The age-herald., 1901-03-08
Historic Party Treachery.

Simon Cameron was first elected to the United States Senate as a Repub- lican in 1856. which was the first great year of the present Republican party as a powerful national organization, and he secured his Senatorial seat by the pur- chase of the votes of Leboe and Wag- goner, two Democratic members of the Legislature" said Mir William Snyder, the well known merchant tailor and Union veteran of Birmingham, who for merly dwelt in Pennsylvania.
 There were dangerous threats and an actual movement to lynch Leboe and Waggoner for selling their votes and be- traying the Democratic party of Penn sylvania in what proved to be the great est crisis in it's history and which ever since has been In a hopeless minority, although Republican, votes have more than once enabled it to carry the State, electing to high office men like Senator Wallace, Jeremiah Black and his son. Chauncey Black. Governor Pattison, and a few others.
 Young and with new national policies regarding slavery, protective tariffs, cur rency, and so on, and led by a host of brilliant young men who had quit the Democratic and Whig parties, the Re- publican party was making great strides towards full national confidence, and 1t was a serious blow to Pennsylvania Democrats when Simon Cameron, who had deserted their party. was again elected to the Senate by the two Demo- crats, Leboe and Waggoner This unex- ampled party treachery caused the wild est outburst of partisan passion. as I very well recall, the Democrats threaten ing to lynch the traitors and the Re- publicans shouting In something like vim dictive glee over Simon Camerons suc- cess. We talk about partisan bitterness and rancor nowadays, but 1t Is love- feasting compared to the feelings that ran riot in Pennsylvania from 1856 to the election of Lincoln. first Republican President, In 1860.
 Simon Cameron was one of the old est leaders in point of his own age in the new party, which ran Fremont for Presi- dent In that memorable year of Cam eron's personal triumph over the major ity party in his state, for he was born in the last year but one of the 18th cen tury. In 1S45 he had been elected to the United States Senate as Democrat and whilst full in the honors of that party he went over to the Republicans as did hundreds of thousands of Democrats of less distinction.
 When Lincoln entered the White House, March f. 1861, he that day appoint ed Simon Cameron to be Secretary of War, a position in the great war then opening for which he was manfestly un- fitged, and after ten months of unsatis- It was the measure, and he earnestly ad- vocated it. to give military employment to the slaves of the South, a measure that was in part adopted by the govern men. As a sort of solatium President Lin coin immediately appointed the retiring Secretary of War United States minis ter to Russia, an office which he filled about one year. In 1863 he was assigned to duties which gave him the rank of brigadier general; and in 1866 he was again elected to the Senate; was re-elect- ed in 1872; and in 1877, choosing a timely moment, he resigned at the age of IS years and secured the election of his son, Don Cameron, as his successor. The old man lived to be 90 dying June 26 1889. Don Cameron, before his fathers resignation, was Secretary of War in Grants cabinet. He was three times elected Senator, and in 1896 was defeated by Senator Quay's candidate, MT. Pen rose"