The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-25
Before and After the Rise Of the Cam.
erOn Dynasty.
HOW JOHN FORNEY WAS BETRAYED
Manner in Which Cameron Won His
First Election to the Senate..T The
Subsequent Battles That Have
Periodically Agitated the Ordi.
nariIy Calm Surface ut Harrisburg.

been filed in the interval have not
caused any serious trouble after the
choice Of the legislatures which were
called upOn to name the senators. IT
Senator Cameron shall hold good to
his repeated assurances that he would
not again seek re-election-it VIII be
the first time i'm fifty years when a
Cameron has not been either in the
senate or candidate before a Republi-
can or Democratic senatorial caucus.
Simon Cameron made his first appear
ance in the United States senate in 1915,
as the result of the peculiar deal which
he entered into with combination
of Wings and Democratic boilers on
tho tariff question. defeating that en-
inent jurst. George w. Woodward, sec
ond to no member of his party in
either character or intellectual force,
and taking the place of James Buchan-
an, who had been called into the cab
met of Polk as secretary of state. With
the execution of the intervals between
his retirement to make way for Rich
ard Broadhead and his resignation to
enter LincOln's cabinet as secretary of
war and his reelection in 1861 the CAM
erOn line of father and son has been
continuous in the senate, covering al
together period of thirty-eight years.
No other Pennsylvania senator has
anywhere approached the record of
either of the Camerons in length of
service, with the exception of Quay
(at the close of his present term),
Daniel Sturgeon and James Buchan-
an. and none of them has more than
dozen years to his credit. Cameron
will have sat in the senate continu-
ously for almost twenty years; while
his father is the only senator who en-
Joyed the distinction of going out of
the senate, not only once, but twice,
and then going back again each time,
finally to hand the seat over in his
old age to Don as he would an heir
loom of the household. On the 4th
of March next the memorable history
of the CamerOnian dynasty in the mu-
tations of time will have closed it's
final chapter, after n career which cam
not be matched in American politics
for audacity, tenacity, intrigue, Chi
canery and personal success.
IN EARLY DAYS.
In the early days of the Republican
party in Pennsylvania the senatorshps
We're generally bones of fierce conten-
tion. or, at least. until the elder Cam
eron, after the war, succeeded in plac-
ing himself in the saddle. The begin
ming of his historic quarrel with An
back to their wrangling for the nOmi-
nation in 1855. Two years later came
TIE celebrated delivery to Cameron Of
the three Democratic votes of Maneer
LehO and Wagenseller in betrayal of
John W. Forney. The whole power of
the Democratic machine in Pennsylva-
mia under the orders of Buchanan. as
presdent-elect, had been employed to
make FOrney, who was chairman Of
the state committee. the candidate of
the caucus. The Democrats had only
a bare majority on joint ballot, and. al
though Forney had made some enemies
among the ambitious members of his
party who had been rejected i'm the eff
fort to whip into line q majority for
Buchanan's young champion. 1t was
expected that he would carry the day.
Cameron who had entered the Republi-
can party only the year before, had
pressed his claims without receiving
an altogether cordial recognition, but
he caused a hint to be conveyed to
the Republican caucus through Pen
rose, kinsman of the present senator,
that he could control the votes of sew
eral Democrats, that no other Republic
can could control any, and that, there
fore. he was the only Republican who
could possibly be elected.
The caucus, through a committee.
made quiet investigation, verified
substantially the correctness of Gamer
on's assertions, and. therefore, agreed
to give him the solid vote Of the party
in order that the deserters might have
the required opportunity to carry out
their end of the bargain. 1t was full
filled amidst howl of Democratic dis
may. and was followed by an outburst
of Indignation throughout the state.
believe that all three of the traitors
were never again heard of in public
affairs. They went into private life
pursued by storm of wrath and exc
Grafton. So bitter was this detesta-
tion that some of the hotels in Harris
burg afterward refused them bed and
board.
DAVID WILMOT
The next Republican who entered the
senate from Pennsylvania was David
! Wilmot, who in his Democratic days
had won fame as the author of the
celebrated anti-slavery 'proviso" which
bears his name, and who remained
there. for only two years, to fill the
uncXpired term Of Cameron, after his
entrance into the cabinet, Edgar Cow
an. who went thither as Wilmot's col
/ league at the same time as successor
to Ex-Governor Bigler hiled Il not in
conspicuous place in the senate in the
next six years. Thosp who may look
over his speeches in the Congressional
Record in the early reconstruction
period will find them marked by much
logical acumen, apt citations and his
tOric learning. Mr.. Blaine makes a re-
mark of him in his Twenty Years in
Congress that his ability was far
greater than either his ambitions or his
industry. AS 1t was. despite his in
firraitics. he was often an effective de-
/ batter: but he early took his place with
the extreme conservative Republicans
in the senate. became "a Johnson man."
was foremost in the direction of the IA
nous "Arm-in- Arm Convention" which
met at Nineteenth street and Grard
| Democratic party.
THE ELDER CAMERON.
Simon Cameron, after coming; home
| from his service in the Russian mission,
again appeared on the scene in an
| other dash for seat in the senate. In
the general reaction against the Re
| publicans throughout the north. the
! state in 1862 had given them a ma jOrity
of one in the legislature at Harrisburg.
Cameron again boldly assured the Re
| publicans that he could secure the vote
| that was nee ded and attempted to make
| good his word. The Curtin wing of the
! party, however, was not disposed to
help him in his plans. and the DEM
/ ocratic leaders were determined that
| the party should not be betrayed and
cheated the second time. The caucus
nomination was given to Charles r.
| Buckalew and the prevailing sentiment
| among Democrats was that II any
member of the party should sell out to
| Cameron. he deserved to pay the penal
| ty with his life. When the time came
| for balloting the old-time FOUNDERS of
| the Bill McMullen-Bob Lister Smith
| Jimmy Haggarty stamp went to Har-
| risburg and stationed themselves about
| the windows and doors of the house on
| nj al with taptt nnIprSt n md iv,er