Evening star., 1908-01-17
O'Brien Succeeds Belmont.

This is the explanation of the matter
sent out from New York:
wv. H. O'Brien of Indiana has been
appointed treasurer of the democratic ma
tional committee. vice August Belmont
resigned. Tbs brief announcement was
authorized today by Chairman Thomas
Tagga-t of the national committee, and
carried the first hint that Mr.. Belmont,
Wall streets democratic representative.
was to remain III the background during
the mex. campaign. His resignation, 1t
appears was written just before the ma
tional committee met in Washington 10
set the date and select the place of the
next national convention. just what rea-
sons Mr.. Belmont gave for handing over
the democratic cash box could not be
learned tonight. They were entirely sat
isfactory TO Mr.. Taggart and the other
members of the national committee. Ii
was agreed at Washington that nothing
should be said about Mr.. Belmonts resg-
nation until his successor had bean Sc
lected. This was left to Mr.. Taggart. MIR.
o. Brien is Taggarts chief lieutenant in
Indiana. He has been chairman of the In
diana state committee for several years,
and in that office has worked valiantly to
maintain Taggart's control over the party
iii that state. He resigned several weeks
ago. evidently with the national Office in
view
Mr.. Belmont's reasons for resigning en-
tirely satisfactory to Mr.. Taggart? A
mild way OF putting it. They must have
dee-lighted him. He probably never
handled communication in his life which
gave him half the pleasure. Those sad
gray days in New York in the fall of 1904
all came back again. with their memories
of snubbings and cross-purposes, and here
was the man retiring from office who had
caused all the trouble. Mr.. Taggart is a
happyhearted soul. but human. He
would have been more, or less than a
man IL he had not felt a keen sense OF
pleasure when he read that resignation.
And maybe Mr.. Belmont was just as
pleased as Mr. Taggart. Why not? There
was neither personal profit nor honor in
the office. He had accepted it to for
ward the interests of the man he had
. helped nominate for President, and prob
ably had contributed a snug sum to swell
the treasurer's holdings. When he and
Mr.. Ryan returned from st. Louis they
found job on hand calling for their best
efforts. War was on, and the snews must
he provided. ! If Wall street was to be
touched" it must be by those acquainted
with the locality. But all was in vain.
The country. would not accept Judge
Parker. either for love or money, and
November set the seal of disaster on the
campaign. and closed Mr.. Belmont's ac-
counts. A resignation from that time had
been in order.
Mr. Belmont "to remain in the back
ground during the next campaign? He
undoubtedly wll-very far in the back
ssround-if Mr.. Bryan is the candidate. In
fact. it Is an interesting question what
: New Yorker will be in the fore ground II
the orator OF the Platte once more SallieS
forth armed with a presidential nominal
tion and tries to save the country. The
national committee will have to adjust its
organization to his candidacy, and the
new chairman and the new treasurer
must be men after the chiefs own heart.
Meanwhile congratulations to Treasurer
!. OBrien. whose official bond should no,
scall for more than ten million dollars