New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-07
PENNSYLVANIA POLITICS.

EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS OF sTALwARr
MANAGERs-vARIOUs EsIINATEs OF THE INDE-
PENDENT STRENGTH
lFROM STAFF CORRESPONDENT or THE TRTBuSEf
PITTsBURG. Penn Sept 4-Congressnan Bayne
was renominated to-day, aud the Convention that
nominated him was silent on the subject OF tho
State ticket Some Of the Stalwart delegates had
prepared a resolution ildorsing the Cameron State
ticket. Some Independent delegates, knowing
this had prepared resolution the subject Of
Senator Don Cameron, in which, it is said, full
justice was done TO that suggestive topic. Some
wise Republican, knowing ths Importance of har-
mony on Congressional nominations. moved 10 ad-
Journ in time 20 cut of both resolutions There is
no doubt that II direct Issue al been forced the
former resolution would havc been beaten. The
incident illustrates the condition Of the regular
party organization. il Is in some of these coun-
ties in the western part of the State
Colonel Bayne's triumph the local Cameron
bosses will certainly give a strong impetus TO the
Independent movement in this region, not because
it was a victory won by the Inde pendents alone,
but because the men who tried TO crush him arc
the same men who will lead the Stalwart forces
here In the state campaign, and becanse they used
against lim the very methods which the Indepen-
dent NOV ement is organized to destroy. Every kind
of pressure and influence by OiicehOlders and
Others was employed. Some of these methods vera
of a kind novel even in fierce local campaigns and
show the bitter determination of the Cameron
managers. For example one Of the Bayne candl-
dates for delegate in of the wards in Allegheny
City was an on-wOrker-a respectable and sturdy
man, who is strongly opposed, like very many men
of his class, to the Cameron regime. Tic has an
insane wife, whose support IN insane hospital
he had secured at somewhat less than the usual
rates. Among the influences used 10 frighten him
into Withdrawing from the field as a candidate for
delegate was threat that the board of his insane
wife should be raised TO the regular figure, and
this made in way calculated 10 convince him
that il would be done. He refused, however, 70 tho
last Another extraordinary effort was that Post
master McCleary. of Pittsburg, appointed last
winter by grace of Cameron sent for all the post
masters in Bayne's district-which is entirely out
side of the city Of Pttsburg--and urged them 10
work against him. At least. such IS the statement
of of then-Mr. Jordan, Of Ross One ron-
worker, out of work on account Of the strike, was
offered S1CO it is stated, ii he would withdraw as
candidate for delegate, and several de-
scibed in which equal sums are said on excellent
authority to have been offered. Other aud similar
efforts were made. About seventy-Gve Office
holders of the two cities Federal. State and local,
| under the command OF Chris" Magee. the Came
| rOu boss went actively into the contest The
| result, as already stated III a dispatch TO rHE
| TRIBUNE, was such popular uprising that in
| some primaries the Republican votes pOlled--
Democrats being carefully excluded by ohallengers
-equalled and in some actually exceeded the vote
| rolled for Garfield in 1850. Those who know tho
usual proportion the vote at the primaries to tho
vote at the polls will appreciate the significance Of
| this statement. One primary for example, which
usually polls 30 OF 40 votes. now polled so.
An inquiry into the origin Of the Independent
movement in this county, beginning with the vote
| for Wolfe last year, shows that ii literally
! voting sentiment, and not organizea demon
| straton,-a Of which tends TO the presumption
that when the sentiment is stronger than the
fact that il Is to be organized anj marshalled
means a much larger vote. Although 1884 votes
were given tor Wolfe in the county, oct Of total
vote of o little more than 10000 not single lnde-
pendent cub existed in Pittsburg and only small
one III Allegheny City, where large proportion OF
the Independent vote was cast There was no
headduarters and while some gentlemen made lt
their business TO distribute tickets there prac
tcally no organization. There simply popu-
lar sentiment. The same thing Is true 10 limited
extent this year The Independent movement
| here has taken little shape as yet. No clubs have
| been formed in either city, though headquarters
is now open in PIttsburg, and 1t is likely that
| many of tho men who will give their votes to
| Stewart will not display themselves az Indepen-
| dents during the campaign. This TACT, which Is
| characteristic Of tue movement all over the state
makes 1T difficult in fact impossible, to esti-
| mate the size OF the Independent vote at
| this time. 1t makes IL difficult also to point
with certainty TO the men who are engaged
IN the movement. Many business men es-
pecialy who are believed to be in full sympathy
with it have perhaps made no public profession Of
their faith and so cannot be safely counted.
| Estimates made here by we-informed politicians.
| who are either avOwed INDEPENDENTS, or are really
! In sympathy with the cause, vary considerably
under these circumstances. But all agree IN put-
| ting 1t as high as 10000; some put IL at 1000.
and Others even higher. This would be double
the Wolfe vote. The Independents in almost all
the centres Of population count upon doubling the
Wolfe vote while in many or the interior counties.
in which the Wolfe vote was small or next to moth
ing for lack of canvass and often merely for lack
of tickets now the Independents count on perhaps
| ten o. twenty times the number. A doubling Of
| the total vote of the State would bring IL fash up
! to 100 900. A doubling in the centres Of popula-
ton, and more than doubling here and there IN the
| country would soon bring it up above 100000 and
| leave Chairman Cooper very far behind indeed.
| But estimates of any kind are mere guesses with
| the canvass just opened. II remains TO be seen
whether the number Of men who will be swept into
! the movement by the progress of the campaign viii
he greater than the number OF men who will be
driven out of IL by party terrorism. II should be
added that the men VINO have gone into II az all
are not Of class to be easily swayed or driven OF
! from a course they have chosen. It is also to be
| added that shrewd politicians here-who may,
however, be deceived By the preponderance Of In
dependent sentiment in this localitv-say that tho
Philadelphia managers who estimating a vote
| Of 100000 to 10000 for Stewart do not appre-
ciate the strength of the movement they are lead.