Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-09-08
QUAY BLACKJACK PARTY
Independent Citizens Assailed By
Rioters.
ToUeHs FOR PENNYPAcKER
Dissraceful Scenes In a Bogus Con.
vention - Honest Men a Unit
For Pattison and Guthrie

that city last week:
More than 200 men, some of them
armed with revolvers, knives and
blackjacks, claiming to be regularly
elected delegates from different parts
OF the state captured the Union party
state convaktion by forcing the doors
OF Musical Fund Hall yesterday, and
amidst the utmost disorder, went
through the form of nominating Sam
uel w, Pennypacker for governor, Will
liam M. Brown for lieutenant governor
and Isaac B. Brown for secretary of
internal affairs.
During the interval that elapsed be-
tween the forcing of the front door of
the hall and the breaking down of the
barriers that were raised to prevent
entrance to the convention room, on
the, second floor, three men are known
TO have been injured-Andrew MacAl-
lister, who was struck a blow on the
head with blackjack; Louis j. Min
nick, who was stabbed in the leg with
dirk knife, and an unknown man,
who had knife thrust through his
wrist.
AS soon as the attacking party had
entered the convention hall they took
possession of the front seats. State
Chairman Ritter ordered those not dele
gates to retire to the rear of the room,
but his words were greeted with jeers.
He finally had the call for the conven-
tion read, and as Secretary Mapes was
about to read off the temporary roll
motion was made that William r.
Knight be made temporary chairman,
and he was lifted bodily by his friends,
between Two policemen, on to the plat
form, and the control of the conven-
ton then passed into the hands of
Pennypacker's supporters.
Knight and State Chairman Ritter
neld their places and attempted to ad-
dress their respective followers. When
one would open his mouth the other
side would jeer. But Knights voice
was stronger, and he did not heed the
Interruptions. He followed the sched-
ule he. had prepared for himself, de-
spite the Interruptions, and announced
the nomination of the three Republi-
can candidates for state offices, regard
less of the turmoil. When his side was
through with its work he sat down,
with the determination of forcing the
other side to leave the hall without
having taken action.
Finally State Chairman Ritter was
compelled to adjourn the convention
to Parlor c, Continental Hotel, where
Robert E. Pattison was nominated for
governor George w. Guthrie for lieu
tenant governor and Lewis w. Emery,
an Independent Republican, for secre-
tary of internal affairs, and platform
was adopted.
An Object Lesson of Machine Methods
Editorially the Ledger says:
"The. violent and shameful methods
and Ashbridge to break up the state
convention of the Union Party are
characteristic exhibition of machine
brutality and lawlessness. The actual
delegates were no match, in physical
force, for the organized band of thugs
Of I,Ah
they prudently withdrew and held the
convention in another place.
Freedom of political action, the Sc
curity of citizenship, must summon all
true men to their defense irrespective
of party name. The organization that
violence is condemned in the sight of
all honest people, and its candidates
must suffer condemnation with it. The
gang that drove the Union convention
from Musical Fund Hall was organized
by placemen and minions of the Quay
Ashbridge machine, and carried out its
plot with the conniyance of the police.
THAT such infamous means should
be resorted to Is evidence of the dread
which this movement has inspired in
the Quay camp. This lawess nomina-
ton of the Quay candidates by a crimi-
nal mob emphasizes their Identification
with the powers of evil that set law
and decency at defiance, make cleo
tions mockery, and wantonly insult
the decency of the state and the city.
1t is fresh notice to the people of
Pennsylvania of the criminal power
from which they are called upon to
emancipate themselves, not in the
name of any party or faction, but in
the name of the commonwealth of
law and liberty"
A Disgrace to the City.
The Press, Pennypacker support
er, is impelled to make this comment:
"The scene at Musical Fund Hall yes
terday was disgrace to the city. 1t
is always easy to pack convention of
party SO loose and unorganized as the
Union Party, and do it with some color
of right. But no one can fairly doubt
that of the opposing factions yesterday
the one represented by Chairman Ritter
is the legitimate heir of the Union
Party of year ago.
"The Knight convention showed its
unorganized, unintelligent character by
nominating the entire Republican tick
ct on the Union Party platform of last
year. Nothing could be more incongru-
Gus, inconsistent and INCOMPATIBLE, II
is absolutely ridiculous and is explain
able only on the theory that no one in
the convention remembered what the
Union platform was when they unani-
favors fusion with the Democrats, SO
we have the spectacle of Judge Penny
packer and William M. and Isaac b.
Brown running on platform which
favors fusion with the Democratic
state organization"
Desperation of the Bosses.
The Record editorially says:
"The proceedings of the Union state
convention in this city yesterday bear
their own comment. The hall in which
the delegates were to assemble was
stormed by crowd of city roughs. who