Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1906-09-27
REFORM IDOLS SMASHED
Sensational Outcome of the Breach
Between Weaver and Wana
maker Interests.
Charges of Bribery and Other Damao'
ing Revelations Play Havoc In the
Quaker City.


ral combination will have far-reachins
influence upon both local and state
politics.
1t was the power of the city admins
tration of Philadelphia which gave the
Wanamakers, Van Valkenburgs and
the Gordons a political following in
the last campaign. With the Mack
combine of ward leaders working in
harmony, they had a political ma
chine which drew thousands of votes
from the Rekblican state and local
tickets in November last.
Without this antagonistic influence
there is no doubt that Mr. Plummer
would have been elected state treas
urer, and the Republican ticket in
Philadelphia would have been success
full
Working with the Wanamaker news
paper combination against the Repub-
ican ticket last fall We're the poIiti-
clans who trained with the city ad-
ministration. the ward leaders seek
ing patronage, the contractors desir-
ing to line up with the powers that
be-" and even the denizens of the ten
derloin, always anxious to stand in
with the police, shouted loudly for
reform" throughout that campaign.
The City Party was successful, and
enough votes were thrown to Berry
the emocratic-Lincolnite nominee for
%tate treasurer, to elect him also.
Then followed a series of PLOTTING
and scheming by the ambitious re
formers eager to take advantage OF
the situation for their own selfish in
terests. There We're nearly as many
candidates for Office as there were com
mitteemen in every ward of Philadel-
phia. Throughout the state men who
were active in the counties in the Lin
coin Party aggregation began tL, nunt
for the loayes and fishes.
The Wanamaker ieItenants in the
1nsurSent movement against the late
Senator Quay were among the most
conspicuous of those who Immediately
demanded recognition.
Promises made to Mayor Weaver
and his friends were forgotten, and
the old Wanamaker outfit proceeded to
set up in business upon it's own ac-
count.
Combine Of Newspapers and Millions.
1t was figured out that with tn.
Wanamaker newspapers and the EN-
cry millions. the logical thing to do
was to name Emery for governor. To
do this the Wanamaker political man.
ayers had to first bowl out Mayor Wea-
yer as gubernatorial possibility.
They proceeded to set up the Lincoln
Party state convention for Emery, and
succeeded in landing him upon the
ticket for governor. They had Wana-
maker supporter In the old senatorial
fight for place upon the proposed fu-
sion ticket E. A. Coray, of Luzerne,
but they were unable to carry out their
program.
While the Democratic leaders assent
ed to the deal, the delegates to the
Democratic state convention broke the
slate and put John J. Green, a Bryan
ite Democrat OF this city, on the ticket
for secretary OF internal affairs. This
resulted in the fusion ticket having
three Bryanite Democrats running on II
with Emery for governor
Mayor Weaver friends branded the
Van Valkenburg-Gor combine as a
band OF political traitors, after the
Emery game was pulled off. The breech
between the mayor and the Wanamaker
interests widened day by day, until d.
Clarence Gibboney was trotted out by
tho Wanamakerites as a candidate for
the City Party nomination for district
attorney against Mayor Weaver's per-
sonal friend. Frederick ]. Shoyer. who
had resigned the $4,000 a year office
of director Of supplies under the Wea-
yer administration, to make a canvass
for the district attorneyship.
Soon the lines were sharply drawn
between the Gibboney men and the
Shoyerites.
What Weaver Discovered.
All of the Wanamaker newspapers
turned in for Gibboney, and their news
columns and editorial pages were fill
ed with eulogistic matter designed to
promote the Gibboney candidacy. The
same newspapers were employed to
attack or belittle the mayor and
Shoyer. These were the same journals
which few months before had been
exploiting Mayor Weaver's adninistra.
tion and praising the mayor and his
work without stint.
The mayor soon found that a num-
ber OF the most influential men in his
cabinet were setting up their own po-
litical fences regardless of his wishes
or his personal interests. Some OF
them were accused of using the patron
age and power Of his administration
secretly to build up Van Valkenburg
political machine to promote the cause
of Gibboney and destroy the chances
'of Shoyer getting the nomination for
district attorney These officials of the
Weaver administration, like certain
leaders OF the City Party, seem to have
concluded that the support of the
Wanamaker newspapers, or at least
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