Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-13
N THE KEYSTONE STATE
Reform Movement to Result in
Spirited Contest.
IN THE 18TH DISTRICT
Representative Reynolds to Have
Very Strong Opposition
FROM THE FUSION FORCES
Normal Republican Majority 5000
Folks Rather Losing Confidence
In President Roosevelt.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
HUNTINGDON, Pa, July II, 1906.
The reform movement In Pennsylvania Is
sure to bring about at least one animated
and interesting contest. In the nineteenth
district. represented by John NJ. Reynolds,
who has just returned to his home at Bed
ford Springs. the Lincoln and democratic
parties are preparing to unite their forces
for the purpose of electing Joseph E.
Thropp, a wealthy iron manufacturer,
whose country residence and place Of
business are a few miles south OF
Bedford. Mr.. Thropp. who married the
accomplished daughter of the late Tom
Scott of Pennsylvania railroad fame, Is
well known In Washington. During the
winter and while Congress is in session he
resides at goth and r streets, where he has
one OF the most attractive homes In that
section of the city. He Is actively interest
ed in number Of local business enterprises.
During the closing years of Mr.. Clevelands
second term as President Mr.. Reynolds filed
the office of second assistant secretary of
the interior. He is serving his arst term
in the House, and during the session Just
ended did excellent work as 4 member of
the committee on territories. lie is u law
yer of ability.
The nineteenth congressional district Is
one of the most populous and important In
the state 1t is composed of the counties
OF Bedford, Blair and Cambria. At Johns
town, In the last-named county, are the
Cambria steel works; at Altoona in Blair
county. are the large machine ana repair
shops of the Pennsylvania railroad Com
pany; near Bedford are the rich bltuminous
coal fields of the Broad Top reg on. The
population, therefore, Is largely made up of
workIngnen. After the nomination of Mr..
Bryan and the Endorsement By hts party OF
the free silver policy Mr.. Reynolds IS
90 Doll and incl
ana for this he was charged with deltber
ately deserving the democratic faith. In
the contest of two years ago this argument
used against him in the districe win
considerable effect His own county, with
a normal republican majority of more than
1,00U, gave Mr.. Thropp plurality Of nea--
ly 500 At the county election hc!d last
November the Lincolnites and democrats
captured all the important offices and thus
strengthened themselves for the big fight
scheduled for the coming autumn. In 1'D3
Mr. Reynolds, in addition to having 10
overcome the democratic and indep anGSnt
the prohibitionists of the district, who made
Mr.. Thropp their candidate
Thropp to Be Nominated.
There seems now to be no doubt that Mr..
Thropp will again be nominated by the
democrats Rather, 1t should be said, he
will be nominated by the Lincolnites and
Endorsed by the democrats. This will en-
able influential and able men like Col
Warren Worth Bailey, editor of the Johns
town Democrat, who opposed MIN Two
years ago on account of his protective
tariff principles, to fall into line and mar
shall a solid democratic front in Cambria
and Blair counties In the former contest
Col. Bailey refused to support Mr. Ihropp'
claiming that no democrat could consistent
ly vote for an open and avowed republican
and intimating that the nomination had
been obtained by means which would not
bear close investigation. The prohfbition-
lists 1t is said will be asked to come to the
aid of the iron master, but according to the
chairman of one of the counties they Will
form no alliance with any other organiza-
ton but put forward a man of their own
stamp.
waged by Mayor Weaver of Philadelphia
for better government have, of course, had
much to do with the smashing of party
lines In the district. Then, too, 1t may pc
confidently asserted that the influence or
President Roosevelt will be far less potent
this year than formerly The voters are
unable to harmonic the President friend
ly attitude toward Senator Penrose, the
head of the lettering state machine with
his numerous recent and emphatic declara-
tons touching honest government; and It
may be averred with assurance that num-
dreds of men of his own party faith, repre-
scented in almost every town and village
in the district have lost confidence in him
on account of his alleged covenant with
Mr. Penrose. Strait-laced republicans who
refused to countenance the charges of cor
ruption published in the Philadelphia pa
pers a year ago have been forced by later
revelations to accept them, and now that
most of the story has been told there is
little room to doubt that one of the most
bitter fights in the political history of the
nineteenth district is impending.
Reynolds May Pull Through.
But with all these things against him,
Mr.. Reynolds may pull through. The
al republican majority IN the three counties