Evening star., 1898-11-01
fractional Strife in Pennsylvania Eu-
dangers Entire Republican Ticket.
SITUATION IN EASTERN DISTRICTS
Other Elements of Discord Besides
Opposition to Quay.
MINERS VOTE CONTROLS
Special From a Staff Correspondent.

|
gressional districts punched together in the
| eastern section of the state, all of which
| are now represented by republicans, but
| which the democratic managers are claim
| ing in the coming election. The districts
| in question are the eighth, twelfth, thir-
| teenth and seventeenth.
| They include large portion of the an
| thracite coal region of Pennsylvania. con-
| tanning teeming population of all classes.
| In this part of the state vast corporate in
| terests and organized labor form the prin-
| cipal elements which move human affairs
| and the honest granger is not much in evil
| dence. This, the twelfth district, is COM
| posed wholly of the county of Luzerne. In
| the last congressional election the vote was
as follows: Morgan B. Williams, rep, 90,
800; John NJ. Garman, dem, 1876; D. o.
| Coughlin pop, 234. Mr.. Williams has been
| renominated by the republicans. and his
| democratic opponent is Stanley w. Daven-
| port, while the prohbitioniSts have nomi-
| mated James l.. Hunter.
Early in the campaign the democrats put
| forth the claim that they would wrest this
| district from the republicans. The repub-
| lican leaders with whom 1 talked today ad-
| mitted that up to ten days ago the demo-
| Gratis were justified in entertaining the hope
| of defeating Mr.. Williams They said how
| ever, that within ten days the tide has TAX
| en- a turn in their favor for the state tick
| ct. and that if the apparent change in the
| sentiment of voters continues at his rate
| 1t may influence the congressional ticket
| and give the republican candidate for repre-
| sentative a possibility of winning.
Row in Republican Ranks.
| The first inquiry made at Wikesbarre was
| of the conditions which cause a district that
| went nearly 5000 republican two years ago
| to hold out promise of democratic vic
tory in the coming election. The answer
| was republican disaffection" for the main
| part, and a combination of circumstances
| to aggrdvate the situation.
| AS TO the republican disaffection. there is
| in the first place. the fight here against the
| machine organization that is in progress in
| every other part of the state. There is a
| strong feeling, particularly among the con-
| servative classes of this section, against
! Senator Quay and his machine.
| The candidates for the Legislature. six in
! rumber, have been nominated as regular
republicans. This means that the anti
| Quay vote which is cast will go either to
| the prohibition or democratic candidates
| There is no independent republican ticket
to divert it from the others The inference
! is that the republicans who will vote the
| demOCratic or prohibition state ticket may
go the whole ticket and vote also for rep
| reSentative in Congress. Thus the fight on
| the machine also involves the congressional
| ticket.
| But there is another condition which af-
| fectS the republican vote, and for this state
| ment there is republican as well as demo-
| cratic authority. Representative Williams
| was of the large number of representa-
| tiveS in the present Congress who got into
| not water over the distribution of patron
| age. In his case the trouble arose over the
| appointment of postmasters.
Fight for the Post Offices.
| The county of Luzerne, with its popula-
| ton of 2O1,2u3, is thickly studded with post
| offices, because the inhabitants cluster in
| villages and towns around the coal mines
| Many of these post offices are desira BILE
paying good salaries. and they We're in great
| demand upon the incoming of the new sd-
ministration There We're often ten or twen-
| ty applicants for the offices, and the contest
| of the rival candidates is said to have pro-
| ducsd more commotion and caused more
| wire pulling in the several communities
| than county election 1t is claimed that
| as "a result the disappointed applicants have
| since jumped the reservation and are hold
ing ghost dance in the hearing Of Mr.. Vii.
| liams.
| No was able to explain why the dis
| grunted ones did not get even with Mr.
| Williams at the nominating convention If
| that is what they were after, and agree
| upon IL candidate upon whom all could
| unite instead of venting their wrath on the
| republican party. But, the republicans
| admit that there is dissatisfaction over tho
| post offices and republican threats of vot-
| ing against Mr.. Williams, and the demo-
| Gratis say there is no doubt about it, the
! condition must be taken for granted as ex-
| iStiilS. Inc Saving OF lne situation
| Tor the republicans is that the voters are
| rapidly being impressed with the fact that
! the district is in danger as well as the state
| ticket and may, when it comes to the point,
| swallow their grievances and vote for the
| republican candidate. This, at any rate is
| the logical conclusion in the premises.
| Advantage of the Democrats.
| 1he democrats have distinct advantage
| in the situation from the presence on their
| county ticket of a native Polander. There
| are about 6,OO0 foreign voters in the dis
| trict, divided among the Polanders, Hun
| garians and Italians This Polander in
| question is candidate for county recorder
| and his countrymen are highly delighted at
| the honor bestowed upon their compa triot
| he democrats expect them to show their
| gratitude by voting the entire ticket, and
| as the ballot is complicated and the Poan-
| ders not versed in the English language
| they may not attempt to scratch the bal
| lot
| 1t is claimed that the Italians are nor
| mally republicans. and that the Hungarians
will vote as their mine bosses direct. The
| latter are republicans in the main.
| The democrats say they expect to derive
| some advantage from the Hazleton Incl
dent about year ago. 1t will be remember
| ed that Sheriff Martin and his deputies fired
| Upon a body of marching miners and killed
| twenty or more of them. He was after
| ward acquitted by the court but the miners
have never ceased to blame him.. and as he
| ernment' of the state, which was republi-
! can, the miners charge the affair to the re-
| publicans.
The democratic candidate, Mr.. Davenport,
| is described as a very popular man. and the
| republicans say they expect his personality
| to do much for him in the favor of the vot-
erS.
| All conditions taken into consideration
| the republicans are in a tight place in the
| campaign for representative in Congress,
| and must depend upon a turn of affairs in
| rln do nf he ftrbt yrrhi inb xr,;tt
| cause the republican voters to drop all fac
| tional quarrels and rally to the support of
the straight ticket. l may add that the ut
| most exertions are to be put forth this week
by the re publican managers to that end.
/ In the Eighth District.
In the adjoining congressional district,
| the eighth the situation is exceedingly COM
plicated. This district comprises the coun-
| ties of Carbon, Northampton. Monroe and
| Pike. 1t is normally democratic district
| and was carried in 1856 by Kirkpatrick re-
] nphlican hv. a ma iority of 200 The depoo-