New-York tribune., 1910-01-21
MR.. PARSONS QUITS
RESIGNS As HEAD OF
COUNTY COMMITTEE.
Says He AchieUed What He
Set ont to D0-WhittLe
and Sheffield Out, Too.

The resignation of Herbert Parsons as
president of the New York County Com
mittee was received at the monthly
Hill Lyceum, last night. A committee
OF seven. of which Otto r Barnard is
chairman, was appointed to consider the
resignation, to make such recommends
tions as in their judgment may seem
best" and report at a special meeting to
be held on January 81.
Colonel Abraham Gruber, who has
never missed a chance to make trouble
for Congressman Parsons, caused some
excitement for time by demanding that
if the committee purposed to recommend
a successor to the retiring president it
report to the executive committee five
days before the special meeting of the
county committee. He made an impas-
stoned speech. in which he said he want
ed TO know whether the man to be Sc
lected would be a friend of the Taft
administration. S. s. Koenig, Secretary
of State. replied. He said it was well
known why MI -Gruber undertook to
drag President Taft into the discussion,
and that no man could succeed in using
that name as a cloak to further his op-
position to Mr. Parsons in the selection
of the latter's successor. Gruber was
voted down by a large majority.
The other members of the committee to
select a candidate for the presidency of
the county committee are District Attor-
ney Whitman, Congressman William S.
Bennett. 5. 5. Koenig, Secretary of State;
Sheriff John s. Shea, Douglass Mathew
son, Deputy Controller, and Ezra P. Prem
tice, Deputy Attorney General.
PROBABLE SUCCESSORS.
Among those mentioned TO take up the
work laid down by President Parsons are
John Henry Hammond. former leader Of
the 29th District: Gherardi Davis Julius
M. MAYER. former Attorney General, and
Congressman J. Van Vechteu Olcott.
The resignation of James R Sheffield
as treasurer and of Thomas W. Whittle
as secretary of the county COMMITTEES
were also received last night Action on
them was postponed until the special
meeting 1t is said that when Mr.. Shelf
field accepted the treasurership to ill the
gap left by the nomination of Otto T.
Barnard for Mayor last fall. he did so
TO assist President Parsons in the cam
paign and with the understanding that
he should be allowed TO retire as soon as
possible.
Mr.. Whittle's resignation Is due TO the
fact that as Commissioner of Public
Works under Borough President Miller
in The Bronx he will not have time to
hi
salaried place and requires large part
of the time of the incumbent as he must
be in charge of headquarters in the ab-
sence of the president.
Sidney Goodacre and Herman Graf,
two clerks of much experience in the
routine of headquarters, have secured
places under the new city administra-
ton, and the new president of the county
committee will have to start with an
entirely new staff of assistants.
After the brief letter of resignation
was offered last night long letter writ
ten by President Parsons to Collin H.
Woodward, president Of the COM
mittee, and giving his reasons for re-
signing, was read and spread on the
minutes
LETTER TO WOODWARD.
President Parsons said he had accom-
plished the four things he set out TO do
when he first became president. in De-
Cember. 1905, and he had for some time
waited for the proper opportunity to
turn the duties over to another and give
his time and effort to other interests.
Congressional. professional and per-
sonal.' The letter follows:
In sending in my resignation as presI-
dent OF the Republican County Committee
! have taken action long contemplated bv |
me and from time to time foretold to some |
of my friends. Never had | intended 10
remain at the head of the committee longer
than the recent municipal campaign and |
l am now restgning more than two months
after the date that for the best part OF
a year / had set before myself Nothing |
was TO be gained by spreading the news |
OF this intention in advance, and so | con- |
fined IL TO a very few.
When / first became president OF the |
committee, in December. 1905 there we're
four specific ends that I wished NV ad- |
to accom- mpish One was that |
TO the national administration OF Theodore
Roosevelt. The success OF the severe pri- |
mary light of September. 1906. effectively |
established this.
, Another that the party organization |
should not be in control Of lobbying in |
terests. This result was effectively con-
when those interests vera H.