Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-14

| "a, 100000 to pay the Pittsburg riot losses
which followed he became the undispute6
and successful leader of the opposition to
| the measure. Near the close of this memor
| able contest some of the parties interested
| in the measure undertook to procure the
| few votes necessary to secure its passage by
| bribery. The attempt was detected and ex
| posed and an investigation ordered, OF
which MI. Wolfe became the leading spirit
! The investigation revealed the fact that
more than 20 members had been corruptly
approached in the interests of the bill.
The committees report recommended the
expulsion of four members, but as this re.
Quired a two-thirds vote the recommends
ton was not adopted. 1t was then decided
to prosecute the bribers in the courts OF
Dauphin county, and a committee of II
members of the House, including Mr.. Wolfe
was appointed to take charge of the prosecu.
tion.
Mr. Wolfe was reelected to the House in
1880 and was one of the Sc Republican Sena.
tors and Representatives who refused to &c
into q caucus for the nomination of a United
States Senator to succeed William A. Wal
lace, whose term was to expire March 4, 1881
The regular Republican caucus nominated
Henry w. Oliver and the 56 non ca ucus legis-
lators voted steadily for Galusha A. Grow
Oliver and Grow both finally withdrew from
the contest and John l. Mitchell, of Tioga,
one of Wolfe's earliest associates in the Leg
islature, was chosen Senator.
A CAMPAIGN FOR TREASURER
1t was supposed that an honest attempt
would now be made to heal party divisions
by the recognition of the independent ele-
ment in the Republican party. There was q
tacit understanding that William F. Davies,
of Bradford county, then Senator and now
Lieutenant Governor who was one of Grows
adherents in the Senatorial contest, should
be nominated for State Treasurer at the
coming State Convention This promise to
the ear was broken to the hope, however,
and Davies was cast aside. Mr.. Wolfe, who
attended the convention, thought he saw in
the rejection of Davies the evidence of de-
termination to crush out the last vestige of
independence in the party.
Returning home he offered himself as an
independent candidate for State Treasurer
ana entered at once upon the prosecution of
one of the most remarkable political cam
paigns ever witnessed in the State. In the
four weeks intervening between his an
nouncement and the day of election he spoke
in nearly every city in the State, his speeches
ringing with denunciation Of the existing
methods and calling for radical reform in
the management of the Republican party.
He received nearly 80, 0C0 votes and paved
the way for the nomination of the Indepen-
dent Republican State ticket of 1885,, which re-
suited in the defeat of General Beaver and
his associates on the regular party ticket In
that campaign be bore conspicuous part,
attending the convention at Philadelphia
and speaking in many places during the can
vass that followed.
At the close of this exciting campaign Mr..
Wolfe retired from active participation in
Republican politics He had always been
total abstainer from Intoxicating drinks and
during his Legislativ, career had steadily
advocated and voted for all temperance
measures presented in that body, including
the local option law, which was repealed
during the session of 1876.
AS A PROHIBITION LEADER.
During the four years covered by the term
Of Dat hsax tot o1,a
OF political events. He believed that the
vital issues between the two existing parties
were settled and that politics had descended
to mere scramble for the offices Neither
party seemed disposed to array itself on the
side of temperance and advocate the
abolition or even the effective restriction of
the liquor traffic. Regarding prohibition as
see no hope for its promotion except through
the instrumentality of separate political
party.
In the winter of 1885 he openly declared
his afflIfation with the Prohibition party,
which had maintained an organization and
polled an insignificant vote at each election
since 1872. Many of his former admirers
followed him into the Prohibition ranks and
it soon became apparent that unless he posi-
lively declined the nomination he would be-
come the standard-bearer of the party in the
contest. The Prohibition
which met at Harrisburg Au-
gust %, 1876, was Dy Iar tne most imposing
the Prohibition party had ever
leld in the State.
Over 600 delegates were present, nearly or
quite every county being represented. From
III sections came the demand that Wolfe
should head the ticket. He was present in
he convention as delegate from Union
county, and his appearance was the signal
or manifestations ofapplause that could not
)e repreSsed. The convention organized
md adjourned until the following day, when
full ticket was nominated, with Wolfe at
is head, and a fund of upward of $1,000
pledged to carry on the campaign. Wolfe
md his colleagues on the ticket took the
stump and raised the Prohibition banner in
III parts of the State. The election showed
hat the Prohibition vote had more than
doubled, Wolfe polling 80, ,422 votes as against
5IS polled for st. John for President in |
sS4 This was the highest vote ever polled |
or a Prohibition candidate in the State, |
rish, the Prohibition candidate for State |
treasurer in 1857 receiving but 1s,47l votes, |
nd Clinton 3. Fisk, the Prohibition candi- |
ate for President in 1888, receiving but 209 947.
fr. Wolfe's work in the campaign of last |
all, when he supported Pattison, is too |
ecent to need mention.