The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-07
THE SENATORIAL BATTLE

THE SENATORIAL BATTLE
Philadelphia Times: From the hour
that Mr.. Wanamaker's contest for the
senatorship assumed the phase of a direct
issue between himself and Senator Quay,
involving the issue of the political mas
terry of one or the other in Pennsylvania,
his battle was an utterly hopeless one. In
such struggle Wanamaker occupied the
relation to Quay that Quay would occupy
to Wanamaker if he We're to come to Phil
adelpha, erect great mercantile temple,
stock it with furs and other winter
goods for midsummer trade, and employ
a number of Wanamaker's cast off or per-
tidious apprentices to run his establish
ment And hope to compete successfully
with the man who is master merchant hs
Quay is master politician. Such a con-
test was so entirely unequal that no in
teligent and dispassionate observer of the
present political conditions could miscal-
culate the result that was recorded in the
Republican caucus at Harrisburg Tues
day night. 1t was not the defeat of Wana-
maker; it was the success of invulnerable
organization led by Senator Quay for Sem
ator Penrose, whose personality in the
contest was vastly more forcefu in politi-
cal circles than is that of Wanamaker
Mr.. Wanamaker announces that the bat
tie is to go on; that it was not a contest
against any individual, but a battle for
Il DelltI anu DuItI pOllllCdl SSSlcul MS
is no new doctrine for Wanamaker to
teach. 1t is in accord with the record of
his great and successful life but he must
speedily reform his lines and bring
trusted and faithful lieutenants to his
side if he would hope to command the
popular respect that alone can win. His
effort to meet political skill with the men
who came to him destined with pertidy
to Quay was a fatal mistake. They We're
the reverse of ornamental, and certainly
were not useful, except to those they op-
posed. The Martins and the Leaches and
the Van Nalkenburgs who struggled for
personal domination and power in the
shadow of Wanamaker's great name can
now be dismissed with immense profit TO
the cause of political reform. They de-
serted Quay as political soldiers of for
tune. and they would desert Wanamaker
whenever tempted by political or personal
interests They brought upon the re-
form cause the shame of all the worst
methods Of Quay, without the skill to
conceal them or to employ the better
methods of the master and they thus
shielded Quay from assault. While such
men pose as apostles of political reform
the people will suffer the ills they have
rather than fly to others unknown"
Philadelphia Press: "It Is the familiar
almost the habitual, story of the triumph
of a compact. trained, inteXible political
phalanS unlef an aulOCfdUc ana duua-
Cious commander. 1t is Napoleon'S artil-
lery concentrated about the convention,
enflading the Rue st. Honore and all the
approaches, and moving down both the
bourgeois and the blouses. They are all
one to him, whether on the barricades or
in the shops. Napoleon's sociology may
be mixed but Napoleon's strategy is
straight and sure. He wins today's Victo-
ry because he was sleepless yesterday
when his opponents slumbered. The ma
chine is wary when the issue is on direct
ly before the people, but the farther away
it gets the more bold and powerful 1t be-
comes. 1t counts, and with good rea-
son generally, on popular Indifference,
supineneSs and forgetfuness. We are
the freest people in the world and the
greatest slaves. We are the mightest
and the weakest. Sometimes there comes
a tremendous upheaval which whelms ev-
erything in its wrath; but the general
spectacle Is the shadows murmuring while
the deeps are dumb. And so Mr.. Penrose
goes to the senate. 1t is at once a mark
and an opportunity--the stamp of a ma
chine product and the opportunity of a
great career. He is too keen not to .un-
derstand how he gets there, and too bright
not to know what to do there If he
chooses. He has fought his battle for
two years resOll!tely, relentlessly. re-
morselessly. He has shown grit and grip
in abundance His determination and in
trepidity have not been wanting. 1t has
often seemed that he dominated instead
of being dominated. Weeks ago it was
said that he hung on a thread, and that
he would be thrown aside as another was
thrown aside, but his grasp was firm and
unyieldng. He has had pluck and luck.
But he goes now to an arena demanding
attributes. He is young, educated ambi-
tious, with talent and capacity. He is
surely conscious that thus far he has been
the bold and smart faction chief; now that
the widest dream of two years ago is
more than realized he should feel that
higher level must be reached. Washing
ton, with all its defects, is not Harrisburg.
The honor of being in the senate is in be-
ing worthy of it's dignity and duty. Sena-
tor Penrose, with his youth, his vigor, his
heritage and his ability, has a great oppOr-
tunity, and we shall all be glad to recog-
nize that he measures up to it."
o
Philadelphia Ledger THE victory will
be regarded by the political forces of the
commonwealth not so much Mr.. Penrose's
as Senator Quay's, the latter leading in
the contest for the former, using in his
behalf all the resources of his fertile mind
and the many advantages of his strong
position as the leader of the Republican
party in Pennsylvania. Those who con-
tended against him We're largely repre-
sentative of the great business interests
of the state, and the triumph of practi-
BILE or conclusive. Mr.. Quay Is a shrewd
politician, a vigorous and adroit manager,
and his efforts have again. in an unusually
sharply conducted campaign, been
crowned with complete success The sig
nifcance of his victory cannot easily be
overstmated. By it he hes once more
asserted and established his complete
dominance in the political affairs of Penn
sylvania. He is the master of the situa-
ton, with none his sway to dispute, the
caucus having made the choice of his can
ddate unanimous. Mr. PenTose is to be
congratulated upon having so powerful
an ally-one who so strengthened his fore
es as to enable him to win one of the
greatest political prizes his country offers
to its citizens, and to secure which the
ablest and best men of the nation have
often al a much more advanced age and
after more prolonged service to country
| and party, Vainly contended. He is also
and especially to be con graduated upon
the magnitude of the persL,.al triumph he
has achieved The office of senator of the
United States - of the first inn