Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-12-05
LEADERS ALL At SEA.
Democrats and Unionists do Not
Know What to do Next.
DEMOCRACY IN BAD SHAPE

Dissensions In Minority Party IN Fnii-
adeIphia and Allegheny Give No En-
couragement to Republican MaIcon-
tents to Continue fractional Warfare
Especial Correspondence
Philadelphia, Dec. 3.-Since the re-
cent defeat at the polls the Union
party men and the Democrats have
been unable to get together upon any
scheme for fusion in future campaigns.
The Democrats are SO completely d.
vided into factions Of one kind or an
other, that the Union party leaders do
not know with whom to deal.
The Pattison contingent are now at
odds with the Gordon outfit and the
Donnelly and Ryan combination, that
maintains control Of the regular or
ganization, refuses to have anything to
do with either the Pattison or the Cor
don elements and seem determined to
go 1t alone until the Democratic state
convention shall be held next year.
DEMOCRATS ARE DIVIDED.
1t is possible that there will be at
least two contesting delegations OF
Democrats from this city. and may be
there will be three.
Guffey Is anxious for harmony, but
he does not know where to begin. II
he makes terms with Pattison he will
offend the Gordonites and the old or
ganization element Pattison has
made SO many enemies through his re-
cent uncertain actions. trying to play
both sides and losing at the game, that
Guffey is afraid to have anything to do
with him.
The Gordon faction mean practically
the Union party element of the Democ-
racy, and have nothing In common
with the straight-out Democracy.
Meanwhile, with the Democrats at
skies and sevens, the insurgent Re-
publicans do not know where to turn.
They find that the Republicans
everywhere who participated in the
late unsuccessful fusion movement are
eager to return to the old party and
are ready to take their places with
the rank and file and show their 10y
atty by hard and steady work for the
welfare Of Republicanism.
UNION PARTY's WEAKNESS.
In this city the Union party has
made no sign of getting into shape for
the spring campaign, outside OF a few
wards in which the old David Martin
al tot OF
There are a few offices which the
Martin men still control, and the en-
ployes Of these offices are endeavoring
to keep up Union party organization
for their own purposes.
The Republican leaders have been
for the office of city solicitor, the only
important Office to be filled at the
February election. The incumbent,
City Solicitor John L. Kinsey, is pro-
posed for denomination. He is stall
wart Republican, but some have
argued that he should make way for
one of the young men who have been
active recently on the stump. Nothing
has as yet been determined upon re-
garding this office, but should the Re-
publicans renominate Mr.. Kinsey,
which now seems probable, the Union
date about whom they could rally, and
they would have to trail along for the
Republican nominee or support the
Democrat. kinsey is strong with the
conservative element in the communi-
ty, and his denomination would thor
oughly disarm the Unionist.
NEWSPAPERS LACK INFLUENCE.
There have been several conferences
here recently of the state leaders Of
the Union party They have come to
realize that what they regarded as
their strongest cards, the insurgent
newspapers Of this city, are without
influence with the voters. No political
campaign was ever waged in the state
in which there were more Philadel-
phia newspapers combined in an ag-
gressive and persistent campaign
against the Republican organization
and its nominees.
These newspapers, day after day,
kept up incessant assaults upon the
Republican party and its candidates,
but when the polls were opened their
readers showed by their ballots how
little confidence they had in the sim
cerity Of such newspapers.
This fact has impressed itself upon
the minds of the Democrats as we'll
as the insurgents, and they are won
dering whether they would not fare
better hereafter by standing up for
straight Democracy and letting the I'm
ionists support the Democratic candi-
dates II they will.
GUFFEY is STILL SILENT.
Colonel Guffey has not yet been able
to explain what became of the Demo-
cratic vote in Allegheny county, where
he lives. He devoted much of his time
during the campaign to looking after
the Democratic organization in Phila-
delphia, but when election day rolled
de- -