The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-23
ANOTHER BATTLE
ON SENATOR QUAY
Old Enemies Of 1895 Are Again Trying TO
Undermine Him.

Uld Enemies OF 1879 are again Trying 10
Undermine Him.
SECRET OF THE WANNAMAKER BOOM
Frank willing Leach and Other Am.
bitious Products Of the Senator's
Creation Are Ready to Sting the
Bosom That Hus NOurishcd Them.
Quay on the Alert.
Pittsburg. July o2-The Commercial
Gazette tQuay Rep) says: The lines
for another battle upon Senator NJ. =.
Quay in Pennsylvania are being drawn.
The movement is under the disguise Of
a plan to elect John WannamaEer of
Philadelphia to the United States SEN
ate to succeed j. Donald Cameron. of
Harrisburg. When the senatorial
tgh, is at an end the organization will
not die. but will be kept up for the real
work for which it was born.
The same men who are secretly at
to annihlate him in 1895. a glance
backward over the pages of political
history will show how utterly they fail
ed In the present plan to ultimately
Dust the "old man" different course
Of procedure has been mapped out. An
attempt is being made to Jolly" the
senator into believing that they are
his friends. but they only wish to over
throw certain of his lieutenants.
Thomas Dolan, the millionaire manu-
facturer of Philadelphia. is said to
stand at the head of the new organi2a-
tion and direct its movements. Gath
cred around him are other prominent
eastern men, while Magee. Finn and
Martin are being kept in the back
gruona. They are not known in the
scheme. but are ready to show their
hands when the proper time arrives.
Frank Willing Leach is an active work
er in the deal. and some people think
that he had taken cards in the game
while he was yet chairman of the Re
publican executive committee.
FIRST SEEDS SOWN.
Some of the first evidences of the new
oi ganizatiUn came to public view about
the first of the present year, but IL is
claimed that the Wanamaker reception
to the members of the Legislature of 1895
was where the first seeds were sown.
Some Of the younger members Of the
house We're pumped full Of honey-words
that night. They were told that Sena
tors Andrews and Penrose and others
prominent in politics with Quay should
bt wiped off the slate. The budding
statesmen We're told that If these lieu
tenants Of the Beaver man We're out of
the way there would be a chance for
younger blood. The representatives
We're given to understand that an at
tempt would he made tu kill off thes,
people, and when that time arrived
their services would be- desired. The
Wanamaker boom was also spoken Of.
The fight of 1895 was then made and
Quay was victorious. Nothing was
heard of the Wanamaker boom or the
new organization until about the first
of this year. About that time T.. A.
NanValkenburg. Of Wellsboro. started
on tour of the state. To the members
Of the house Of 1895 he was not Il stran-
ger as he had served as clerk of the
appropriation COMMITTEES. He was
known by all as a stanch Quay man.
He conducts Il little paper in his native
town and its columns We're always filled
with matter favorable to Quay.
POLLING THE STATE
1t was Mr.. Vanvalkenburg' duty to
go into the different counties of the
state and inquire into the personnel of
the coming session of the legislature.
Sometimes he got the information and
occasionally his brother. Fred who is
an agent for d bridge company, gath
cred UP the data. 1t was in February
that this territory In the west was
worked. At that time one Of the
blanks that the Vanvalkenburgs had
caused TO be filled out came into the
posse ssion of Pittsburger.
The blanks were printed. The en-
act questions asked cannot be given
now. In the first column the names
Of the candidates for assembly were to
be written. Other spaces were set aside
for answering questions of this kind.
Occupation or profession. age. religion.
financial standing, whether for Quay
or the combine, and one or two other
things. In another part Of the blank
was a space for answering sCme ques-
tions about county commissioner cam
| didates.
The agents who searched for this in
formation always had plenty of money.
and it is said that they spent it free
ly. They usually employed someone
who was familiar with the politics OF
the county to fill out the blanks and
then had them sent to a lock box in
the Philadelphia postofIice. After the
nominations Were made a list of the
nominees was sent to the same Phila-
delphia address. The Vanvalkenburgs
told the people that they We're gather
ing this information for themselves.
They said that they were in the bridge
business and they took this means Of
keeping track Of the county commits
sioners. There We're some people who
thought differently.
QUAY ON THE ALERT.
1t was hard to figure out why all the
questions about legislative candidates
should be asked. if the Messrs. Van
valkenburg only wanted to know the
county commissioners, so that they
could approach them for bridge work.
Ed. Vanvalkenburg was asked about
his connection with the Wanamaker
boom, and he denied everything, but
he was extremely anxious that nothing
should be printed about the informa-
tion he was gathering in the diffe.-
ent counties.
The work of the Vanvalkenburgs was
soon brought to the notice Of Senator
Quay. 1t is said that today he knows
Of every move that the Dolan and Wan
amaker crowd has made He knows
just where the new organization has
snatched away supposed friend. There