Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-12

~~A NE Nlb % oLIce ana IN n Eagles nation
convention, beginning in Omaha Monday, brings together
men from the two most widely separated metroponses of
4 the United states-san Francisco and New York-for
the highest elective position of the national organization,
that of grand worthy vice president The principals in this struggle
of east and west are: John S. Parry, San Francisco, and Senator
Thomas F. Grady, New York.
Between these men it will be a kindly. but spirited. contest. in
which the opposing factions r. pretty we'll defined by that great
International boundary, the Missouri river. The delegates from each
of these two vast national divisions are equally confident and en-
thusasuc.
The two candidates are both men of affairs in their own fields.
conferred alike at great national gateways. the one looking to the
; orient. the other toward the occident. Both men have been and
are potent personages in the shaping of political and municipal for
tunes in their widely separated realms of activity.
John S. Parry of San Francisco. who is now asking the Eagles to
choose him as successor to the office OF grand worthy vice president.
which in the order of succession means that he, If elected, would in
here. He was an Iowa farmer boy, not so very many years ago
Mr.. Parry first saw Omaha a a water boy on a gang of railroad
laborers engaged in track construction right on the present site Of
the Omaha Union passenger station. 1t may o may not have been
on Horace Greeleys advice. and it is hardly probable that the water
boy had heard of him, but at any rate he went west.
1t was twenty years ago that this rambling young man drifted
into San Francisco. He stayed.
When the big earthquake came John Parry was a member of
the Municipal Fire and Police board. The disaster was fatal to the
chief of one of these departments and a large part of the burdens
of the administration of affairs in the terror-stricken city fell. on
Mr. Parry.
AS an active member of the Fire and Police board Mr.. Parry had
no small share in the taking of the city Of San Francisco through
that uoublous period II reconstruction IN a Francisco today he
is a wholesale ice cream manufactures and holds large interests in
the cigar business of his locality.
The delegates will have no trouble in hearing from Mr.. Parry,
he was cast by nature in bold and generous lines and has a voice
beftting his stature.
Mr.. Parrys campaign will be managed by Theodore A. Bell, past
grand worthy president OF San Francisco. Mr.. Parry has received
the endorsement of a large number of the aertes, among them those
of Omaha, South Omaha and Council Bluffs.
Mr.. Bells term as grand worthy president Immediately preceded
that Of President Monaghan. Mr.. Bell made his term memorable by
tn cleanup of the order which he instituted and carried through
against all opposition to the full realization Of success Through his
y efforts the order was ridden of many unsavory connections. Whole
aeries were suspended and Objectionable members expelled. 1t was
a bitter fight, but Bell won. He insisted that If the order wal to live
and grow it must make every aerie and member. as far as possible.
conform to those principles for which It stands. Like every reformer,
he met opposition In many quarters and made many enemies, but
nothing succeeds like success. and Bell succeeded. His campaign for
betterments and uplift ultimately added to his strength. Today he
is known the country over for the work he has done in the Eagles.
Mr.. Bell is now chairman of the board Of grand trustees.
Mr.. Bell is prominent in California politics Two years ago he
was democratic candidate for the governorship. He is on very
friendly terms with William ]. Bryan and Is generally interested in
the national affairs of the democratic party.
The man against whom John s. Parry will measure his strength