Evening journal., 1915-02-19
commerce CHAMBER
IS NOT IN POLITICS
Speakman Boom for Mayor
Had It's Origin in
Y. M. R. Club
FAKE STORY INSPIRED
FOR POLITICAL EFFECT

Inspired stories that the Wilmington
Chamber Of Commerce is engaging in
partisan politics and that it has brought
out Willard A. Speakman, one of its
prominent members, for the Republican
nomination for mayor. were refuted
promptly yesterday While il is true
that Mr.. Speakman may run for the Re
publican nomination, if he does run it
will be due to agencies wholly outside of
Wilmington's chief trade body, which is
non-partisan in its membership and its
work, and could not engage in such a po-
litical enterprise without causing serious
internal troubles
Investigation made today shows that
the movement in favor of the nomina-
tion of Mr.. Speakman originated in
the Young Mems Republican Club and
arose from the suggestion made by
many prominent Republicans that the
party candidate next June should be
a man prominently identified with the
commercial and industrial interests OF
this city. AT that meeting the name of
Mr- Speakman was not mentioned.
The discussion was restricted to the
wisdom of the policy of standing for
business administration with a busi-
ness man at the head of IT, Il was not
until the principle had been agreed to
and canvass had been made of the
men available that the name of Mr.
Speakman was mentioned.
Subsequently a meeting of members
of the Republican First District Com.
mittee was held and the proposition
was laid before them. Quite apart
from the personality of the candi.
date, they thought it would be a good
stroke OF party policy and approved
it. Later they agreed that if Mr.
Speakman could be induced to run
he would make an ideal candi
date, and business friends of hii
we're requested to sound him out OF
the matter and endeavor to induce
him to stand for the nomination. S,
far as could be learned today, he ha
reached no decision in the matter, al
/ though many OF his political. busines
and personal friends would like Z
see him run.
In no way has the Chamber Of Com
merce been identified, formally or in
/ formally, with the movement. The an
derstanding Is that no one knew tha
better than did those who were r,
sponsible for currchcy being given th
stories that the Chamber had gone int
partisan politics. In fact, il is NOR
than suspected that the object of sue
persons was TO injure the standing O
Mr.. Speakman by making the sugges
iion that he was endeavoring to use
non-partisan trade body for partisa
/ purposes.
The truth OF the matter is that a
the meeting in the Young Mems Re
publican Club, at which Mr.. Speak
mans name was first mentioned
there was only one member OF tn
Chamber of Commerce present, an
he was an active Republican an
member of the club years before th
Chamber of Commerce was organize,
ard has maintained those affiliation
ever since. In other words he wa
there as a Republican and as clu
member and not as a Representative
of the Chamber of Commerce.
The effort of certain persons, VIII
have an acute interest IN preventin
the nomination of Mr.. Speakman q
any other business man, to drag III
Chamber into a political fight ha
proved to be a boomerang Of the fir.
magnitude.
Colonel Weller +. Slower, Council
man from the Seventh ward and chail
man of the finance committee of CouI
ell, announced his candidacy last nigl
for the mayorality at the coming cit
election on the Republican ticko
Colonel Slower is now serving his SCI
ond term as member of Council froi
the Seventh ward.