Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-02-26
Rspublicanism VS.. Quayism.

object of which is to prevent the reelection
of Mathew s. Quay to the United States
Senator and to secure the choice ofa sue
cessor whose personal character. intellect
ual snd forensic ability, statesmanlike
qualities, and loyalty to the principles of
the Republican party, as we'll as his will
ingness to be the exponent OF its voters sent
iments, shall stamp him as fitting repre-
sentative of the State in the Upper House
of Congress.
The first open evidence of the existence
| of the organization is found in the strong
and significant address of its Executive
| Committee. This, however, has not been
launched until, by personal conferences
and extensive correspondence, the sentl-
ment of many thousands of Republicans in
all parts of the State has been ascertained,
| and the nucleus of an active and effective
organization formed in every Republican
county. So carefully and thorougly has
| this work been done that there is no doubt
that the organization will achieve its object
and that Mr.. Quay, at the expiration OF
his present term in the United States
Senate, will be succeeded by an abler and
| more loyal Republican.
The present movement is entirely dis
| tinct from that fathered by the Lincoln
Independents, or Republican Reform
League, which defeated Mr.. Delamater.
1t has been organized by Republicans, who
have uniformly supported only Republi,,
cans for office, and who voted the full
State ticket in 1890, although many OF
| them did so under mental protest.
1t embraces men who have followed Mr..
Quay's leadership as State and National
Chairman, and who have hitherto either
actively or passively given him their sup
port. They are men who have as rule,
taken no active part in politics, but have
given literally when applied to, to the
campaign funds of the party. They are
moved by no personal grievances against
Mr.. Quay Nor do they desire any office
for themselves or other friends. They are
neither chronic kickers, sore heads, disap-
pointed office seekers, mugwumps, nor Pc
riodical Independents. They are of those
who constitute the real strength of the
party, its business, professional and work
ingmen, who love its principles and the
welfare of their State, and who have at
length most reluctantly taken action be-
cause it has been slowly forced upon them
that the vital interests of both would be
irretrievably injured unless a halt was
called upon Mr.. Quay.
Mr. Quay's attempt to vindicate himself
indirectly by his forcible nomination of Mr..
Delamater, and the insertion of plank in
the State platform of 1890 eulogizing him
self created in them a feeling of distr1st,
and although they supported the ticket,
the overwhelming reputation of its head,
due principally to the Quay plank in the
platform, and the subsequent revelations in
regard to Mr.. Delamater brought them
to the point of deciding that Mr.. Qusy's
leadership was an evil one, Still, they
were unwilling to take action against it.
His conduct in suppo rting Mr.. Cameron
for reelection, followed by the treachery
of both the Senators on the free election
and silver bills still further stirred the
feeling of dissatisfaction which was aim ost
famed into fame by the Donegal con-
spiracy. The object of that conspiracy was
to have last years State Convention ig-
more Mr.. Harrison by exceeding its powers
and nominating Mr.. Blaine, whose bitter
and uncompromising enemies the two Sen
ators had always been. 1t was further
their plan to omit the usual plank from
the platform demanding a free election
and a fair count, in order to vindicate their
treachery on the el Q ction bill.
It was just here that the tide turned aud
the conscience and good sense of the party
revolted. The night before the convention
met Mr.. Quay apparently held it in the
hollow of his hand, and his chief henchmen
boasted that the full Donegal scheme
would 90 through the next day "like q
breeze" But there were some earnest.men
who perceived the danger, and who work
ed nearly all night to avert it, and the re-
ignored Mr.. Quay and his schemes and
made its own platform and ticket, and as
a consequence the latter received an i'm
mense majority at the polls.
Meanwhile, however Mr.. Quay had in
creased the ill-will of many who had here
tofore been his friends by his interference
in the Club League presidency contest, and
the blunder of his lieutenants in permit
ting nearly hundred bona fde clubs,
many of them composed of his friends, to
leave Scranton without having been admit
ted to the convention, although the com
mittee controlled by his friends had been
compelled to recommend their admission.
ALL these occurrences taught the men who
had for sometime been distrusting Mr..
Quay's leadership that they must however
reluctant they might be to do so, act them
selves to get rid of it.
At this junctnre further evidence ap
peared of Mr.. Quay's determination to de-
feat Mr.. Harrison, and his intention to
control the States national delegation so
that he could use it simply for trading for
his personal advantage, as he had so often
done in the past. His pretention Of being
in favor of Mr.. Blaine was too bald to be
believed, and it was also the general opin-
ion that the latter would not allow his
name to be used, and in that event the
sentiment Of the Republicans of the State
was known to be overwhelmingly in favor
Mr. Harrison.
Mr.. Quay's evident attempt to prevent
the expression of that sentiment and the
means which he was taking to secure that
result, brought matters to crisis. AL
most imultaneous with the promulgation
of his plan to elect the Philadelphia ma
tional delegates three months ahead of
the time they should have been chosen the
feeling against him crystalized into act
ion.
On the 18th ofDecember there assembled
in an upper room of No. 1910 Chestnut
Street some forty Republicans from Phila-
delphia and various parts of the State who
resolved that an organization should at
once be formed covering the whole State,
the object of which should be to elect
majority of the Republican members of
the next Leg islature who would under no
circumstances vote for Mr.. Quay, and
who would secure the election of some
popular and able Republican as his sue
cessor. provisional Executive Commit
tee was appointed with instructions 10 Sc
lect State Committee, composed of a
representative in every county and Sena-