Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-05-17

Especial Correspondence.l

Philadelphia. May 15.-Gen. Frank
Reeder. chairman of the Republican
state committee, was in this city yes
terday supervising the improvements
being put upon the new headquarters
of the state committee, 1417 Locust
street. The headquarters are now
practically finished, the different offices
have been assigned to General Reeder's
staff of assistants and the task of get
ting the party organization in shape
for the approaching campaign is al
ready under way. While aside from
this preliminary work little can be
done until after the Republican ma
tional convention next month. General
Reeder has the plan of campaign care
fully mapped out. and he proposes that
the policy Of the party organization
shall be aggressive from the very out
set of the canvass. He is going to be
in touch with the Republican national
committee and the Republican congress
sional committee. and the county COM
mitteemen through the state will be
constantly advised as to the policy
that is to be pursued in meeting every
move that may be made by the Bryan
ties and their Populistic allies. The
news from the west indicates that the
Bryan men and the leaders of the most
influential wing of the Populistic or
ganiZation have a perfect understand
ing as to the coming campaign and that
they intend to make a determined and
desperate effort to capture the presi-
dency by fair means or foul. They are
anxious to secure any advantage that
might come through labor troubles in
different sections Of the country, and
there is reason to believe that the DEM
ocratic and Populistic managers are
not neglecting any opportunity to en-
courage feeling of unrest among
workingmen and prompt them to make
demands for increases in wages. There
has been little heard of reductions in
wages since McKinley's election. The
movement has been upward. Many
have had large increases in their
wages and others have had their hours
of labor shortened. There is work for
all who seek it, and the condition of
general prosperity in which the coun-
try finds itself can fairly be attributed
TO the present Republican national ad-
ministration.
REEDER LOOKS FOR GAINS.
General Reeder was not inclined to
go into details as to his plans for the
coming campaign, but he made no Sc
cret of his belief that PENNSYLVANIA
will show even an increase over her
unprecedentedly large majority Of
the last presidential campaign. In
the general Republican sweep he looks
for success for Republican county
tickets generally and for Republican
gains in the legislature. He is firmly
impressed with the idea that the
scheme Of the Democrats for fusion
deals with disgruntled Republicans
will be a failure. There were a num-
Der of Republican candidates for the
legislature defeated by such methods
last time. This will not happen in a
presidential year. and with the people
thoroughly advised as to the aims of
the Democratic leaders who are car
rying out the orders of Millionaire
Guffey to elect him to the United States
senate through a division of the Re-
publican Legislators
GAME OF THE DEMOCRATS.
The stalwart Republicans Of the
state are not being fooled by the insur-
gents. They are fully aware of the
fact that there is, secret organization
of men identified with the Flinn-Mar-
tin leadership who are quietly at work
in many counties opening negotiations
with the Democratic managers. The
Democrats know that if left to them
selves they could accomplish nothing
in the coming campaign, so that they
gladly welcome the overtures from the
insurgents. Following Guffey's direc-
tions they are planning to defeat Re-
publican candidates with the aid of the
insurgent cash and intrigues. A con-
spicuous instance of this is found in
this city, where Colonel Guffey has
been dealing with the Donnelly- Ryan
Democratic organization. Guffey has
gotten them to come out with public
declarations in favor of fusion on the
legislature and to pledge themselves
ever fusion tickets can be nominated
with any hope of success. Donnelly
makes no bones about his purpose to
form coalition with the Martin Re-
publicans on the legislative tickets. in
the hope of dividing the Republican or
ganization of this city, so as to make
the election Of Democrats to city offices
possible. 1t has been a long time since
the Democrats have elected a county
officer in Philadelphia other than the
minority commissionership to which
they are entitled under the law. DON
nelly says that the greater the dissen-
sions among Republicans the easier
it will be for the Democrats to secure
patronage, and that as stalwart Dem
ocrat he proposes to sow all the seeds
OF discord he possibly can in the ranks