The daily sentinel., 1912-06-10
IS
RAMPANT
Leaders of Denver's Citizens Party
Now as Bitterly Divided as the
Speer-Patterson Factions.
Long Delay in Promulgat-
ing Commission Form.


s ruling by the state supreme :
3 court on the constitutionality 3
!, of the Pueblo-Grand Junction =
:, Colorado Spring commission :,
3 form of government, is the =
s statement made here today by 3
: an official of the court, who :
!, made the statement to your =
= correspondent that it was prac- =
: tically certain the court would !,
: not render its decision in the :
= case this summer, and possibly 6,
8, long after the coming fall cleo I,
:, ton 2
g 6 8 S Sg $685. .
If this should prove to be the
case, there will be disappointment in
Denver among those who favor a
commission and are said to be wait
ing for the high courts ruling be-
fore a definite move is made. The
probabilities are, however, that Den
yer will not delay the matter until
the decision is handed down. Many
favor calling charter convention,
while others hold that the charter
could be amended and voted ON at
the coming fall election.
The sort of method to be followed
is not giving much trouble at this
time, but the dissatisfaction between
leaders of the citizens party, espe-
cially Mayor Arnold and such mem
bers as Senator John Rush, Chair
man Randolph Walker, Edward Cos
tigan and number of others equally
as prominent in that party, is what
promises to wreck the recently VIC
torious party. There is dissension
among these leaders that is said can
not be pacitied and will end in a
disruption of the organization long
before another municipal election is
dueo
Ever since Mayor Arnold took the
oath of office and assumed control of
the city machinery, trouble and
strife have been vigorously brewing
among citizens leaders who believe
they have not been fairly treated in
the matter of appointments. There
is "a general feeling that the new
mayor has totally ignored the Citi-
zens in his municipal appointments
which have gone principally to Pro-
gressive Democrats. On the other
hand Sheriff Sullivan, Auditor Mar
key and Treasurer Stocker, who
came from the ranks of the Progress
i've Republicans have made no APP
pointments in their office except
from among Republicans, leaving
the Simon pure Citizens out in the
cold. These conditions have arous-
ed the leaders of the Citizens party
and the indications are that there
will be further blow-ups in the near
future which will fairly wreck the
new local political party.
Randolph Walker, who is now in
the east, will visit Des Moines, Mem
phis and other commissions governed
cities in other sections of the coun-
try before his return to Denver for
the purpose of studying commission
forms. On his return it is announced
that he will Immediately begin a
campaign for commission form OF
government, the result of which it is
said is to oust Arnold, who, it is be-
ing charged, has double crossed the
leaders and those who took the most
prominent part in the recent city
campaign for the success of the cit
liens movement.
Chairman Foley, platform demo-
crat, has been conciliated by Arnold
with an appointment as inspector"
of the street sprinkling department
at a salary of $125 per month. The
wrath of the progressive republicans
has been further augmented by the
discovery since the recent election
that three Of the progressive repub-
lican candidates were playing the
Denver Tramway and Denver public
utilities corporations 1t had been
generally supposed that they had
supported the straight republican
ticket; but the discovery that Evans
issued orders the day before the cleo
tion to every employe of the Tram
way company to scratch the republic
can ticket and vote for Dan Sullivan
for sheriff. Allison for treasurer and
Markey for auditor, was made.
These three men had formerly been
allied with the republican party and
expected to be in line for the fall
campaign.
The discovery of this double cross
on the part of Evans is being bitterly
denounced by the straight republi-
cans. while, on the other hand, the
candidates on the reform citizens
ticket are being assailed everywhere
for their alliance with the utility
corporations.
The upshot of the whole unsettled
condition among the leaders OF the
citizens party will be that there will
be war waged against Mayor Arnold
which may result in his being ousted
completely when the matter of COM
mission government is settled in
Denver and the commission opera
tive. The plan as outlined is to per-
nit party nominations in the char
ter. This was not contemplated
when the mayor and others of the
citizens party went before the peo-
pie of Denver and made them promis
es that they would stand for COM
mission form of government; that,
when the commission was in work
ing order, they would resign to make
way for the five commissioners to be
chosen.