The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-10-22
EBENsBURG. PA. FRIDAY, OCTOBER %. 1885,
PonIrICs IN PIKE COUNTY.
THE T-UN THEY HAVE Up AMONG THE Pm
SyIvAxIA BEAR HUNTERS.
IHe,- York San.I

this fan. II is rs lively as II IS funny Sltho
I there are not one-tliTd as many candidates
in the field as were won't 10 signify their VII
! Iiuoness to sacrifice themselves for the pub
lie GOOD i'm all previous campaigns. 1t IS this
scarcity of candidates this fall that gives the
canvass its peculiar aspect tits not because
there are fewer scifsacrifcing citizens will
ing TO serve their fellows in any official ca
pocitv from Representative to jury Com
missioner. that the field IS not fun this year
Party compuision has swept away time
horored custom in Pike county, and veteran
war horses of the Democratic patty in this
banner Democratic county Of Pennsylvania
shake their heads and prognosticate disaster.
Pike county has about 500 voters This
is an increase Of nearly 500 in the past ten
wears. The increase has been mostly in IA
vor of the Republicans. When there we're
!. 900 voters in the county the Democrats had
a majority Of 900. They made no nomina-
tions for Office. From 1912, when the county
was formed, until 1860, such thing As an
offceholder in the county who was not q
Democrat was unknown. The custom was
for any Democrat who desired to occupy any
Of the positions in the gift Of the people to
announce that fact in the only paper printed
i'm the county. Then he was candidate.
The contest was entirely between Democrats,
as, unless six or seven candidates of that
persuasion for one Office were in the field the
Republicans had no show for getting one OF
their own party in. In fact, the Republicans
had repeatedly run one man against six with
out success In 1860, however, the prepon-
derance of Democratic candidates for Asso-
ciate Judge was so great that the Repubii-
cans got in their man, John Shause. This
was so unheard-of and notable an occurrence
that the Republican party, not only of this
State but of other States, rcjoiceG over it ~
over the appearance of the millennium. The
.JefTersonian Democrats Of Pike county were
Mortified They doubted that justice could
be properly administered with Republican
sitting on the bench. But they went right on
running half a dozen men for single office,
year after year in 1879 Oliver Gresham,
Republican, ran tor County Commissioned
against six Democrats. He was elected by a
{ few votes. Then came the notable campaign
of 1873 There were five Democrats in the
J field running for the office Of Representative.
The Republican pitted himself against them.
There were seven candidates for 4ounty
2 Treasurer. One Of them was a.RePubl-an
There were six members of the dominant
party seeking the position o: County Com
: missioner The Republican incumbentelect-
ed i'm 1879 opposed them. That campaign
: was the hottest that had been known since
1885. The Democrat, elected one OF thcil
= men by Il majority. The queer part Of il
: was he was elected by Republicans. Thcil
r candidate for Representative was popular
: young lawyer lie made a strong Gght III th'
n came in from them on election night hc wa:
e almost q tie with Che leading Democratic can
9 didatc, aud the large Republican vote Of ;
I back town was vet TO hear from. The Re
\ publicans went wild with JOY. The returns
L from the town they were waiting for cam'
3 in The Republican voters there had cas-
4 nineteen votes for the Democrat who wa
"a leading, and Chat elected him. They hat
calculated that their man could not he elect
j ed Fearing that Democrat PARTICULAR
objectionable to them would bc elected, the
had cast their votes for one most likely t
beat him with their aid.
when we heard the news" says one Q
the mistaken nineteen Republicans, ''w
could all have kicked ourselves twenty cigl
4 miles through the woods to the Deawar
. River and drowned ourselves"
THE DUTCHIAN AND HIS WIFE,
J. The Democrat whom everybody at fir
& thought most likely to he elected out OF til
90 field Of candidates for Representative W.
beaten by a funny episode in his canvas
He was at the time holding the position
l. County Treasurer. He was also q Justice
T tile Peace in his township, and Superintcn,
= eut of a Sunday school Along toward ele
70 ton dav he was eIcctioneerinG III Lackawa
en- township. Such arguments III favor {
~ his election as the bar OF the backwoOis ta'
III c-n, which formed his base Of operation
could supply, he presented to the assemble
voters without stint During the day i
;" wife of a German laborer went TO the tavcl
lt after pail Of water. The gallant candida
Q, insisted on her having glass Of beer. 81
p took several glasses. Finally her husbal
came after her, IT, rage, and hustled h
away The candidate and a constable fro
u. another township forthwith proceeded
chastisc the German and the latter reSiste
The candidate, rs a citizen, made cOmplai
~ before himself, as Justice of the Peace tn
yn- the German had resisted officers of the Lax
go, a grave crime under the status. On Il
ss. complaint he issued a warrant, although ]
m es jurisdiction as 4 Justice of the Peace was
ar an Of the culprit The German had been h,
ana lia- in the room by spectators, pending the y
ceedingS that were to transfer him fOTna
to the custody of the outraged law. T
warrant was placed in the hands of the c,
er- stable mentioned The German was ARE
TO ed The candidate at once resolved hiIns
sr.'' into Justice court in the barroom. He
'wn dered the prisoner to be brought before hi
ON The prisoner was arraigned. The candid;
/, %. 0i then appeared before himself as counsel
red the Commonwealth in prosecuting the
'l cuscd lie argued so strongly for convict
Y. that, as an impartial administrator OF JUST
he could not do else than find the priso
fbc guilty. Then he sentenced the prisoner
10y three months in the county jail. Tie pris
~ '.t er's side of the case was not presented at
unt He was handed over to the custody of
ere y constable He was placed in a wagon,
the candidate aud the officer started with
<. prisoner for Milford. There were many
!. or places to be 'clcctioneercd, moreover
- the vicinity. The candidate and the OF
carried their prisoner with them about
d. country for day or two Finally they c;
ia to the mouth of the LackavaXen. The
per aware River is sPanned there by the D
bav ware and Hudson Canal Company's a'
hem duet. II connects the States Of New
tx and Pennsylvania. While the candidate
his companion were perauadine voters
station, leaving their prisoner outside ~
wagon. some one suggested TO the Ger