-
ings. notwithstanding the fact that
they cover every question in contro-
versy.
BLACK EYE FOR JUSTICE
In other words. the executive COM
mittee rode rough shod over the Linz
Roosevelt wing of the> county
committee, macerating and giving JUS
tice the black eye in the process. The
disposition of the executive committee
was shown when Dam was given a
hearing before the committee.
When the executive committee con-
vened in the Fairmont hotel there were
present Chairman p. s. Teller. Sec
retary VIII Davis, Thomas B. Dozier,
A. II. Ashley, Henry A. Melvin, Charles
E. Clinch, John d. Daily, George Stone.
Dr. Henry Abrahm ]. F. Fugazzi, A.
B. Coleman, D. o. Druffel and Walter
Parker.
After pow wowing behind closed
doors, Forbes, in behalf of the Herrin
wing. and Dam, in behalf of the oppo-
sition wing OF the county committee.
were invited to present their cases.
Forbes' brief. outlining the con .ro-
versy from the machine standpoint,
was read first.
Forbes contended that rules of order
were net adopted until after. the split
and that these rules provided that is
members constituted a quorum. He in
sisted that the absence of Marshall
Hale in. Europe created a temporary
vacancy and that Kelly had resigned
early enough to uphold the contention
that is was majority of the com
mittee.
DAM PRESENTS DOCUMENTS
Dam replied by stating that pro-
cedure had made a majority of the
committee quorum; that Hale's alb
sence did not create a vacancy: that
Kelly had not ceased to be member of
the committee at the time specified by
Forbes; and that no meeting of the
committees having been called. Worth
ington could by no process of reason
ing be regarded as the chairman.
Dams argument upheld these con-
tentions. He cited cases in support OF
his statements and produced documents
in proof Of the facts stated. But the
committee was not open to conviction
A. II. Ashley of Stockton, complaining
bitterly that he had had no dinner,
began the '.ragging" of Dam. After
declaring that lawyers sometimes take
the common sense view of things, he
proved himself the exception to this
rule by demanding of Dam:
Suppose this absence of one man
had continued to tie up the county COM
mittee; would you stop the whole gov
ernment of the United States rather
than hold a meeting?"
Not to be outdone. Will Davis de-
manded:
SUGGESTIONS CONSIDERED
Suppose the whole 1s members had
gone to Europe; what then?s
Anxious TO be in on the program
Tom Dozier queried:
Suppose one member were uncon-
scious with disease for weeks?
Suppose you had gone to Honolulu?
Suppose one member had committed
suicide?"
All these suppositions were seriously
presented, and despite their Stiffness
Dam endeavored to make respectful
reply. Walter Parker and Johnnie Daily
also took a hand in the ss-examina-
tion.
Finding the disposition of the com
mittee, Dam explained that he did not
recognize the right of the COMMITTEES
to decide the dispute and reserved all
his rights in the premises.
The committee returned to executive
session and after two hour and a half
of consultation achieved an adjudica-
tion of the dispute which carries out
the program, but proves nothing.
DAM DENoUNCEs MACHINE
Chairman Dam declined last night to
state what. if any. further action would