The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-18
CAPTAIN MoIR DECLINES
Refuses to l3c a Candidate on au Ia
dependent Republican Ticket.
He ADVANCES HIS REASONS
Feels That II IL His Duty to Rise Above
All Personal FCciin: in the Mat
scr for lie Is Above All
u Republican.

CAPTAIN James Noir has declined to
be n candidate for mayor on the lnde-
pendent Republican ticket and yester-
day addressed his letter of declinatiOn
to John II. Fellows. the chairman of
the convention which nominated Cap
tain Moir for mayor. Charles w. Vest
pfahl for city controller and Thomas
ID. Davies for city treasurer.
Thursday night Mr.. Westpfahl said
that he would be governed with regard
to his attitude toward the nomination
by the action of Captain MOir. The
letter of Captain Moir is as follows
To the Chairman and Delegates of the
Independent Republican Convention held
at Fuller's Hall, Jan. Z. 1885.
Gentlemen:At the above named cOn-
vention | was unanimously rendered by
you the nomination for mayor on n'the In
dependent Republican ticket. On being
summoned before your convention and
officially notified as to my nomina' ion, L
intimated then and there that l had no
desire to run as an independent candidate;
but by resolution ] was courteously ac-
corded time 10 fully consider the mat
ter. After mature deliberation l still
adhere to my former resolve not to run
as an Independent candidate and ] feel
] would not be acting consistently dill |
do otherwise. When l announced my can
didacy 1t was as a Republican and subject
to the decision of the Republican cunven-
ton. With my honored colleagues
Messrs. Davies and Westpfahl, We made
an earnest, aggressive, honorable Repub-
lcan fight. but failed to secure the reQui-
site number of delegates In the cOnven-
tion.
Intended TO bow to Conventions viii.
1t was my intention when the vote was
taken and the result was shown to be
to obtain recognition and, as u Republl-
| can should. bow to the will Of the majori-
~ nd av,I al 1t,lN-
pledge my support. The peculiar action
of the convention and the consequent split
and bolt precluded the possibility Of car
rying out this idea and while not grieving
In the least over the result ] must confess
that | feel We were treated unfairly in
the conduct of the primaries.
1t has ever been the glory and boast Of
our Republican party that 1t has always
stood M for II free and fair ballot. and
an honest count Of all the ballots east
at any and all elections. Our party has
held up, and justly so. 'as the nOblest
thing on earth, as the rock on which our
American institutions rests, viz: "The
freeman casting with unpurchased hand
the vote that shakes the turrets of the
land"
Now freely admit that the vote and the
manner of counting the same which pre-
vailed at our late primaries has some
what shaken my confidence in this partic-
| ular Republican doctrine more than it did
the turrets; and ] believe that every un-
prejudiced man will admit that when the
aid Of our political. opponents Is invoked
to the extent that 1t was, that they
were a recognized factor and played very
important part at our Republican pri-
maries and that where a supervision of
the count was called for and refused by
our vigilants there Is certainly grounds
for suspicion that all was not as 1t should
be. But while condemnina un-Republican
me ethods and what appears to be gross
abuses | feel IL nv duty to rise above