Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1902-01-31

ed, advocated, conniVed at or
approved the revolutionary rip
per law. there would be an
end OF popular rule in Pennsylvania
and OF the constitutional guarantees
hitherto regarded as sacred Never
has the organic law OF the state been
ignored or set aside with such stolid
impunity as during the present admin
istration, and the Republican voters
are resolved to Trip out the rippers"
now that they have an opportunity to
do so without detriment to the pc -
Thinking men believe firmly that
anything savoring OF an Endorsement
Of the ripper" regime would be one OF
the worst things that could happen to
the dominant party, since "rlpperism"
means an invasion of the rights OF
citizenship, and the government Of
towns and cities from Harrisburg. II
any doubt exists in the minds OF the
party managers they can have it dis
PEELED by the nomination Of Upper
candidate for governor, and this in
cludes not only Mr.. Ell1in, but any
man who stands for the Influences
with which he is associated and iden-
titled.
WHERE DOES QUAY STAND?
You will hear Republicans asking
day after day, where does Quay stand
on the goyernorship? The question is
natural in view OF the protean dis
patches from Washington, which rep
resent him as favoring some special
candidate in the morning and another
in the afternoon. Those Washington
correspondents are the most indus
trious gentlemen in the business. They
not only think their own thoughts,
but those of Others as we'll and when
they attribute a startling political de-
claration to some public man, they
will as cheerfully deny it next day
Thus they maintain the equilibrium
and manage to keep up the average
for veracity all the year round. Their
theory evidently Is that a man tells the
truth when ne contradicts today the
mis-statements he made yesterday
Laying aside the versatility and the
diligence OF the Washington scribes it
Is learned from the National Capital
that Senator Quay's attitude thus far
in the state canvass Is one OF master
ly inactivity" He has not, l am told
on fairly good authority, committed
himself to tie fortunes Of any particu-
lar candidate, although efforts have
not been wanting to create the i'm
preston among the faithful" that he
had already pickeu out the man who iH
to run and that mo other need aspire"
Whatever personal preferences Sena-
tor Quay may have, he is not sufficient
ly short-sighted to lay himself open
to the suspicion Of setting up a dicta-
torship, and am Of the opinion that
his attitude as already quoted in this
correspondence, namely that he "has
not declared for or against any candi-
date" still holds good.
A VETERANS METHODS.
It was the invariable custom Of
General Simon Cameron, one Of the
shrewdest politicians this country has
ever had, to ascertain what the peo-
pie wanted before making his prefer
ence known. His leadership was
strong and lasting, because of this
trait Men differed with him, and
sometimes differed flercely, but he was
able to hold his own by learning what
the rank and file of the party wanted,
and acting accordingly II was for
this reason that the oratorical advance
agent of iridescent politics usually suf-
fered defeat when he collided with the
Cameron influence in a state conven-
tiOn. The old general knew to a nicety
the throbbing OF the public pulse
through such staff officers as Bob
Mackey Bill Leeds, Dave Lane, Chris
Magee, Tom Cooper and, last but not
least, through his chief Of staff, Matt
Quay, and this information coupled
with his own great tact and personal
suavity made him invincible fbr many
years. The silent man from Beaver is
fully as great strategist as his prede-
cessor, and whatever he may lack in
magnetism, as compared with the
Wizard of Lochiel is made up in mas
terry OF detail Quay's grasp of detail
is amazing, and there are few in public
life possessing such a wide and COM
prehensive knowledge of men. To sum
up, he is too big a man himself TO
commit the small mans blunder OF
playing the petty autocrat so far in
advance of the state convention, by de-
claring his choice for governor; but he
is not Indifferent to the drift of the
party current and he will find much to
interest him if he studies the tendency
of the political tide in Pennsylvania at
the present time. Every day the senti-
ment grows stronger in the congress
sional and legislative districts for a
gubernatorial candidate, like Colonel
Watres, whose nomination will inspire
enthusiasm from the start and make
the campaign one Of confidence instead
Of doubt.
A CONFLICT OF INTERESTS.
There are two conflicting elements
even in the ranks of the Republican
regulars" and these will be active for
a time. One Of them presuming upon
the great majority OF the party in the
state, In normal circumstances, wants
q machine candidate for governor II
argues that such a candidate cannot be
beaten and that his nomination and
election would be a vindicatiOn of
those who run things" The particu-
lar element that contends along this
line does not take into account the dis
astrous effect such a candidate would
have upon the party fortunes gener-
ally the loss 1t would mean to Repub-
lican aspirants IN all the siXty-seven
counties of the state. The fact that
the gubernatorial candidate might
pull through" would suffice for this
element even though the campaign
might be streWn with the Wreckage of
defeat for others. The other element
takes the view that no one man Is good
enough to invite or compel such a sac
rihce, IT also holds that It would be
folly to nominate a man for governor
who could do no better than elect him
self BY reduced party majority, and