The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-15
ODELL'S POpULIST PETITION.
1T ACTS AS A BOOMERANG IN
SCHENECTADY COUNTY.
Republicans whose signatures 20 the Pc
titiOn were Secured by Gross Fraud
and Misrepresentation Send Protest
TO Secretary OF state O'Brien.

TO Secretary OF state OBrien.
SCHENECTADY, Oct. 1.-THE Odell- Barnes
scheme to injure the Citizens State ticket,
by securing signatures for the Populist
nomination petitions In every county Of
the State, has caused an uproar among
the decent Republicans Of this city.
The man selected to do the work here
was ex-Cty Clerk Fenwick, a trusted
lieutenant of John N Parker, the Odell boss
of Schenectady county. Fenwick' 3 record
in politics has not been very good He
ran for Police Justice last fall, and he was
the only Republican on the city ticket to be
defeated, outside OF the Mayor. His father.
VINO ran for Alderman in a strong Repub-
lican ward, was also repudiated at the polls.
Young Fenwick secured the names Of a
number Of prominent Republicans to the
Populist petition. These men say that
their signatures were secured by gross
fraud and misrepresen tation, as they
had been led to believe that they were
merely signing for the adoption of new
rule in regard to the manner In which votes
are cast.
When they found ont that the paper was
really petition for the nomination OF
Populists and that they had pledged them
selves to support candidates who favored
free silver and all the radical notiops of
the Tom Watson crowd, they were greatly
angered at the manner in which they had
been deceived An indignation meeting
was held in the office of Coroner Dettburn
which resulted in the drawing up of the
following protest which was signed by
many of the leading Republicans Of Schen-
ectady:
To Hon. John +. O'Brien:
Secretary Of State. Albany. N. y:
DEAR SIR: We. the undersigned citizens
Of the United States and being Republican
have signed a petition or certificate which
p INId to % be paper adopting , new
vote S the s Nominees On the Populistio ticket; .
fraud and INTERPRETATIONS and that it was
not our intention, and never was our inten-
hon to support the ticket named therein t sna
named in said certificate,
We further certify that the undersigned
u said petition and that the same is utterly
spectVely ask that yoy A take NC or CAUSE to be
names.
Coroner Dettburn was the first to sign
the protest He IA one OF the most active
workers in the Republican party here.
The second name on the protest was that
OF Plumbing Inspector HARRISON, who is
also prominent in the councils OF the party.
The protest has been forwarded to the
Secretary Of States office at Albany In
discussing the Populist, petition promi-
nent Republican said this morning:
can't conceive why Fenwick, who has
always been so closely identified with the
John NJ. Parker machine here, should get
mixed up in this deal. and furthermore
why he should have asked such promi-
nent Republicans to sign the petition:
hurt no one except the Republican candi-
dates l was told a short time ago that
Fenwick had said that he had received a
petition to be circulated and that he was
going to decline for the reason that when
ever there was any dirty business to be
done it was always put of on him.
Schenectady county has always been
loyal to Odell but in this Populist business
he has gone too far. All the decent men
in the party are disguised by his tactics.
crazy radicals who advocate pretty nearly
everything that the Republican party is
pledged to fight. 1t i'll becomes the Gov
ernor Of the State Of New York, who is also
chairman OF the State committee, and 1t
i'll becomes the chairman OF the executive
committee to lend their aid to such cheap
and ignoble scheme. Better to lose the
election than to win by such tricks as that"
John N. Parker is turning heaven and
earth to roll up a big vote for the Grocery
sonal interest to him that Higgins be
elected. Parker is Division Superintendent
of Canals, having been appointed by George
W. Aldrdge when he was Superintendent
of Public Works Parker held Office all
during the ssGoOGSo era He has pros
as one of the richest men In Schenectady
county,p