New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-21
THE KEYSTONE DEMOCRACY
PREPARING FOR THE CONVENTION.

| PGTTsBURG. Penn, May 19.-The Democratic State
! Convention will meet at the Opera House IN TINS
| city on Wednesday next. 1t will nominate candi-
| dates for Governor. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, judge OF
! the Supreme Court and Secretary of Internal
| Affairs number of delegates are already here
and their activity already bcspaaks the excitement
| which il is expected will attend the convention.
| Tomorrow morning Speaker Randall VIII ar
| rive from Washington, and late In the even
ing Senator Wallace. These gentlemen arc
the pivotal points around which the two wings of
the convention will revolve, with velocity acceer
| ating rapidly as the contest docpens. Sena-
tor Wallace and Speaker Randall natural rivals
| in Pennsylvania politics, and it is nothing new That
in the present contest they should be found in oppo-
sition Ii ia abOut ten days now that the drift OF
opinion in the party has been that the candidate for
Governor would be Senator Andrew II. Dill OF Union
County lie IL Mr.. Wallaccs choice, has been three
times in the State Legislature, is now in the Senate,
was a candidate for Governor three years ago, Is
good public speaker and is very popular. His friends
in the eastern part of the state are claiming 100 votes
already sure for him without counting Philadelphia,
where he expects there will be several But we'll
informed Democrats in this region say he has only
about seventy that are positive TO stand by him
and that it is impossible that he should have 100
They admit that if he has 100 votes on the first bal
lot it will be no difficult task with the tact and in-
huence of Senator Wallace to aid him, 10 obtain the
other twenty-six which are necessary TO nOni'
nate At the Same time his Eastern friends say
he cannot succeed if the balloting goes beyond a
second vote; that there arc 50 many other candi-
dates in the field that combination is surc to sue
coed after second ballot
Speaker Randall leads the opposition TO Senator
Del. His candidate is William II. Hopkins, OF Ale
gheny Comfy, the county III which Plttsburg Is
situated. lie is opposed TO mOnopohcs, to freight
determinations, and favors the plan to saddle the
riot debt on the State lie is popular with the labor
element not only in thIscounty, but in other parts
of Western Pennsylvania, especially in the oil sec
ton. where producers Of oil are urging his nomina-
ton as they did that of Senator Stone in the Repub-
lcan Convention. IT is important, the Democrats
saw that all possible strength be given To the ticket
in the western part Of the State because of the in
fucncc it will have in securing a large Democratic
delegation in the State Legislature. On the other
hand many eastern counties are strongly opposed
to Mr.. Hopkins because they believe Ale
gheny County should pay the riot debt.
Mr.. Hopkins ran for Congress two years
ago, and was defeated by Russell Erritt. Among
other candidates for Governor are: William McCand-
less, EX- Congressman George 4. jerks, who made a
speech in the Beknap trialwhich attracted consider
able attention at the time, and Congressman Lewis.
n.
these elements, and after complimentary votes are
given he hopes to secure a combination on Mr.. Hop
kins. 1t is claimed that Mr.. Hopkins has seventy
five votes that General Mccmdless has sixty, Mr.
jerks fifteen, Mr. Maish fifteen. and other candi-
dates total Of thrty-eight. These estimates make
an aggregate of sos votes and there are only Pol
delegates in the convention.
The nomination for Lieutenant Governor ia con-
tingent on the nomination for Governor. Should
Mr. Dill an Eastern man. he chosen, some one from
this part of the State Will be selected. William
McCelland. Of Pittsburg, who has been in Congress,
and was at one time chairman Of the State Com
mittcc; Jacob Zicglcr, of Butler County, who has
been clerk Of both the State Senate and House. and
who is good presiding officer, besides being per
sonay very popular, and John Fertig, of Iusville,
who has been in the Senate. and was three times
Mavor Of Titusvile, are mentioned in this cOntin-
gcncy the great personal popularity of Mr.. Zegler,
who is well known all over the State as Uncle
Jake" making his chances the best But il Mr..
Hopkins should be- nominated for Governor,
this Office will 20 to the East, probably To Mr..
Sowdcn, of Allentown, a hard money man,
who. in the Erie Convention of 1879, made
a strong speech against the financial theories
laid down By Frank W. Hughes, of Potts
VILE one Of the present leaders Of the Grccnback
party and its probable candidate for United States
Senator against J. Donald Cameron.
There are three leading candidates for Supreme
Court Judge. For tins Office Senator Wallace has
made a choice in the person Of Henry l.. Ross. of
Montgomery County, who il at present the leading
candidate II is claimed by many that Senator
Wallace is trying TO do too much, and that
in pushing forward two men he will succeed with
neither The second candidate is Furman Sheppard
Of Philadelphia, who has been Distrct-Attorncy Of
Philadelphia and in the convention last year came
within one vote of q nomination. He is lawyer
Of conspicuous ability, but il Is urged against him
that Philadelphia already has two of the seven
Supreme Court Judges and ought not TO have
three The name of Daniel AVnew, the retiring
Judge whom the Republican Convention declined
to rcnOminatc because it was not likely that he
could serve out the long term Of twenty-ono years
owing to hs advanced age, has been strongly urged
in several sections. Democratic lawyers are gem
orally i'm favor Of him. His abilities considered
great, and his character is reckoned rs of tho
purest. During the past week many ru-
mOrs have been atloat in favor of this
movement. A leading Republican remarked in
Harrisburg the day after the convention, that
he thought the Republicans had made n great
mistake IN not rcnOminating Judge Agnew, M the
Democrats were sure to take him up. Then he said
that Judge Bentley, the candidate on the National
Grcenback Labor ticket, had offered his resignation
to the Chairman Of the State Committee and Agncw
would be substituted for him, while there was little
doubt that the temperance men would also adopt
him as their candidate. Thus, he said it would be-
come very doubtful if the Republicans could elect
their candidate. Since then Chairman T. T.
Devices, of the National party, has called meeting
of the State Committee for Tuesday, and it is
thought that Judge Agnew's name will then be
substituted for Judge Bentley's. Should this be
done, the Democrats will probably refuse to indorso
the nomination, and will put up man of their own
Only one name is frequently heard in connection
with the office Of Secretary Of informal Ala rs-thnt