The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-09-18
DEMOCRATS
! ARE FOILED
Attempt TO Capture Union Party
Convention Defeated.
BLACKJACKS AND CLUBS USED
Hired Heelers Try to Bar Out Penny.
packer Delegates.
PENNYPAcKER is NOMINATED

The Oissruntled Democratic Outfit
Holds a Rump Convention and Nom
mates Pattison-Money Flowed Like
Water-An Attempt to Buy Up
Loyal Republicans-Meciure and
Clement Write Interesting letters.
From Our Own Correspondent
Philadelphia. Sept 9-The most
disgraceful episode IN the history OF
Pennsylvania politics occurred in this
city on Wednesday last It was the
attempt OF a band of paid emissaIies
Of the Democratic party TO control the
state convention OF the Union party
and force the nomination of Pattison
and Guthrie.
To accomplish this result crowd
Of hirelings, many OF them
armed with black.jaCks, took posses
sion Of Musical Fund Hall at midnight
Tuesday. They barricaded the doors
and prepared to pack the convention
hall the following morning by admit.
ting only those delegates whom they
knew would vote for Pattison and
Guthrie, with other men selected from
the worst elements in the Democratic
slum districts of Pittsburg and Phila-
delphia. to whom bogus credentials
had been given. When. the following
daln
gates of Republican tendencies
marched in body from the Penny.
packer headquarters on Walnut street
to Musical Fund Hall they were re.
fused admittance.
SELECTED THEIR OWN POLICE.
A small army OF policemen, under
a lieutenant, selected by State Chair.
man F. NJ. Ritter, of the Union party,
was on hand. Mr.. Ritter was formerly
director of public safety OF Philadel.
phia, and made a personal request
of the authorities that this particular
officer and his men be detailed at the
hall. The policemen we're therefore
not there in the interest Of the Penny.
packer delegates. inasmuch as they
had been selected by Mr. Ritter After
repeated refusals had been made for
admission to the hail. the Pennypack.
er delegates forced their way past the
armed doorkeepers on the outside. At
the inner door they encountered
squad of Democrats armed with black.
jacks and axe handles
AS the Pennypacker men start
ed to ascend the stairs the hired h""l
ers of the Democratic crowd threw
benches and chairs on the heads OF
the delegates. A number OF the Re-
publicans were injured. After IS min.
utes of struggling the Republican del.
egates managed to force their way
into the hall and took their seats.
Chairman Ritter, who, with Secre-
tary Mapes. has been most active in
trying to force the nomination OF Pat.
tison and Guthrie upon the Union
party, took charge OF the meeting and
called il to order, and without further
preliminaries ordered Secretary Mapes
to call a roll of delegates which he
had prepared himself. 1t was at this
point that the Pennypacker faction.
which was largely in the majority, as
serted its rights
In his zeal to swing the Union party
over to the control of Col Jas. NJ. Cuff
fey and the Democratic leaders OF
IDnp ba; ttar
over shot the mark. He had made up
his own roll of delegates, mostly COM
posed of Democrats from the various
counties in the state, and declared
that this was the official roll and the
only one that would be recognized. II
is notorious fact that large sums OF
money had been spent in securing the
attendance of men from all over
the state who posed as delegates to the
convention. Estimates made by the
leaders of the Pennypacker faction
show at least $4,000 was spent by
Democratic leaders in their attempt to
capture the Union party.
MONEY WAS PLENTY.
Money was poured like water into
the western counties, and free trans
portation, hotel bills and spending
money even, was supplied to men who
came to Philadelphia to pose as dele
gates to this convention. In Fayette
and Washington counties the most lib
eral offers were made TO Pennypacker
men in the Union party to desert their
cause for Robert Z. Pattison. Scarcely
a county In the state but that was Wis.
tied by a Democratic missionary with
wad Of money.
The Pennypacker admirers among
the Union delegates did not propose to
be dominated by such elements. and
so when the attempt was made In the
convention to call the roll prepared by
Messrs. Ritter and Mapes, William r.
knight. OF Philadelphia who last year
was the Union party candidate for mag.
istrate in Philadelphia, protested and
tried to offer the roll prepared by ma
jority Of the Union State Committee al
a meeting held the previous afternoon