The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-08


TO THE REPUBLICANS OF THE SECOND
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
The great importance OF the approaching Con.
gTessona election to the interests OF our city, and
being the regular Republican nominee for Congress
in the Second district. the time has arrived when
should lay before the people short but c)mplet,
statement OF my reasons for asking their support
claim to be the regular Republican no ninee for
three reasons:-
!. That was nominated by the convention held
Wednesday, June 10, 1870, in accordance with the
rules governiBg the Republican party.
H. That majority OF the whole number OF dele
gates voted for me, having received ~ votes out
OF 6S
Ill. That was renominsted by the convention
held Tuesday, September 10, 1870, in accordance
with the decision of the Executive Committee OF the
State Central Committee, receiving a votes out
OF 6S
AS soon as Mr.. o'Ncill was defeated in the
nomination, the influence OF all the United
States Government departments within the city
(Revenue, Post Offce, Custom House Mint, Ar
senal, NavyYard, ETC., etc., was brought to bear
upon the various ward executive committees 10 il
duce them to send such representatives only to the
City Executive Committee as would favor Mir.
ONen In this they succeeded, and to-day ma
jory OF the Republican City Executive Committee
hold office under the United States and city govern
ments
MIR QNeill then appealed to the City Executive
Committee protesting Against my recognition the
regular nominee by that body. His plan was to have
the whole matter referred to a subcommittee con-
sistng of the members of tn g, City C)m uittee who
represented The wards comprsi. the Second Goa
gresiOnal district To a majority Of said sub
committee, the seats Of Messrs. Peak and Evetly, of
the First and Twenty-sXth wards, were contested.
A committee, consisting of Messrs. Huhn Porter,
McCullLueh, Hong, and Albright, appointed, to
whom these contested seats were referred OF this
commte ee, Messis. Porter and Mccullough repre-
tbn EiOtfh and Tantf rIa a
gates for Mr.. O'Neill at the conven-
ton Of June Is. Now what was the
consequence Messrs. Peak and Every
were thrown ut and Lutz and Mcbride {both
O'Nei!l men) admitted, although it was positively
and distinctly shown that in the First ward Mr..
Peak received maj orty OF the votes cast and that
friend of Mr.. ONeils seized the credentials Of the
Ward Executive Committee and whilst destroying
them drew pistol and threatened to shoot the first
man who dared interfere. In McBride's case the
testimony showed that the Twenty Ward
Executive Committee COL sisted OF ffty-one men,
ters, and that out Of these 81 Mcbride received II
and Every "a votes
After the organization OF the City Committee, the
matter was referred to this subcommittee in ac-
cordance with the plan above mentioned. This
committee consisted of Messrs. Lutz, Porter, Hill,
Mccullough, and Mcbride, three OF whom are
Assistant Assessors of Internal Revenue, Mcbride,
Porter, and Mccullough, the latter two also dele
gates of MIR. O'Neill's. Hill is Collector of Deln-
quent Taxes and from Mr.. ONeills ward the
Ninth, ana Lutz Alderman OF the First ward.
When MIR. ONel and myself appeared before this
committee, l protested against Its jurisdiction for
the following reasons:-
/. That Congressman was a State oflice~, and
that the highest political authority in the State to
wit, the State Central Committee, was the OILY
power that could decide contests fer the nomina-
ton for that Office.
H. That the City Committee was local COM
m a led n itV nd
county officers.
III. That the State OF Pennsylvania was divided
into tweny-four Congressional districts, and that
with the exception of the First, Second, Third,
Fourth, SIXTH Ninth, and Twenty ty-second, the dis
trlct3 composed Of combination Of counties,
consisting of combination Of counties, 3 OF g.,
OF 4, of E, and OF s.
". That in the Fifth congressional District con-
ssting OF the Twenty. second, Twenty. third, and
Twenty.ffth wards of the city OF Philadelphia and
Bucks county, no provision in the rules was made
for the election OF delegates in The city wards so
long they should be connected with Bucks county
in the formation Of Congressional district. See
section II, rule 5.
V. That If a dispute should Use in any of th-se
districts County Committee could decide, but
the whole matter IN dispute would have TO be re-
| ferred to the State Central Committee.
W. That if the State Central Committee had
jurisdiction in one case, they had it in all.
also, in the presence OF Mr. ONeill and the COM
mltee stated that would do anything to settle the
| dispute harmoniously and quietly, as there were
already sufficient dissatisfaction and strife in the
ranks of our party and offered the following propo-
| Sitions, 10 witt
J. To appear with Mr.. O'Neill before the State Gen.
tra Committee, submit the facts, and abide by its
| decIsioc.
+ ii. To refer The matter to committee of six, Mr..
! ONeill to select three and myself three, none Of
whom should hold office under either City,
| State, or General Government, That the
committee should be sworn in our presence,
then submit the evidence, and abide by
! the decision of a majority. If the committee
! should be evenly divided, allow them to select a
| seventh whose decision should be final, and from
| which there should be no appeal.
III. To go before the people, hold new delegate
election have the inside Officers in our pre-
sence and then go into convention.
~. To reconyene the convention, and If possible
mutually agree upon chairman Of the temporary
| organization and a Committee on Credentials.
! If not, to allow the City Executive Committee
to detail one OF their number to effect temporary
organization, and also to appoint the Committee on
Credentials. That whoever should receive ma
! jority OF the votes should be the recognized
nominee.
pledged myse { that II under any OF the above
propositions Mr. oNeill should be the favored one,
1 would support him with my whole strength and
induce my fIiends TO do likewise.
Mr. O'Neill rejected all Of the above propositions,
and would listen to nothing except the sub-commit-
tee OF the City Executive Committee, consisting as
have before shown, OF three Assistant Assessors OF
| Revenue, tW OF whom were his delegates aud the
! remaining two directly in his interests.
then requested the committee to postpone the
consideration OF the until the question OF juris