Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-08-01
A PERSONAL PARTY.
The Latest Move Of Wanamaker-
ism in Pennsylvania Politics.
SELFISH COMBINATION FORMED

SEIFIST SomO tSN TSn"IS
An Alliance of Insurgent Republicans
and Insurgent Democrats to Further
One Mans Ambition-other PoIiti-
cal News.
Philadelphia, July 30-Within the
last week there has been sensational
move made by the politicians Identified
with the Wanamaker bureau, which
has been maintained in this state for
several years with the purpose of ad-
vancing the political ambitions OF this
wealthy and aspiring Philadelphia.
The Independent movement started
in this city to bring about the election
of Wanamaker's private counsel to the
office of district attorney after he had
been defeated for denomination in the
Republican city convention, is regard
ed as the initial move to form an inde-
pendent political organization in the
state to boom Wanamaker and his po-
litical interests.
In order, primarily, to get complete
column on the official ballot to help
lHtiI INDEPENDENT Hsut III lHlS CITY Tie
Wanamaker leutenants adopted the
name of the Union Party" and pre-
ompted a column for ticket for state
and city nominations.
A committee has been appointed, of
which Colonel A. X. Mcclure will be
the directing head, to organize the So
called Union Party" in the state, and
they expect to get the Wanamaker in
surgents and the insurgent Democrats
to combine in an organization against
the regular Republican party.
They hope to get the Democratic
state convention to help them along,
but if this shall be impossible they will
organize on their own hook to further
their scheme in every way.
An analysis of the committee which
has charge of the organization of the
Union party in the state will be inter
csting
A STUDY IN QUEER POLITICS.
The makeup of this committee is a
study in personal politics, with every
man having a grievance and not one
of them of fixed standing in any politi-
cal party.
Chairman Mcclure has belonged to
pretty nearly every party, excepting
the Prohibitionist, since he became of
age His present affiliations are not
well defined. There has been difficulty
in placing him politically since his
brother-in-law, Simon Gratz, was not
placed in nomination to succeed him
self as one of the Republican members
of the board of revision of taxes AS
an intimate friend of District Attorney
Rothermel for years, Colonel Mcclure
has had another grievance since the
Republican convention composed of
over 1000 regularly elected Republi.
can delegates by a unanimous vote,
decided that Mr.. Rothermel had all he
was entitled to with one term in the
district attorneys office. They nomi-
mated a sturdy young Republican, John
Weaver, as his successor
Senator ]. Bayard Henry has been
disappointed man ever since the elec-
ton of Colonel M. S. Quay to the Uni
ted States senate. Henry is disgruntled
because Of his defeat in his home ward
and his home election precinct, in at
tempting to elect Republican delegates
to city and state conventions, and the
fact that he will be unable to control
a single ward in his entire senatorial
district for election to the state senate.
He wants political revolution, for he
needs it pretty badly, so he has lined
himself up with the Rotherme boom
erS.
WANAMAKER FINANCIAL AGENT.
f. A. Van Valkenburg has been look
ed upon as the direct representative of
the Wanamaker political bureau His
grievance probably is that there are
not two insurgent campaigns going at
the same time.
Of Frank A. Hartranft, a Democrat.
little can be said beyond that he was
once picked out to run on local
Democratic ticket when there was no
hope of his election. Since this i'm
portant episode in his career, his po-
litical bearings have not attracted
sufficient attntion to have him def
nitely placed by those who usually keep
in touch with men of influence in pub
lie affairs. His grievance no doubt l.;
that he has been allowed to remain
unnoticed for so long.
Former Representative Kendall, of
Chester county, a pronounced Wana-
makerite, after serving term in the
House of Representatives as an insur-
gent appealed to the voters of Chester
county to re-elect him. His grievance
is that when his candidacy was sub
mitted to the people he was over
whelmingly beaten. He is now doing
his utmost to disrupt the Republican
party and advance the cause of Wana-
makerism in every way possible.
Former Representative w Rush Gill
Ian, of Franklin county Democrat,
has figured as an upstate annex of the
Judge Gordon Democracy and has time
and again assailed the supporters of
former Governor Pattison, in both
state and local politics. He has figured
as something of firebrand in Demo-
cratic state politics and his grievance
has ALWAYS benp that ha has not haau