Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-03-18
FRANK WILLING LEACH.

FRANK WILLING LEACH.
do rot expeco him t. resign any Office, ol
devote two months to the work, in Ordci
to secure ths craftsmanship for me-" said
Mr. Leach gool humoreily, II of course
look for his cordial support.
''iJ is no III; desire. however, to be
made state chairman simply because OF
| my friendship for him OF devotion TO his
| political fortunes. II ,he offtcc is given to
me it must be solely because OF fitness by
experience and otherwise, foc the work of
organization. and because of desire on
! the part OF active party workers through
out the state who's, wishes should be con
| suited AMI followed, that L should be
/ placed a. the head Of the stase or:yiniZa-
! ton. Unless that fitness and the existence
/ Of such a ,le,ir. shall be male manifest
/ will not ask fo- or accept the Office"
What special object have you in view, y
! Mr. Leach was asked, lin desiring the
! state chairmanship?"
simply to bring the state organization
| in this important presidential ye;sr, to til g.
highest possible STATE of perfection. In the
Campaign OF 1S5J. when l first becaIlc
identified with ths state committee as first
assistant secretary, our organization cor-
priSci l5.O1J vote rs-Jhat Is 10 say, we cor
responded with that number OF people.
dous. In the following year, when l be-
camo chief secretary, or list embraced
$1,000 voters. From time to time the scope
of our work has been broaicnei, until last
fall when we gathered the names and ti-
d-csscs ~ ove- -;)D0)) RepuDiicaEs-ia
fact, every single Republican voser in the
state, except in throc counties. -EGrins..
that clnlnaign we spent for postage alo,o
3, G3i OF which sam 5000, representing
1905 two cent sta:nps, was spent within
a period OF fo-ty-eight hours. L an salts
fed this line of work added from 81, 900 to
10000 to our majority OF i74,0o0.
y shall not consider tho perfection of
organization 70 haze been attained. how
ever until the state committee has in its
archives the na.n,. address, politics and
vocation of every oac OF TIE !, ,Gc0, 0)0 voters
in Pennsylvania. II made chairman of
the sta-e committee Eoulu s;art in within
tyyenty-foiir hours after the adjournment
OF the $40 convention to gather the data
10 question, wieh the hope OF carrying the
state by the largest maj o:ity ever given in
q presidential year. While, during the
past ten yeas, crcl5 aiT.:ncc5 in the line
OF orgauizlIio.l have been made by the
state committee. | want TO make the cetfort
to broaden it yet further before 1 give up
the vor'- OF poiitica! Development.
"But couId yol no. do this as chairman
of the cxecu I've co:n.IIittces'
Possibly, but | will not. Under no cir
cumstcEce5 viii continue in my presen.
Office
There is no man in Pennsylvania better
known than Frank Willing leach as n
systematic, thorough organizer From
1885 to 1893 he WAS secretary Of the state
committee being associated with Chair
y
From 1888 to 1873. he was also assistant
secretary OF the Republican national com
mittee, under Chnirmen Quay and Clark
| son. Last August, Immediately after tn,
! state convention, Chairman Quay selected
him as chairman of the executive COM
/ mittee.
That the enormous majority given the
state ticke: last fall, 174,OO0, was largely
| due to Mr.. Leach's shrewd and effective
work was generously conceded by Chair
man Quay himself. A day or two before
| the election "a party had gathered in the
senator's room at the Hotel Metropolc,
when one Of the party, newspaper man,
/ said:
senator, now that you are through
! with the hard work, what do you think
| the majority will be?''
Why" was the quick reply, "you will
t
the man who has done the hard work, and
! he ought to have The knowledge. He has
been running the campaign"
Ia 1883. acting upon behalf of the ma
tional committee, Mr.. Leach spent two
months in North Carolina, and conducted
the state campaign there. He made an
effective still hunt. His mission was only
discovered a few days before the election.
| Although his life was threatened he held
his ground until the close of the polls. He
perfected an organization such as had
never been known in any southern state
before Mr.. Leach had the satisfaction of
knowing that, though the state was lost,
three Republican congressman were cleo
ted, which really saved the house OF the
Fifty-first congress to the Republican
party, for despite the Democratic whole
sale counting-in tactics the Republicans
secured the house by a majority Of five. A
change of three votes would have given
the Democrats a ma io-ity Of one.
As n result Of the methods of organiza
, tion in rolucsI in 1888 by Mr. Leach
North Carolina Is nov +. Es3publican state
the present lr:is'a5 I-a h.tyin; large Re
publican i:laipt.,y.
| Probably nothing ever rave MIR. Leacf
Ere:,t ar prominence. ~ 81 aci him so fGii!
tha r..apsct o.: t.,c pl5.:c, i.5 his action las
sii:i,5.Ict II rssir1ia1 = SOD of:icc-tha'
OF real .sa,-s a. ,g,ty shc:if-;n order &c
J tl,.a II .,'c, ~ = ;I1t3r Z t:y's campaign
for ~ s5a:-, ci, arm Jiis.iip, the Office fol
which MIR. Leach is NOW an tspirant. Iha
the sncci~ss ot thlt memorable campaign
which opcnsi under sGcl adverse circum
stances, was Largely due to the systematic
persistent work OF Mr.. Leach, at his PIN
street headquarters, is conceded by thos'
familiar with the development Of tina
3 great political contest
II chosen to the craftsmanship OF th
state committee he would bring to tn
work wider experience as an organize
than is possessed by any one in Pennsyl
: vania outside of Senator Quay himself
Senator W. H. Andrews, who was chair
man of the state committee in 1880, dur
ing the Delamater campaign, is also spokei
of as possible candidate for the chair
manship this year.