Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1902-01-17

I opening of the New Year and the ap-
preach Of the February elections there
is evidence of increased interest in
municipal and state affairs. and men
are discussing the gubernatorial pros
/ pect with increased zest Pittsburg
continues the storm center Of city poll
ties owing to the peculiar condition
/ precipitated by the application of the
/ ripper" act. which has been hotter
than football in that section. now Civ
/ ing victory to one faction and again to
( the other What the effect of the
/ Pittsburg fight will be on the COVER
norship is still problematical but It
win be noticed that the Democrats
are more confident of victory in the
| ensuing city election than they have
been in many years at this time. Of
| course the confidence OF the Pittsburg
| Democrats is due to the desperate fac
| tional quarrels of the Republicans,
| occasloned by that apple Of discord
the now notorious ripper" which has
been as industrious as a Chinese exc
/ cutioner chopping OFF heads The i'm
mediate fight in Pittsburg is for con-
troll Of the city's politics. State sena.
tor Finn, and those who are opposed
to him, attach great Importance to the
controllership and the councils, and
the conflict in the Republican party
has inspired great hopes in the breasts
of the Smoky City Democrats.
FACTIONIsM ILLUSTRATED.
The situation affords nrst-class IL
lustration of the practical workings
of factional warfare, and how it may
weaken a party that is impregnable
when it is united. If the condition
now agltating Pittsburg should extend
to the state through an error Of judg
ment or over-coniidence in forcing an
undesirable nomination for governor
on the state convention, the party
would have good cause for apprehen-
sion in a wider field and upon far
more important issues than those
which at present distract and divide
the Republicans of Pittsburg. Every
where throughout the commonwealth
the Democratic voice is for united
councils, while among Republicans,
from Pittsburg to Philadelphia, the
/ nAhihNNA oBAiAl VI ldtAlOll - uldnllGbLGu
more or less. What to attribute this
to scarcely know unless it be a re-
suit of the confidence which the party
feels in it's own strength, but have
talked to more than one Republican
who believes that It will be necessary
to present a united front in the ap-
preaching campaign in order to win a
victory.
THE ONLY AVOWED CANDIDATE
Although more than one name has
been suggested" for the Republican
nomination for governor, Colonel L.
A. Watres, of Lackawanna, is the
only man who has come squarely be-
fore the people of the state to an
nOunce this candidacy openly and
above board. He has not hesitated to
take the entire party into his conf
dence with modest, candid declara-
ton Of his honorable purpose to aspire
/ to the gubernatorial chair of the
state, and there have not been want
/ ing indications in the best Republi-
/ can newspapers that his fair and man
ly course is appreciated among the
stictest adherents of political ortho-
/ doxy and regularity. Nothing politi-
cally has a greater fascination for the
American mind than the thought that
the average boy of the right stamp
no matter how poor he may have
| been at his birth, can aspire to the
highest office in the gift of the people,
and that he Is free to voice this
aspiration to his fellow-citizens with
out prejudice to his chances Of sue
cess. While others have been men
I toned from time to time by way of
/ feeling the public pulse, Colonel Wa
tres has stood openly before his fel-
low-Republicans, basing his candidacy
on his merits. his fealty to party and
his unalterable devotion to its high
purposes. Up to the present time he
lis the only Republican who has an
nounced his candidacy for governor
Of Pennsylvania. He takes the broad
ground that he is willing to stand or
fall by the verdict of the entire party,
and there are those who believe this
Is the only verdict that can shape a
winning nomination in the next state
convention.
TIE DISTRICT ELECTIONS.
The words Of warming uttered by
Hon. Thomas V. Cooper. OF Delaware,
short time since to the effect that
an unpopular machine-made nOmina-
tion for governor would mean the loss
Of six congressional districts to the
Republicans Of Pennsylvania next fall,
I caused some uneasiness in certain
quarters and there was an attempt to
answer the Sage OF Delaware. The
answer was to the effect that the con
gressional districts would have to take
care Of themselves. and that they
would not be affected in any way by
the gubernatorial nomination. good or
bad. That, it seemed TO me and a
good many others, was a rather flip
pant view to take of a very serious
question In the first place believe
Mr.. Cooper understated rather than
exaggerated the situation An unde.
sirable nomination for governor made
In disregard Of the popular viii, and
IN accordance with methods that do
11t take into account the pre- serences