Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-01-21
No. 3

This band Of secret service scoundrels
vainly tried 10 drive the respectable
people out OF the city. They threatened
them, and in several instances at least
they assaulted them, and they made it
dangerous for them TO be abroad after
nightfall. Never before were such things
known in "a community that pretends to
civilization, ard il Is 10 be hoped that the
day is long in the future when such vio-
lent oppression and such lawless methods
will be known and felt again.
The most striking evidence of the char
acter of the people gathered TO assist Pom
rose was 20 be found at his headquarters.
There was u noisy, turbulent mob, which
swallowed up the few respectable people
who hal an huf.cst interest in him. Burly
rufiians aGv.hCd with tin badges desig-
mating them - detectives, stalkcd about
the corridors. nc scum OF Philadelphia
crowded tbs luSs'r, and specimens of the
lowest type Vi pcecinct polisicians passed
in and ouJ, c.;ot,ing mp the entrances and
crowding the i3lNcnents All these, and
more, furnished with free transportation
and expenses, made up the crowd. The
maudlin s,so ~. of the drunkard added to
t. genera. t.;a. and all night long, night
after niShs. vas ih.s Aept up the places
sank exh,.is ,ioi bong taken by f-asher
and stronger recruits
Al me W..isun.,iSer h.a 7 la. .ia. .s-,ro
was no suei ,:isua.,r. Tl., Z" iIc i
cisln OF tae ..Jp. .sl.,.,r .; 4. ...so. re
they We're eSaiU..>i.-. e. TIA .-'-I l. sra
ton. Mover In All niy q. ,~sien ne
said, has there been sucn :. gasle ...,- OF
representative men of the refined e.s.nent
of the people in this hotel during a hot
political con usesi.
Brih..y Hnd Ti,trats.
The miad almost fails to grasp the
enormity os ;hv 0e>i~rate cifJrts of the
opponents Of Iii. ), ;.n,naker lie had
winning fight, and ,hey knew it. Nothing
that would be effectual was too hideous
to attempt. Business mon who wanted to
speak to their members were not per-
mitted 10 approach them. The ''heelers,"
as they are called, kept pushing them
away, using as much force as was neces-
sary That was one scheme
Some members were locked in their
rooms in the hotel, and before the doors
were stationed detectives to keep the peo-
pie away. This is something for the mind
to dwell upon Hired ruffians actually
standing guard over elected representa-
tives to keep their constituents from adj
vising with them. Where this would not
avail, othor methods were employed The
members from Bucks county, for instance,
where the sentiment of 90 per cent of the
people was unquestionably for Wana-
maker, were kept under guard, this being
carried so far even as to compelling them
to sleep with their county leaders, so that
they could not escape.
In other instances open bribery was re-
sorted to. The use of money was reckless
and wasteful. 1t seemed to be very
abundant, and according to common
rumor the source of supply was the trusts
and big corporations with which the Quay
machine is identified, such as the sugar
trust, the Standard Oil company, the
Pennsylvania Railroad company, the
Reading Railroad company, the Carnegie
Steel works, etc Members who could not
be bribed were threatened with ruin II
they did not fall In line. In one case q
young lawyer was met with a threat that
the bulk of his practice which was mainly
among corporations, would be taken
away from him II he voted for Wana-
maker, and he, with tears in his eyes,
begged to be released from his pledge to
the latter. There were many affecting
scenes in the Wanamaker headquarters,
for 1t was heartrending to see strong men
moved to tears, with their honor at stake
on one side and their future interest
threatened on the other, feeling that all
the odious power OF a thoroughly dis
reputable combination would be brought
to bear against them
When neither bribes nor threats would
avail, the effort was made to influence
members through their relatives and
friends in whom they had deep interest.
Promises were as thick as showers in
April-and they will prove to be just as
uncertain. There is a certain member
who has an invalid brother-in-law. This
brother-in-law was promised n u, 900 posi-
tion and q signed contract that he would
receive $40 per day until the position was
secured for him If he would induce his
relative to vote for Penrose. There were
several instances of the kind. A Phila-
delphia member was promised an appoint
ment as collector Of internal revenue If he
would turn in But he didn't do it.
The manner in which the caucus was
forced was a violation Of all precedent.
| Never before has senatorial caucus been
| held so far in advance of the day Of election.
| The Quay people knew that If given time
their plans would react. They knew that
| their offers of bribes, their coercion, their
| threats and their hired thugs would prove
their ruin. They knew they could not
much longer keep the members under
| guard, because in those who submitted
| there was the danger that the small re-
| naming spark of manhood would assert
itself They wanted the caucus before
this reaction came. So they forced It. II
the members who listened to the tempter
and who submitted to the disgrace Of per
| mitting themselves to be watched, awAHe
| and asleep, are now suffuscd with shame
and modification it is too late. All that
is left for them now Is to despise them
! selves and to realize that those for whom
| they sacrificed their honor despise them
| even more.
A Day OF Retribution.
| But 1t was all necessary to defeat Mr..
Wanamaker, or, as he put 1t, to defeat
the people, for he never considered 1t his
personal fight. Bribery, corruption, threats
| promises and browbeating were the meani
| necessary to make one mans will domi'
nate regardless of the wishes of the people
When the people of the state think OF this
period in her political history they will
| think Of it with shame and sorrow, and
! they will punish the man or men whs
committed 1t according to their deserts.
| A triumph so dearly bought-purohAsst
at the expense of manhood and decspcy
would not be q subject Of boast or cxulta'
ton excepting to those lost to all sense Of
delicate and refined feeling. Yet after ths
caucus had, by its vote, proved that they.
| were members enough sufficiently sordft
| to put self interest ahead of duty to theh
! constituents, a crowd of the followers OF th<
victorious candidate marched to the Wana'
maker arch, and when there committed
the closing and crowning act of their VII
lainy by kneeling beneath the arch, raising
their clasped hands before them and sing
ing in mocking tones that hymn which
has often been described as one OF thu
sweetest over writtsn-"Nearer,M Ny God
to Thee" This impious act, this sacriiege
| this insult to Mr.. Wanamaker's Christian
bearing and belief and, through him, tt
every Christian man and to every Chris
tian household in the state, found few II
that mixed crowd who had the temerity
to give it their approval. Several mem
bers Of the legislature who had voted fol
Penrose declared that If this had happened
before the caucus they would have votet
for Mr.. Wanamaker.