Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-29
THE REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS.
Getting into Shape for the May Primaries

broken down this year, and entirely new
and most unexpected combinations and
fellowships are forming. AS Mr.. HES
tand. who knows how it is himself, takes
occasion almost daily to remark in his
paper, the whirligig of time brings strange
political surprises in this young year.
They all grow out of the breakup and
sell-out of last year when Hiestand s. Co.
gave Ebcrly the go-by and went for
Davis and McMellen, Mentzer s.
Co., in order to elect Davis, sold
out Reinoehl and agreed to support Matt
Fr:dy this year. 1t is this historical
event that completely shattered the Bull
Ring and Hog Ring and drives the politi
clans into new combinations this CAM
paign. It will be short, sharp and deci-
sive. There will be straight, clean
fight on we'll defined issue between two
difference except that the success of the
ner and the other tho New Era in local
politics. The personal, business and po
litical antagOnism of Sensenig and
Mentzer infuses spirit into the fight. The
leaders on the one side are the editor of
the New Era, Sensenig, the Hartmans,
J. w. johnson, E. X. Martin, most likely
3. F. Eshleman, ex-Sheriff Breneman,
the Eberlys, John H. High and others.
The most faithful allies of the Examiner
party are McMellen, Mentzer, S. A. Croft,
{. Coble, A. Settley. E. Griest, the Krea-
dys, 8. NJ. Fridy, A. II. Mylin, T. B. Coch-
ran and others. There are q good many
veteran politicians who in this strange
miX-up do not know exactly where they
belong nor where they will finally land.
Some of them, like Jack Weisc and Fred
Smith, whose .son-in law and son is lead
ing candidate for prison keeper, are wait
ing for the turn of events. Squire Sam
SlOkOm is hesitating to run for county
commissioner and will not determine where
to pitch his tent until he has
settled that question in his mind. Hay
Brown seems to be entirely out of politics
and to have settled down to the practice
of the law. Naturally Sheriff Strine and
Squire Zeller keep aloOf for tho present.
The determining forces of the conflict have
not yet allied themselves with either of
the factions, that are forming and stripping
for the fight, and it is too early to predict
what will be the outcome of it. 1t is only
certain that it Will be close and bitter !;
that the lines will be tightly drawn that
| few votes will be thrown away on side
issues or independent candidates that
money will be spent freely for tho wholo
| ticket or each combination that the
winning ring will likely put its whole
ticket through and that candidates who do
not get on one ticket or the other may rs
we'll stand from under.
A month ago it looked as if the New Era
had the better of it and with such head
for the ticket as High and Skiles, with
Kready and Keller dividing the opposition
vote for sheriff and Fridy and Settley part
ing the raiment for prothonotary it looked
| as though there would be walk over for
the ''RefOrmers (beg pardon, Sensenig,
Johnson, Eshlcman s Co..
There was great deal of solid work cut
out yesterday.
Tho generalship was displayed by the
Examiner party.
For Hicstand has taken the field in per-
son, and with an energy that has not
| characterized him for years, is laying hold
of the management of his side, and his
| supremacy in the cabinet is conceded,
while McMelicn leads the charge OH the
| field.
The first strategic movement has been
| the withdrawal of Abe Keller from candi-
Kready and will inure to his advantage. 1t
The latter beings over the larger strength
from last canvass. Kready has more
money and a powerful freundschaft."
The next move was to get Abe Settley
off for prothonotary, so as to get his
vote for Fridy. This was accomplished,
not by money, as had been contemplated
originally, but by making place on the
Examiner ticket for Settley. Up to this time
| Geo. W. Ea5y had no formable opposition
for clerk Of quarter sessions. Settiey is
to be pitted against him. Eaby
savage!y denounces this move and
assailed McMellen aud Mentzer for
it yesterday. They replied that Eaby
had shown the white feather in the OppO-
sition to Sensenig and they must care for
their own. Eaby says that it will be a
fatal move for Fridy, as Skiles will get
Cwo thirds of the Settley vote. This dOes
not, however, help Eaby. For all, his
hackers are sanguine and will bet freely on
his election. 1t is conceded that the
other side are not nearly SO anxious to
beat Eaby or to elect Settley as they were
to get Settley out of Fridy's way. The
disadvantage Settley is under is that
which attaches to every candidate who
swaps horses whilo crossing the stream.
Not only has Settley had county Office
lately, but having started to run for pro-
thOnotary and changed off to clerk of
quarter sessions the movement smacks too
much of trade to carry much strength
with it.
For register DR.. Compton and Ben.
Wissler continue to be the leading candi-
dates. Each of them has friends in each of
the factions as already in line. The Eberlys
and Sensenig were Wissler's original
allies, but events may transpire to the
formation of new combinations. 1t is only
certain now that Wissler will be on one
slate and Compton on the other, but
WHICH is who nobody can tell as yet. No
candidate gets over more ground
in day than ''Compy." He wastes
a little time, however, in his indiscrimin-
ate zeal !: as for instance when he enter
tained Chester county tobacco raiser,
unawares, for "a long time with disquisi-
tion on his candidacy and when, at the
Blue Ball tavern, he rather tartly de-
nounced a gentleman to a "stranger"
whom he found out to be the object of
his denunciation. But these accidents
will happen to the best regulated polite
ians and the genial doctor is not faint
heart. He sows tares while Wissler
slumbers.
For clerk Of orphans court the contest
will narrow down to Spurrier and Reeser.
To save bad work in the Fourth ward, the
New Era-Johnson party will be glad to
take Spurrier and most likely will, but
this is one of the things which can wait
determination. Whichever side takes
Spurricr the other will run Reeser.
Squire Grider will most likely be the