The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-25
Republicans either, and he failed to re-

Republicans either. and he failed to re-
|'ceive their full support.
1t was in 1867. when the desperate
contest for the Legislature between
Cameron and Curtin was fought, and
when the downfall of Curtin was her
aided by the defeat of Quay for speak
er, that Cameron scored probably his
greatest triumph, converting Quay and
other promising youngsters Of the time
to the dynasty and giving 1t a suprem-
acy which no opposition within the
party was able to shake in the next
fourteen years, or until Cameron was
on the verge of four score and had alb
negated his honors to the heir apparent.
HIS RESIGNATION.
Elected to the senate in the wake
of the great victory for Grant for pres
ident and Hartranft for governor. the
old chieftan would have remained
there longer If it had not been for his
desire to 'vindicate" Don, when Hayes
in 1877 declined after great pressure
to keep him in Office as secretary OF
war. Cameron then wrote his resigna-
tion; there was a hubbub all over the
state; for the moment there was
rush of innocents to the front: it was
soon given out that the orders were
for Cameron fills: there was grumble;
full precision. Two years later, when
Cameron came w. for his first election
to full term by the Legislature which
was foated in with the victory OF
Henry NJ. Hoyt for governor, there was
Il little handful of recalcitrants, led by
Charles 5. Wolf and George f.. Naples,
but the machine rode over them with
hardly jar. On the night of the elec-
ton. General Cameron, in his old stone
house on the bank of the Susquehanna,
received his rctainers like some old
feudal baron, and told them that now
he would die happy, that he had seen
his greatness descend to his beloved
lad.
In the meantime, John Scott. cor
pOration lawyer of little popularity, and
never widely known even in the state.
| although of good standing in his pro-
icssion, had been selected by Cameron
as his colleague. When his term eX-
pired in 1873 the unexpectedly tremend-
Gus Democratic tidal wave of 1874 had
swept a Democratic legislature into
power and William A. Wallace. then
in contro! OF the Democratic machine
and with the assistance of the Penn
sylvania railroad. speedily disposed Of
Lewis c. Cassidy Richard VauX, Hen
drick b. Wright, Hester Clymer, DAN
iel Dougherty and lot of other Dem-
ocrats who were in training for the
seat in the senate.
The contest for the choice of a success
| sor to Wallace shook the Republican
party in the winter of 1881 from center
to circumference and lasted several
! weeks. The Blaine influence in the
! Garfield administration, then being or
ganized, was eXerted against the Cam
erons, who had picked out Henry w.
Oliver. of Pittsburg, as Don's colleague.
Harry" Oliver was well known in the
iron manufacturing industry as one of
its magnates; but in public affairs out.
| side of his own city, his name was un-
known to the public except as a gener-
| Gus contributor to campaign funds and
one of the ardent business men" who
| were always faithful to the organiza-
| ton. 1t was evident that there would
be general protest. but 1t was deter
mined that he should be crammed
down the party throat willy-nilly. the
anti-Cameron men appealed to the his
toric sentiment and traditions of the
party by rallying around Galusha A.
| Grow,also taking up Thomas NJ. Bayne.
who was then cutting his ort-lived
swath in politics, and the deadlock con-
tinued until late in the session. The
| outcome was the compromise on John
l. Mltcnell or l1Oga VINO had falrly
reached his level In the house at wash
| ington. and who for the next six years
was painfully Overweighted with a
sense of his responsibility. In late
years he has nestled in the snug repOse
| of the bench of the common pleas court
at home, more nearly forgotten than
any other Pennsylvania who has sat
in the senate In the past forty years.
Since that time Cameron and Quay
have held both seats as a sort of joint
stock possession.