The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-09
The Logical Sequence.

The action Of large majority OF
those delegates to the city convention
elected in the interest of Captain Moir
and his colleagues, in bolting from that
convention when they found themselves
in minority, was the natural and logi-
cal outcome of the teachings of the
Scranton Republican. Weeks ago that
paper, at the direction of Congressman
Scranton, its proprietor, placed at the
head of its editorial column the names
of Captain Moir and Messrs. Westpfahl
and Davies. under the caption of en-
dependent Republican Ticket" From
the day that ticket appeared the belief
prevailed that it was the purpose of
Joseph A. Scranton and his adherents
to refuse to submit to the decision of
the city convention unless that decision
was favorable to their candidates. On
the eve of the delegate election the edl-
tor of the Republican explained in ms
own characteristically inconclusive and
insincere way. what he meant by the
term "independent." but very few Re-
publicans then believed him. 1t is now
clearly enough apparent that Scranton
and Fellows, and those whom they saw
fit to admit to their confidence, had
their plan of campaign laid out weeks
ago.
The appearance of the names of Moir,
Westpfahl and Davies in the columns
of the Republican. as Independent Re
publican candidates." was the first
move in the game. The next was to go
before the Republican people at the pri-
mary elections and endeavor to capture
a majority of the delegates. If they
succeeded they would claim to be
mand the support of all Republicans.
II they failed to secure control of the
convention they would create a preteXt
for bolt, meet separately and nomi-
nate their Independent Republican
ticket" as indicated and foreshadowed
by the Scranton Republican. The pre-
text for the bolt, of which the Scranton
Republican apparently approves. was
that Democrats had voted for Ripple
delegates at the primaries. This an
swered the purpose as well. probably,
as any other would. The scheme for
springing contests by wholesale upon
the convention was Matched at the
secret meeting Monday night. and saw
ors more Of a dark lantern conspiracy
than honest Republican methods to
right real or fancied grievance. No
one possessed of even the most ordinary
sagacity now doubts that the entire
proceeding was in conformity with a
deliberately laid plot of Scranton, Eel
lows and few others to disrupt the
city convention and demoralze the Re-
publican party if they failed in their
plan to capture the convention =
1t is not believed that either Captain
Moir. Mr.. Davies or Mr.. Westpfahl was
cognizant of the general details Of the
scranton-Fellows conspiracy. The
manifest reluctance of these gentlemen
TO go to the extremes mapped out by
Scranton and Fellows leads inevitably
to the conclusion that they had not been
iuiiy NohSuitcu, anu fldu DOt Ill advance
assented to this wretched attempt to
ruin their party If they failed to rule
1t. These would-be leaders of Republic
canism in this city and county have
more than once before this misappre-
hended and misunderstood the temper
Of the Republican masses. Once more
they are over-estimating their own i'm
portance and permitting vaulting am
bltion to o'erleap itself. They will not
be permitted to rule the Republican
party and they do not possess the power
to ruin it. They have tried this be-
fore and wretchedly failed. Joseph A.
Scranton and John II. Fellows may be
able to delude small number of un-
thinking Republicans and lead them
into wrong ways, but more than nine
tenths of the men who constitute the
Republicanism of this city and county
are true to themselves and loyal to their
party. and cannot be led astray by self
constituted leaders whose only pre-
dominant characteristic is selfshness,
and whose political acts are more fire.
quently dictated by petty Jealousy and
oersonal hatred than by political prin-
ciple or by considerations of loyalty to
the party to which they profess adher-
ence.
Whether the gentlemen who are the
first choice of the boilers convention,
or others. shall in the ensuing cam
paign constitute an Independent Re-
prnljcan ticket, is of comparatively lit