The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-04-02
FRIENDS AND OPPONENTS
OF SENATOR REED

| ne 81. Louis GlODe-Dem0crat IN a
dispatch from Springfield, Mo-, where
Greene County Democrats gathered at
a series of rallies last week, declared
a conference had been held at SPRING
field last Friday in which those who
had attended had failed to force a
| fight against Senator Reed as mem.
Der of the "big four" national delega-
ton. The st. Louis Times later COM
mented editorially on the attempt to
fight Reed, which "did not material
ize" at the Springfield conference, and
among those mentioned as present at
the conference in both st. Louis pa
pers. was Burris Jenkins, editor and
publisher of the Post.
"As far as | know such a confer
ehce was never held" DR.. jenkins DE.
clared. 81 know that / did not attend
such conference and heard no.
thing about such a conference while
was in Springfield. The statement
that fight against Senator Reed as
member of the "big four" from
Missouri was argued when was pres
ent is certainly misrepresentation"
Others who were reported by the
st. Louis papers to have attended the
conference were Frank II. Farris,
Rolla, candidate for the Democratic
gubernatorial nomination.: Ben M.
Neale, state chairman; Thos. H. Fish
er, secretary Of Breckenridge Longs
senatorial campaign; Tim Sullivan,
State fish and game commissioner;
Ben F. Morgan, Bolivar, and j. L.
Shepherd, State committee secretary.
81 did not attend such a conference,
and | don't believe such conference
was held" said Mr.. Shepherd, who is
in charge of Democratic State head
quarters here.--Kansas City Post.
| The effect of the Merriwether APP
peal to Reeds friends throughout the
State to aid in arranging Reed meet
ings has been to bring together the
conservative Reed men and the anti
Reed men in an attempt to force the
more radical of the Reed support
ers to stand back and make an open
ing for harmonious agreement be-
fore the Joplin convention.
| AS an instance of the resentment
which some of Reeds friends feel to-
ward the move made by Merriwethel
and others in st. Louis and Kansas
City, personal friend and political
associate of Senator Reed, living in
the Third congressional district, who
received one of Merriwether's APP
peals, sent the following reply to
Merriwether Friday:
81 have just received your letter
concerning your promotion of speak
| ing dates on Democratic points which
you say are dividing the party in the
State and Nation. | want to say in
reply, that while | am in sympathy
with the position of Senator Reed
now, and always have been, want to
call your attention to our experience
in the congressional fight in this, the
Third District, and to what that eX.
perience has taught u.s.
when the campaign started the
National committee and the State
committee very generously sent to us
their representatives and the State
Committee opened headquarters here.
We had hardly got started until the
League of Nations followers and the
Reed men clashed.
at was seen we must get together
or lose the district. Wise counsel Oh
both sides, guided by Ben NJ. Neale
Estate chairman), Secretary Shep-
! herd, Frank Armstrong and Theodore
Crowley of the State Committee, got
the factions together and we won.
That is what we must do now if we
would save the State.
"a further discussion of these views,
in my own opinion, will only serve to
widen the breach and create a feeling
that will make it harder to span. Why
do this?
members of the State Committee
are now trying to get the faction to-
gether land / have the promise of
several men who | know are fighting
to this end and hope to bring harmony
out of the Joplin convention) to lay
aside all personal feelings and help
arrange a solid front to face the en-
envy next fall. | am sure the effort
is being made now to get together
and think if we all go to Joplin with
the get-together sentiment in our
hearts we will come away united
party
81 will be glad to join you in any
way that will bring party harmony
but these public discussions of inter
nal party troubles at this time are in
opportune, in my humble opinion, and
as party worker, who seeks no fav-
orS never did and never will YOUR