Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-12-06


the Republican Organization to
Elect an Insurgent and "a Demo-
crat to the United States Senate
Two Years Hence.
Especial Correspondence
Philadelphia, Dec. 4.-The secret of
the interest taken by Col. James NJ
Guffey, Democratic national committee
man, in the contest over the organ
Ization of the legislature and the cleo
lion of United States senator has
been at last explained. Despite the
fact that, through the loss Of q votes
in the house, the Democrats are that
much further away from the senator
ship than they were two years ago,
Guffey is still working and still spend
ing money to defeat the reelection of
Col. M. s. Quay, the choice of large
majority of the Republicans in the
legislature for United States senator.
Guffey has made a deal with the
linn-Martin insurgents. by which they
hope to deadlock the coming legisla-
cure on the election of United States
senator.
Finn and Martin, with the defeat of
their fusion schemes In so many dis
tricts, see the utter hopelessness of
their game to elect an insurgent to the
United States senate. controlling as
they do but small minority of the Re-
publican vote In the general assembly.
To the Martin-Flinn insurgent end
and the Guffey Democratic contingent
1t is evident that there Is but one thing
to do, and that is to attempt to again
deadlock the Legislature and block the
plans OF the regular Republicans of
electing the choice of the Republican
caucus. They have determired to
work for another deadlock, so as to
throw the election of a successor to
Col. Quay into the next legislature,
which would then have to elect two
United States senators, successors to
Messrs. Quay and Penrose.
This scheme is made attractive to
the Democrats. and especially to Cuff
fey, by promise that Guffey shall be
given one Of these seats in the United
States senate, with the other to go to
an insurgent Republican who put up
the most cash in the fight. The recent
scheme of fusion campaign for the
election of candidates for the legisla-
ture would, according to their program,
be repeated two years hence. and the
insurgents would continue to act inde-
pendently of the regular Republican
organization and practically maintain
a party Of their own.
BARTER AND SALE.
Finn and Martin are apparently
ready to make any trades to keep the
Democrats in the senate and the house
working In harmony with their inter-
ests. They have agreed to sell out the
Republican organization to the Democ-
racy In the state senate and support a
Democrat, J. Henry Cochran, OF Ly-
coming, for president pro tenn. OF the
senate and share the patronage and the
committee appointments with the Cuff
fey Democrats. Guffey Is to turn the
Democratic members over to an insur-
gent Republican for speaker OF the
house, and is to be able to guarantee
certain clerkships and important COM
mittee appointments to Democrats,
which should go to Republicans.
GUFFEY FAvORS A CAUCUS.
While Guffey is eager to contribute
to the success of the plans Of Martin
and Finn to disrupt the Republican or
ganization. he Is quite as anxious to
maintain harmony In the Democratic
organization and to have the Demo-
cratic members OF the state senate and
the house follow his advice and lead
ership.
In commenting upon Col. Guffey's at
titude Editor Arthur M. Roy. of the
Wellsboro Agitator, stalwart Repub-
| lican. said
1T seems that Col. James NJ. Guffey
does not want to be named as the DEM
ocratic candidate for United States SEN
ator. In an interview at Pittsburg
last Friday he said:
THE Democrats will. OF course,
have their own senatorial candi-
date They will insist upon this,
and ! am anxious that the Demo-
ocratie caucus nomination should
| go to some prominent party work.
er. My business affairs are simply
overwhelming me. and are taking
more time and attention than my
| health will supply. l feel that
should be relieved of political re-
sponsibility at this time. However.
the Democratic Legislators are for
Deyocrat for the United States
senate. and In their party caucus
they will determine just who that
candidate shall be-"
$50 the colonel" remarked Editor
Roy. will insist on a regular caucus
nomination by the Democrats: but the
shoe Is on the other foot when he talks
about Republican state politics. It's
all wrong In his eyes for the Republi-
can members Of the legislature To think
OF such thing as holding u caucus.
II Is probable. however. that Mr.. Guf-
fey's advice will not he asked about
that matter. though he has been very
free to ofer II recently"
THINGS ARE DIFFERENT.
The combination that existed at Har-
rtsburg last session was successful Ia
preventing the election OF n Republic
can To the senate because the regular
Republicans we're deceived by certain
men who had promised to 40 into the
Republican caucus aud who violated
their pledge.
This time things are different, In u
large majority of the eases candidates