The state journal. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1883-1885, 1884-11-01
HOWARD'S LETTER.
DOUBTS ABOUT RIDGRWAY'S
ELECTION.
The Independent" About to Join
the angel Band"-Business
at a Deadlock.
PHILADELPHIA. Oat. 80.

The time is swiftly drawing near
when the question as to whom will
be the next President is to be de-
cided. at this time there is nothing
talked of but politics, and to such an
extent has the fever ragged that it has
brought all manner of business to
standstill, and everybody appears
anxious to have election day pass.
Local politics are at fever heat, and
the troubles that have been raised
by the Democratic candid ate for
Controller Hirst have been at last
Strengthened out by the nomination
of Col. Robert Dechert, who at this
late day has been placed on the
ticket Col. Dechert is a man well
known and highly respected by
both Democrats and Republicans,
and no doubt if he had been placed
on the ticket at an earlier day would
have been elected over Mr.. Ridgeway,
the Republican nominee, and as it is,
may yet pull through, as the dissatis-
ton against Mr. Ridgeway has not
abated in the least, but seems to be-
come more general. The revolt
among the Republican business men
will eliminate in a meeting at Hor-
ticultural Hall on Friday evening,
when a number of men who are
closely identified with the Republi-
can party will give their reasons
why Mr.. Ridgeway should not be
elected and their reasons for support
ing Col. Dechert. To the colored
voter the time is nearly at hand
when he can avenge himself for the
insult given by Mr.. Ridgeway.
There is no doubt of the success of
the balance of the Republican ticket,
and l hope to be able to tell in my
next how grandly we have worked.
The Independent is still alive, al
though it seems to be only ques-
ton of time when it will give up the
ghost. 1t has reached that stage in
its existence where it is enabled to
practice the stacrobatic act in jour
nalism, as the readers of the paper
have saw in the last two issues. In
one issue they are the ardent sup
porters of White and Osbourne, and
in the next they turn a journalistic
somersault and are the enthusiastic
supporters of Boyer and Wirld.
Alas, such is the fate of all the good;
they either die young or go to the
bad, and the Independents will prove
no exception. In their last issue
they publish letter written by one
Of the staff of the paper who is too
cowardly to use his name, and who
hides himself under the name OF
"Jim Dudley The question arises
why should a person who is an &C.
knowledged journalist, though he
may deny his connection with the
Independents, and one of the leading
society men of the city, write an ar
ticle for paper that he was ashamed
of? for he surely must have been
ashamed of it or he would have used
his proper name. He proceeds to
try and show where l am inconsist-
ent. First, he says my hatred to
Mr.. Ridgeway arises from the out
spoken opinion of Mr.. r. shat
colored man aspires too high" do
frankly acknowledge that as the rea-
son why | do not support MIR. Ridge
way, and l ask any fair, unprejudiced
colored man if / am not in the right
and if the expression "that a colored
man aspires too high is not an un-
pardonable insult to every man that
has a drop Of colored blood in his
veins And ! also ask if it is not
the duty of every man who has the
interest of bis race at heart to use his
utmost endeavors to try and defeat
such a man when he seeks the aid of
the colored voters to place him in
prominent office? for one will not
do so, and would rather support
Democrat, from whom we can expect
nothing, than Republican who
who would not aid US if he could.
The writer next says my support of
White and Osbourne is based on the
fact that White put another s0hite
man in a good position. Surely Mr..
Dudley (?) has not read any of my
former correspondence or he would
see the falsity of his charge. In my
last letter l only spoke of the white
man and his position to show the
cause of the enmity to Mr.. White by
the leaders. My fight for the W.
and o. faction arises from my belief
thnt tha m a;oritu Of tho uotora DO