Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-09-11

ARE F0ILED
to Capture Union Party
Convention Defeated.
BLACKJACKS AND CLUBS USED
Hired Heelers Try to Bar Out Penny
packer Delegates.
pENNYPAckER Is NOMINATED

PENNYPAckER Is NOMINATED
The Disgruntled Democratic Outfit
Holds Rump Convention and Nom'
mates Pattison-Money Flowed Like
Water-An Attempt to Buy Up
Loyal Republcans-Mcclur and
Clement Write Interesting Letters.
From Our Own Correspondent.
Philadelphia, Sept 9.-The most
disgracefnl episode in the history OF
Pennsylvania politics occurred in this
city on Wednesday last. 1t was the
attempt of band of paid emissaries
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 a 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
morning 800 properly selected dele
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
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 personal request
of the authorities that this particular
officer and his men be detailed at the
hall The policemen were 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 hall, the Pennypack-
er delegates forced their way past the
armed doorkeepers on the outside. At
the inner door they encountered a
squad of Democrats armed with black
jacks and axe handles.
AS the Pennypacker men start
ed to ascend the stairs the hired heel
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 it to order and without further
preliminaries ordered Secretary Mapes
to call 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
Pennsylvania, State Chairman Ritter
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. 1t
Is q 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
poi ldtlOl, HolCl anu
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 e, Pattison. Scarcely
a county in the state but that was vis-
tied by Democratic missionary with
wad of money.
The Pennypacker admirers among
the Union delegates did not propose to
be dominate ] 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
lot, IL, al 10