Evening star., 1896-10-20
Those, That Have Been Heard in the
Pennsylvania Court.
REPUBLICANSMAY lose Two DISTRICTS
Gathering Of Ward Hee|ers at the
Philadelphia Cases.
He CITY SHERI F
Correspondence of The Evening Star.
HARRISBURG, October

1t is In the Dauphin county court that all
contests for nomination are settled under
the Australian ballot system, that obtains
In Pennsylvania, and such an exhibition of
political methods that are dark has never
before this week been seen here. This is
the last week for hearing contests, and as
usual, there was great rush. On Mon
day the case of James ODonneIl of Pitts
burg, the nominee of the democracy for
Senator in the forty-third district, came be-
fore the court. Mr.. O'Donnell sought to
dispossess Christopher l.. Magee, of ma
tional political fame, from the democratic
nomination. MIR. Magee is a republican,
and the nominee of the republicans for Sem
ator, but when the democrats convention
met, 1t promptly indorsed his nomination,
and O'Donnell and a minority of the dele
gates, feeling disgruntled over the extraor-
dinary proceeding of democratic conven-
tion indorsing a republican. got Off into
corner and held another convention, which
nominated ODonnell. The latter contested
Magee's nomination, and on the hearing in
court 1t was shown that the democratic
party in Pittsburg is utterly without rules.
Quoth the court: what are the rules Of
the democratic party for nominating Sena-
tors in Allegheny county, And the wit
ness answered: None that l am aware of,
except they be Rugby rules"
ODonnell's case was thrown out Of court
and Magee is on both tickets.
The ArmstrOnE-Butler District.
On Tuesday there came up the contest for
the republican senatorial nomination in the
Armstrong-Butler district. There had been
a deadlock, Butler supporting Capt. Ritter
and Armstrong voting for Senator Mere
dith. At the hottest time in the deadlock
the secretary Of the republican state COM
mittee appeared in the conference. and.
without any warrant whatever. announced
that he was there to vote for Meredith,
and he declared Meredith nominated. Rit-
ter's conferees held a conference, and, of
course. nominated him. Then they went
into court, and the court held that no out
slider hkesthe state secretary had right to
usurp the rights of the people, and prompt
ly threw both out, as neither had ma
jority. Unless one of them yields, there
trict for the first time. Congressman Hicks
and his opponent, Kooser of Somerset. both
claimed the congressional nomination in
the twentieth district-Hicks on the ground
that State Treasurer Haywood, who had
been called in without authority, broke the
deadlock }'y voting for him. Kooser's dele
gates voted for him, and then they both
went into the Dauphin county court with
theirt respective stories, and were as
promptly ,bowled out for the same reasons
as in the Ritter Meredith case.
f1%E The PhiladcIphis Cases.
On Thursday came the Philadelphia cases.
Such gathering of ward heelers and
toughs has never before been seen in the
city of Harrisburg since the days when
Samuel J. Randall and William A. Wallace
struggled to control the state convention
of 1880. and democratic thugs held up the
city. This time it was of the other politi-
cal faith. The contest was over two nomi-
nations for the legislature in the twenty
seventh ward, Philadelphia. 1t was shown
that beer flowed like water, men broke
into the convention. and drunken mer
caught delegates around the neck and
sought to prevent them from going to the
desk to cast their ballots. One witness sale
that he had been offered by Frank Willing
Leach. formerly Senator Quay's secretary
$500 for his vote and three others. Mr.
Leach promptly went on the stand and
called the other fellow liar, and it is NOR,
than probable that the other fellow was
lying to bolster up his case. On Friday
came another grist of heeIers to attend
court as witnesses in The contest for the
republican nomination in the fifth Philadel.
phia district. Ex-Speaker Walton and Col.
Brown both claimed the nomination, and
they battled in the court for twenty -four
hours the attorneys for each having ma.
tional regulations. 1t was shown that all
sorts of skull-duggery was resorted TO by
both sides to gain an advantage, and Wal
ton came out ahead on the general mix.
up. AS the court has the last say in the
matter 1t is hard to tell who will win. II
all depends on the proper Interpretation of
it seems they have rules in that city.
Republicans May Lose Two Districts.
Pennsylvania republicans are certain tc
lose two congressional districts now repre-
sented by republicans-the sixth, now rep:
resented by Jack Robinson, and the
twentieth, represented by Josiah D. Hicks
Both districts have two republican candi.
dates, and they will not Yield an inch and
democrats to xx-fp
iniquitous conference system that is re-
sponsbie for all of the trouble 1t gives
each county equal representation whether
the republican vote is large Or small and
there is generally q deadlock that lasts
for weeks. The court in the Ritter-Mere-
dith case scored the system, and suggested
that the next republican state convention
ought to adopt some rule by which oead.
locks will be made impossible 1t is likely
that the convention will adopt such a rule
as will make the state committee the
arbiters after the deadlock has reached a
certain period, or else recommend nc NINA.
tions by direct vote. State Chairman
Elkin said to the correspondent of The
Star that he will prepare a rule by the time
the next convention meets, but he has not
yet perfected it.
The Sheriff of Philadelphia.
The purchase by the friends of an inde.
pendent candidate for sheriff Of Philadel-
phia, Sandy Crow by name, of 10000
seriously alarmed the republican leaders
Not that they have any fears of Pelinsyl.
vania, but they do not want it to happen
that Bryan will have a vote of respectable
size in this state
Up tc the time Of the purchase the demo.
cratic. city chairman of Philadelphia did
not have a cent for that purpose, but It is
said that the democrats were only toe
eager to trade off votes for Crow in return
for money for tax receipts that would en-.
able them to vote for Bryan, and they
promptly Endorsed Crows candidacy. This
has made the republican leaders very
angry, bat there Is no help for it. Crow
has all along been a friend Of Senator
Quay going out of his way to help him
and there are low whisperings that Crows
candidacy is part of some of lluays schem.
ing. for the "old Man." as Quay is known
here, is very foxy. and not averse to turn
ing down republican or aiding a demo.
crat where 1t will further his own ends
News comes that Congressman Sibley is
to be defeated in the Erie-Crawford dis.
trict. for the reason that the men who
have heretofore sold out the republican
vote to him are this year on the other side
They are mercenary set in that district
both parties-and have been ever since 1t
cost the elder Delamater $4,000 to carry
the primaries for senator.