The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-12
The Defeat Of rIr. Davies.

taDulated on page seven II VIII be seen
that the unfortunate defeat of Thomas
d. Davies for county treasurer has been
due to two conspicuous causes; first,
the treachery Of self-styled Republi-
cans who spent time and money in an
otherwise fruitless effort to defeat their
own party ticket; and secondly, the
individual popularity of Mr.. Schadt,
which, notably in the Fourth, Ninth
and Seventeenth wards, caused the ele-
ment Of personal friendship in some in
stances to outweigh party fealty The
latter cause is more easily forgiven
than the former. Mr.. Schadt, as
young man who has been active and
prominent in local affairs, naturally ap-
pealed to his warm Republican friends
who, never suspecting that the candi-
dacy of Mr.. Davies would be unsuc-
cessful, thought that it could safely
spare their complimentary votes,
Many of these unquestionably now re-
gret that this feeling of personal es-
TEEN should have been the means of de-
feating worthy and honorable Re
publican, whose fitness for public Office
certainly equals that of any other
nominee on the ticket.
Unfortunate, however, as this phase
Of the situation undoubtedly is, 1t is
certainly less discreditable than is the
n1n 90 20 NJ
treachery which the returns exhibit as
the handiwork of the contingent of en-
bittered soreheads led by ex-Mayor
John H. Fellows. Once fairly defeated
in convention this contingent, under
the lead of man who had repeatedly
held Office through the suffrages of fel
low Republicans, Immediately started
out with the avowed purpose of knitting
every man on the successful ticket.
The midnight conferences held by him
and his co-conspirators with the DEM
ocratic managers; his futile effort to
get signatures to an independent candi-
dacy for congress; and finally the
to pay the expenses of an organized
bolt are facts of notorious prominence.
But, finding after a time that the con-
tract Of defeating the whole ticket was
an impossible one. the revolutionists, in
last gasp Of jealousy and revenge,
passed an order along the line to drop
N 20, n
to concentrate it on Mr.. Clemons and
Mr.. Davies. This will account for the
falling off of Mr.. Davies vote in many
election districts where his associates
on the ticket polled the normal party
vote. Although this detection, coward
ly as 1t was in view of all the circum-
stances, would have proved Intellectual
had there been no complimentary vot-
ing for Mr.. Schadt, we confidently sub
NIT to the fair judgment of the loyal
Republicans of the county that less
blame attaches to mistaken friendship
than to deliberately plotted treachery
and systematic conspiracy within the
party lines.
So far from falling in the estimation
of impartial public opinion as a conse-
quence of his narrow defeat Mr.. Davies
distinctly gains in popular esteem. To
the respect which is commanded by his
admitted integrity and answering
honesty he may now add the admira-
ton which Is his by reason Of the eEe-
mics he has made, Deep down in the
American heart there is a feeling OF
| profound disgust for the cowardly
skulker who after licking the hand OF
friend takes advantage Of the night
to stab his benefactor in the back. AS
first class examples of what decent
partisans will never condescend to be
the case of John H. Fellows and those
leagued with him in his plot of party
betrayal, stands luminously out upon
the face of the official returns with
most unenviable significance.
Nor, we fancy, will decent Republi.
cans soon forget the lesson they i'm.
press.