Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-18
GETTING T0GET HER
Pennsylvania Politicians at a
Glover Club Dinner.
OSTENSIBLE. OBJECT
DISTINGUISHED OFFICERS OF
ARMY AND NAVY PRESENT.
Political Leaders of Every Faction
Took Part in the Speaking
The Summing Up.
OSTENSIBLE' OBJECT
pecial From a STAFF Correspondent.

PHILADELPHIA, November 1S.-A chill
Is passing through some Of the Pennsylva-
MIA republican politicians who have long
heads and believe they see serious danger
ahead for their party, not only in this state
but throughout the country. There are
good many of them who fear that the wave
of reform will cause the party to lose It's
bearings here and elsewhere to such an ex-
tent that when the time for the congress
sional elections arrives next year the House
of Representatives may be turned over to
the democratic party, to be organized by
democrats, with all the embarrassment that
would follow in having the two houses OF
Congress with different political complex
ions, producing all sorts of discomfort fer
the administration.
This fear was really responsible for the
tone of the dinner given by the Clover
Club at the Belevue-Stratford Thursday
evening. The social functions of the Glover
Club have been notable affairs in the an
nails of the Quaker city for couple OF
decades, but as rule the members OF the
club abandon themselves to a frolic on
these occasions. That evening the entire
club. without Encouragement devoted IT'S
thought to the results of the election, and
the assembly, containing men from all the
factions of the party throughout the state,
considered whittier the republican party OF
Pennsylvania is drifting and how united
party might again be secured in time for
the elections that are TO come off next year,
and which will not only affect the state Of
ficers but also the representation of Penn
sylvania in Congress.
Real Object of the Dinner.
The dinner was intended to be thanks
giving peace jubilee army and navy din
ner," but this purpose was made secondary
when the club assembled because of a ten
SI,hiln
which was so strong that nothing could
stem the tide of popular demand. The din
ner was one of the most notable in the his
tory of the club. large number of dis
tinguished officers of the army and navy
were there as the clubs guests of honor
and the main object of the meeting was
borne in mind sufficiently to permit the
drinking of toasts and the making OF elo-
quent speeches in praise of the part taken
by the President a peacenaker and by
the army and navy as an influence in main
tanning peace rather than in favor of the
exercise of its powers in actual warfare.
The gathering was one of the most COM
plete in the representation of political lead
ers of every faction, Senator Penrose be-
ing the only conspicuous absentee and he
at Virginia Beach shooting ducks and
thinking it all over. But the fact that the
spirit that animated the Glover Club also
controls the senator and leader of his party
since the death of Mr.. Quay is shown by
his declaration that he is heartily in favor
of all the legislative reforms instituted Dy
Governor Pennypacker and proposed to be
carried out at the coming special session
of the legislature.
Governor Pennypacker, Mayor Weaver,
who led the reform" forces in Philadelphia,
and whose name and picture has been
placed alongside of that of Folk and other
political strrerS-up in vast number of
magazines and newspapers of the country;
David II. Lane, for fifteen years the undis-
puted leader of the republican organization
in Philadelphia, but now chatting under de-
feat; James Gay Gordon, the democratic
legal adviser of Mayor Weaver who is
universally given the credit for having the
biggest bunch of brains in the entire forces
OF the reformers; Charles Emory Smith.
who has figured prominently in the turmoil
of the Quaker city; Col. Alexander X. Nc
Clure, the venerable president of the club
and prominent democrat of the state, were
! all there together with many others of al
most equal Importance. They are the men
| who represented the extreme factions. and
| all of them have recently been pounding
one another with vigor that has bordered
on civil war. But last evening they clink-
| ed their glasses in the drinking of toasts,
| they shook hands as a matter of necessity
| and exchanged the usual amenities of such
occasions.
A Hard Pill for Some.
| 1t was hard pill for some of them to
| take. They took it because of over
| towering necessity felt by every one and
voiced by many of the speakers. Many
of them could not resist the inclination
| to talk from the shoulder" with the idea
| that while they would like to get together
| they wanted a little more smuggling Just
| to prove that each of them believed he was
/ right. Governor Pennypacker told Mayor
| Weaver that people are more ready to re-
| form others than themselves, and when
the mayor had chance to reply he re-
| torted that he and his fellow reformers
| could not be charged with that inconsist-
| ency
| Mr.. David II. Lane. the defeated leader
| of the Philadelphia organization. could not
| suppress scoWls as he spoke with bitterness
ana scorn OF ''reformers," and declared that
| the name was merely used in order to al
! low the 'reformers'' to do with impunity
| the things that the people resented when
/ they were the acts OF the regular organiza-
| ton He said the republicans in their up
! turning of the political conditions of the
| state were like the Chinese when they per-
mitted the Manehus into the empire. They
| may have performed a service but they
| remained in possession of the offices So
| the republicans had taken the democrats
under their wings and the democrats have
| a continuance of the division the loss of
many republican members of the national
House of Representatives, and If that sort
! of thing is to go on over the country he
expected to see democratic House tariff
revision and other things that he thought
| republicans do not want.
But the defeated leaders followers were
| in happier frame of mind, and when the
! gang" was referred to they made the
| great ball room. with it's vaulted ceiling.
| tuneful by singing:
| Hail, hail, the gangs all here!
| What the deuce do care"
| But the irritation of the leader of the
regular organization was more than offset
| by the smiling countenance Of Mr. Weaver
/ who seemed during the entire evening to
| be listening to election returns, as on the
| night when the ancient town Of Philadel-
| phia was turned upside down.
Summing Up the Case.
After they had expressed their views
| Col Mcclure discussed the situation as If
| summing up the evidence In a legal case.
| He made the mayor look serious for a few
| minutes by declaring that the men who
| had been found at the head of the ire
/ form movement in Philadelphia were not
/ the cause of the reform. but merely the
| chips floating the stream and carried
/ with 1t. He reminded the gang, that tf