Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-09
OUT FOR NEXT MAYOR.
A Good Deal Of HuStling Being Done
Over a Year in Advance.
THREE MEN PROMINENTLY NAMED.
Mercer and McCandless Struggling for a
Tilt With McKenna.
SENATOR QUAY on STATE POLITICS

The election of the next Mayor of Pitts
burg would seem from the present outlool
to be very long way of, but early as ap
pearances might indicate, the subject is be
ing literally discussed at this time. 1t is
fact that wires are not being exactly pulled
but are being strung with no little energy
by seseveral gentlemen who are desirous il
succeeding his honor, Mayor Gourley.
on the Republican side of the house. al
present, but two names are mentioned. One
Is ex-Sheriff NcCandless and the other is
County Commissioner r. F. Mercer. 1t is
known that both Of these gentlemen have
been carefully groomed by their friends for
several weeks, and while outwardlv the
greatest friendship exists between them,
both are old and astute politicians. and no
point is left uncovered by either that will
make things look rosy for the nominating
conventions year or more hence.
Commissioner Mercer, it is said, plays a
trump card in holding a strong following on
the south side Of the river; indeed, tits held
that when fears were entertained preceding
the last Mayoralty election that Gourley
could not carry the Soutbside wards, Mercer
man who could defeat Judge Bailey.
ONCE NEARLY A CANDIDATE.
AS for the ex-Sherif while somewhat
younger than Mercer, it may be said that he
was cradled in politics. and from ward
school director on up to County Treasurer
Sheriff. he has managed not only to hold old
friends but TO make many new ones, and it
is related by some of his friends that about
three weeks previous to the election which
resulted in the success of Mayor Gourlev.
Mr. Gourley himselfh had concluded the fight
was getting too hot, and even gone so far as
to write a letter of withdrawal from the
candidacy. This became knewn to some of
the more ardent admirers OF the Sheriff, and
they al once urged that he be put
onward and made the Repub-
fcan candidate for Mayor. Political
legends have it that the leaders of the party
were only prevented from putting up Nc
Candless by the fact that to pull down
Gourley at that time would be such frank
admission of weakness as to invite certain
defeat So influences were brought to hear
on the candidate to remain firm, while Nc
CaudleSs' friends were assured that his
claims would be considered before another
election would trsnspire. Notwithstanding
the objections Of the local leaders of the
party, it is not certain but McCandless
would have been nominated had il not been
for the fact that he had at that time wear
TO serve as Sheriff. and it would seem a
great capacity for office if a man sought the
Sutirages of the people for Mavor before he
had yet finished serving them in some other
capacity, where he had been placed by
their votes, and so il happened that Nc
CandlesS was held of. receiving almost
positive promises from many of the pillars
of the party that he would he the next
standard bearer for the mayorality.
BOTH MEMS FRIENDS AT WORK.
At present the friends of both Mercer
and McCandlcSS are working actively, and
unless the horizon changes very much and
new luminary comes out from behind that
greatest of all mysteries, the political skv,
one Of these gentlemen will be the nominee. |
A for the Democrats. il is generally con- |
ceded that Magistrate 2. F. McKenna will |
receive the nomination without opposition. |
His friends claim that he has already been |
slated. There are several reasons why this |
Is Jhe case. When a candidate five years |
ago against NcCallin he made a great show |
in- and carried the first 13 wards of the city. |
IN fact, if the election Of Lyon is omitted,
not Tor many wears has Democrat devel- |
upel the strength that McKenna demon |
come Mayor. Ia the Gourley-Bailey cam |
paiEn it Is known that the managers of |
Judge Bailey'S canvass took occasion to |
ignore Nckenna The consequence was |
that neither the Judge nor his adherents in |
the party took very much interest in Bailev's |
success, and when the votes were counted, |
much significance was attached to the fact |
that in those portions CT the city that are |
known as Mckenna strongholds. the |
strength Of the party somehow did not drift |
toward the Democratic candidate.
SOME OF THE N 'KENNA ARGUMENTS.
Il Is alleged that at the present time Nc |
kcnHa is much stronger politically than |
when he made his last Mayoralitv campaign; |
more than this, he has strong following |
among Young Republicans, and there are
those who 60 so far as to saw that more than
one Republican leader of this CITY stands
pledged to give McKenna support-of
course not openly. but in ''wink-the-other-
eve sort Of a way that tells powerfully
when the votes are counted
OF course there may be many changes be-
fore nominations are made but from the
present outlook there is no doubt but what
Mchenna will make the strongest bid for
the next MavoTalty that q Democrat has
offered for many years. There are other
Democrats in the city, however, who have
never been identified with aay of the fac
tions. Their friends are quietly watching
Tor an opportunity 10 force them TO the
front.