The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-04
A BITTER FIGHT AHEAD.
Politicians of Pennsylvania
Laying Wires to Capture
the Delegates.
OLD SCORES MAY BE PAID OFF.
Strength Of the Beaver Statesman
Pitted Against Martin and
Magee.

PITTSBURG, PA, Oct. ga bitter fight
over delegates to the next Republican
National Convention has already begun in
this State. 1t is early and bitter because
the enemies of Senator Matthew Stanley
Quay hope TO capture the delegation and
push "the old man. out of National poll
tics. Quay is an avowed enemy of ex-
President Harrison, and if he can land the
delegates there is no doubt whatever that
Pennsylvania will swing against the ex-
President The Beaver statesman is an
expert angler and has always caught what
he went after In political way. There is
a general belief in this State that he will
catch this time.
The forces lined up against the Senator
are Christopher L. Magee of this city and
David Martin of Philadelphia, the leaders
in municipal affairs. Governor Hastings
is the uncertain quantity in the fight, but
as the bosses have industr1ously chased
the Presidential bee about his head Has
tings is to all appearances on their side.
Just how potent is this combination,
known as the "hog combine" was shown
in the campaign of this summer for State
chairman. Quay wanted to be chairman,
and the fight to get it was acknowledged
by himself to be the hardest he ever had.
Yet he beat the combine two to one, de-
spite their pull from State appointments
and all the power of the machines of two
cities. Quay after his victory offered to
conciliate Hastings, but apparently in
vain.
Neither side expects quarter. Magee
knitted Quay's candidate for Governor four
years ago with the Allegheny County vote
and helped a Democrat into Office. His
second revolt he's finally "queered' him
with Quay. Martins offense was turning
down Quay's candidate for Mayor of Phila-
delphia, for which he was denounced in
the Senate as wearing the dollar mark of
the corporations on his forehead. Though
they failed to whip him this summer,
these bosses are still hammering at the
man who taught them most of their politics.
The Lexowing of both cities is incipient,
and if it ever is carried out it means the
downfall of Magee and Martin. A legisla-
tive committee will get to work soon in
William Penn's town.
These are the motives that lend des-
peration to the fight. But there does not
appear to be any doubt that Quay will con-
tinue to dominate Pennsylvania politics.
In the August fight his opponents carried
only three Congressional districts outside
of Allegheny and Philadelphia counties.
In the interval the Quay people have
effected organizations in this city, and the
Senator will undoubtedly be much stronger
in this contest.
Quay has declared that he is for Reed
for President first and Mckinley after
ward. He will, in all likelihood, carry the
State delegation with HIM into the next
National Republican Convention, and he
will most surely fight Harrison for all
time. In fact when his last victory proved
that he could still dominate the State, the
prediction was freely made that Harri-
sons chances had been greatly reduced.
The break between the ex-National chair
man and the exPresident dates iron
shortly after Harrison's election. Quay
was turned down on appointments. Har-
rison piously attributed his election to
Providence and not to the efforts of Quay
as National chairman. That was too much
for the Beaver statesman, and he has had
no use for the ex-President since.
Senator Quay arrived from Florida this
week, where he had been fishing, and
came to his home in Beaver, twenty-eight
miles from this city. His return to this
State caused a scurrying of his opponents
TO Harrisburg to lay more plans to head
him off from the delegates. This is the
situation in Pennsylvania now, and Quay
with his characteristic taciturnity is let
ting the others do all the spectacular work.