Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-18
WEIGHING IT WELL,
MayOralty Timber Suspended
in the Balances.
CLOSING OF THE CAMPAIGN.
All Sorts of RumorS Rife at the
Eleventh Hour.
hard AND hot FIGHTING AT HAND

lu6 D1dyOTdlby CduNdSs ClOcCO Aoos AASAs
with each side in state of confident COM
placency as to the outcome, which will
probably be dispelled only by the actual
votes. The parting shrek of literary bu-
reaus and affidavit mills is supposed to be
ringing in the ears of the puzzled voter this
morning, and whatever the result of this
extraordinary CAMPAIGN may be, the lion
and the lamb are making a bee.iine for the
trvsting place, where all will be serene for
three years more.
Asthe catspult of yore hurled mighty
missiles against the solid walls of antique
cities, so have the patent back-action, toggle
jointed mud guns been trained against the
solid walls of personal reputation. There's
3 difference, however. The Hellenic mis-
siles battered down the Trojan ramparts,
but the political squirtguns' effects are not
lasting. The sunshine of victory will dry
up the mud and it will disappear.
SOME OF THE DRAWBACKS.
Educational campaigns may be very we'll
in their way, but whether the voter will re-
echo the old sentiment, "This is the way 1
long have sought, yet remains to be seen.
As was to have been expected in such bit
ter campaign, Horace GreeIy's fsvorite ar
gument, "You lie, you villain, in your
throat you lie" has been the burden of the
campaign pronunciamentos in the last "a
hours of the canvass.
In such q condition have the henchmen of
both parties been since yesterday morning,
that command to ''give it out" that Judge
Bailey fired the Ephesian dome, or that Mr..
Gourley fddled while Rome was aburning,
would have been obeyed with alacrity and
in all seriousness.
But the claims of big msjorities for either
side are received with many grains of salt
by level-headed citizens, who feel that the
Pittsburg election will be decided by few
hundred votes either way.
wHErTING THE KNIVES.
The eleventh-hour knives were being
shsrpened all over the city last evening. if
man was disposed to believe the rumors,
which few thick and fast. Now it was the
McCallinites who we're going to knock
Gourley out in his own ward; then came the
rumor that Judge Bailey would lose the
First ward; then that Gourley would not
cross the Monongahela river at the head of
the procession; then that Bailey would have
the votes at the precincts, but not at City
Hall; then that the Land League was going
to oppose Judge Bailey; then that the silk
stocking East End vote was out for low tax
prospects; then-rumor upon rumor, report,
canard, affidavit, observation, statement,
charge, allegation, bribe, speak-easy. police,
6remen, etc., forming a hopeless tumble.
Spice all this with the lustv cries of fraud
from Chieftain Foley and "Come on, boys"
shouted from the expansive lungs of Gen.
eral Finn, and you have a pot-au-feu such
as never before sizzled in the much maligned
political cauldron.
LOTS OF TRADING EXPECTED.
The tremendous efforts in ward fights for
Councilmen, Aldermen, School Directors
and Constables could not be left out of the
Mayoralty reckoning with any degree Of
consistency. 1t was conceded BY those who
watch with eyes unblinded by the smoke
and fury of the conflict that there were very
few wards in the city where trading of the
heads of the tickets would not prevail to-
day. 1t was credibly rumored that orders
had been given in several directions which
would tebd to mash the most carefully con-
Etructed calculations on the Mayoraltv ques-
tiou. Old hands at guessing were very
mum last night, and il was altogether a sort
of pavs-your-money-and and-takes-your-choice,
things-of- a doubtful l-nature-are-sometimes-
desperately-uncertain situation.
1t had been conceded that the method of
conducting the entire Democratic canvass
had been puzzlingly secretive,s and allega-
tons of big sums of money rescued from the
encroachments of deposition bureaus for
more cogent aud direct application to the
nimble voter we're freely made on both sides.
The managers of Mr.. Gourley, with the
thoughts of the usual party majority as a
haven Of refuge, simulated confidence very
cleverly, even if it was not actually felt.
OVER ON THE NoRTHsIDE.
Over in Allegheny last night the fight
had reached white heat. The Endorsement
of the Democratic candidate, Mr.. 1. r.
Stayton, by W. H. Griffith and Mr.. Mar
tin, Independent candidates, who with
drew in his favor, and the advocacy of
Mr.. S. S. d. Thompson, very evil
Sdently ratified the Wymanites The
wave of revolt against Wyman lashed
what was a placid sea last Sunday
into a raging main BY midnight, and the
Wyman craft was scudding before the wind,
with matches battened down, bare poles and
anxious lookouts for reefs and squalls. 1t
was admitted by Mr.. Wyman's friends that
8 canvass of two days had been great mis-
take, with an explanatory campaign on
hand. The soldier vote was announced to
be out for blood, and Stavton and his friends
were welcoming Allegheny business men
and citizens to their ranks. There being
but one Councilmanic fight on hand was
considered an element OF strength for Mr.
Stayton. Wyman was very much upon the
defensive.
A political escutcheon consisting of a
rooster rampant, in pit couchant, on field
of saw-dust, was being faunted in a good
many public resorts, and seemed to be hav-
ing great effect upon those who delight to
study heraldic designs.
BIG BUSINESS IN WET GOODS.
In both cities immense crowds were in
the streets, and the SO bar rooms of Pitts
burg had excited men three-deep against the
hars, quafing oh-be-joyful and advancing
opinions upon the relative merits of the op-
posing candidates. Although in most cases
the discussions were good-humored, many
heated squsbbles took place, and the patrol
wagon was frequently called upon to act as
a practical arbitrator between angry indi-
viduals. But considering the heated con-
dition of the canvass, the great public did
pretty we'll, considering.
There was much more excitement in Allie
gheny than in Pittsburg, and impromptu
harangues on street corners kept the police
very busy in quelliDg incipient disturb
ances
1t is tolerably certain that no previous
municipal election in the twin cities has
aroused an equal amount of excitement for
years.
ACROSS THE BLOODY CHASM.