The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-12
QUAY AT HARRISBURG.
The Senator Takes Personal Charge of
His Senatorial Fight.


HARRISBURG, Pa. Jan. 1.-THE selec-
ton Of a successor to Matthew Stanley
Quay in the United States Senate has Gre
ated almost as much contention among the
Democrats in the Legislature as it has in
the Republican ranks With the Democracy
the question is whether George A. jerks
of Brookville, or Chauncey F. Black, of
York, shall be the nominee of to-mor-
rows caucus in the Supreme Court cham
Der. With the Republicans it is the field
against Senator Quay, with neither faction
certain as to the outcome. The Republicans
have a majority of seventy-four on joint
ballot, and the only way the Democrats
hope to win is by a split among the Re-
publicans
Senator Quay has a majority of votes to
start with in his own party, but so long as
the anti-Quay legislators stand together he
cannot be reelected. While the Democrats
are divided on the selection of q candidate
to be voted for against Quay, they agree
that the senator will not poll any Demo
cratic votes. The Senate and House will
vote separately next Tuesday, and jointly
the following day. Many of the legiSla-
tors are predicting that there will be dead
lock and that a senator will not be elected
until after the trial of the Quay-Haywood
conspiracy cases in the Philadelphia courts.
A new and interesting phase is placed on
the election of a senator by the general
agreement among the leaders JldC the man
receiving a majority of the votes cast in the
joint session of the Legislature will be the
next senator. On joint ballot there are 254
votes. A majority of these would be 128,
therefore only sixty-five votes are neces-
sary to a choice, assuming that only 128, or
a bare majority, are present. OF the 109
Republicans who voted IN the caucus last
week ninety-eight named Senator Quay as
their choice. At that time it was agreed
that the action of the caucus was binding
upon all those present and that Senator
still lacked nineteen neCeS-
sary to elect. Under the condition as it
really exists if a number of members are
absent from sickness or other cause when
the joint ballot is cast it is possible that
a much smaller number than 12S will decide
the senatorship
It is stated that a secret conference has
been held between the leaders of the Quay
faction and certain Democratic leaders with
q view to presenting fusion on the senator
ship between the Democrats and the anti
Quay Republicans. The Democrats who
took part in the conference will, it is stated,
endeavor to hold the eighty-four Democratic
members of the Legislature in line for
straight-out Democrat, thus defeating the
selection of an anti-Quay Republican.
Senator Quay reached Harrisburg at mid
night from Washington to take personal
direction of his campaign. Senator Penrose
came with him.
Mr. Wanamaker said tonight: THE head
quarters of the Business Mems League to-
night have been thronged by the members
who did not attend the Quay Republican
caucus and, without exception, they report
that their constituents are commencing
them for standing against the reelection of
Quay to the Senate under existing circum-
stances. Thus far not one of the roll of
honor men is known to any of our commit
tee as having deserted the ranks. but 1t is
definitely known that accessions have been
made to the number who Will not vote for
QUAY. There is certainly every reason to be-
lieve that it will be more difficult now than
ever to get the necessary votes to elect
Quay. There are hundreds of eyes and ears
open upon the procedures of the professional
politicians at work here at present.