Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-16
WITHOUT ANY NAMES.
A Call Minus Signatures Issued for
a Convention to
NOMINATE JUDICIAL CANDIDATES,
It Is Considered a Rather Unprecedented
Procedure.
SENATOR NEEB TAKES ALAUGH ABOUT IT

ty Executive Committee on Saturday in in
dorsing the Governors appointees for Judges
of Common Pleas Court No. 3. 1t reads as
follows:
To the Republicans of Allegheny County:
WHEREAS The Republican County Executive
Committee on Jaturday, July H. 1891, at the dicta-
ton of Finn, Magee and O'Leary, adopted to
themselves the power to compel the Republican
voters of Allegheny county to vote for their cand-
dates for the judiciary, under the transparent game
of a non-partisan judiciary, by voting down the
following resolution:
Resolved, That the Chairman of this committee
be authorized and directed to issue call for
vention to nominate three suitable persons can
didates for the judgeships of the Court of Common
Pleas No. 3, said convention to be held at such
place as may hereafter be designated by the Chair
man of this committee on Tuesday, the 18th day Of
August, 1891. at IL O'Clock A. M, and the primary
meetings to elect delegates to said convention to be
held on Saturday, the I'D day of August, 1891. be-
tween the hours OF and O'Clock P. M. Said con-
vention and primaries to be held and conducted
subject to the rules of this committee.
The undersigned believe that such action was an
outrage upon the rights and privileges of the peo-
pie, a usurpation of power that takes away from
candidates for Judges of said court and leaves the
voters no alternative except to either vote for such
bers of said committee being absolutely opposed
such dictatoria proceedings call upon all true Re
DoPg
% 1884, between the hours of and O'Clock P. M,
the then sn@ asee be
held on Tuesday august S5 lSSl at st-eae 10
Republican candidates for Judges of the court Of
Common Pleas No. 9, also candidate for District
Attorney. And to elect delegates to conventions to
be held in their respective Senatorial districts, on
said 18th day of August at 10 O'Clock a. M. at a
eeiecting delegates to the Constitutional Conven-
ton; and said voters are also requested at said
as a member of straightout Republican County
Committee. The time and place for the meeting
of said committee will be hereafter designated.
A Call That Is without Signers.
Lafayette Hall has been secured for August
25 by the parties who have the primaries and
convention in charge.
The call was not signed-yesterday, but five
smen were deputed to get signatures, and
Captain Gibbs had secured some of them.
Judge Fetterman left his office early in the
day, and MI. Williams was said to be at the
United States District Attorneys office, but
an attendant there said he had not been
about since noon. Judge Grfpp was not in
his office, but it was said that the call would
not be submitted to him but be made inde-
pendently of the County Committee.
There were a number of callers for infor-
nation at the offices of all the gentlemen
named, but they went away empty handed.
A gentleman in Judge FetterInan's office
stated that the call with signatures attached
would be sent out last night, and he init
mated that there would be some hustling.
A man said that Mr.. Williams was not in
favor of the bolt, but, as he could not be
found, he did not go on record in the after
noon.
Some 80 members of the sewickley Repub-
lican League have asked Mr.. George
H. Anderson, President of the League, to call
a meeting for this evening to allow the men,
bers to express themselves in opposition to
the action of the committee. In comph-
Nv nd DT-xy
Walter Vandervort to issue notices for the
meeting.
The status was discussed pretty generally
pro and con yesterday, but beyond what is
given above there seems to be no fresh
features in the situation. Judge Fetterman
expressed the opinion that the matter will
nominations for the Judgeships, District At
torneyship and members of the Constitu-
tionai Convention will be made, as the rest
are regarded as regular.
1t Is the Will of the People.
Senator John Neeb laughed heartily when
asked last night what he thought of the al
legged call for q convention to nominate
judges.
1.-THE whole affair amounts to nothing"
said he. 'From the way the call was worked
it is very evident that it was gotten up on
short notice, and the man who wrote it did
not know exactly what he was talking
about. Doubtless those who favor the plan
are as honest in their convictions as those
who think the other way, but they are
badly mistaken if they think they can ac-
complish their purpose OF having little po-
litical struggle over the judgeship question.
Now, anybody can see how useless it will be
to make a fight against two organized
bodies, representing the Republican and
Democratic parties.
"As to the action of the County Commit
tee it cannot be questioned. At one time 1
favored the idea of a convention, but 1
found it so distasteful to the public in gen.
eral that was soon convinced the other
way. Dozens of conscientious Republicans
spoke to me about the matter. If you drag
the judiciary into the whirlpool of politics.
they said, you will soon see how the peo-
pie will protest against it. If the commit
tee insists on a convention the people will
turn tables and elect three Democrats 1t
was easy to see that to call a convention and
put on foot spirited campaign would be
thwarting the will of the people. The best
citizens of the county and the most ardent
party followers feel repugnance about
bringing politics into the judgeshtp matter,
and they will demonstrate this feeling by
sustaining the County Committee in its ac-
tion. have not the slightest idea that the
kickers will have convention"