Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-02-20
INTENSE FEELING
In PITTS8URG
OVER MAYoRALlTY ELECTION
ToDAY.-REFoRM ISSUES ARE
INVOLVED.
Special to the Herald.

"a ever GIedltu UlOIt luleuSe lnteIeS
4 among all classes than the mayoralt!
contest that is being fought out a
, the polls today. The alignment OF tn,
I opposing factions is very similar t.
/ that in the Philadelphia city election
of last fall. In other words. the ques
ton at issue is whether the so-caIleC
Republican machine shall be given q
new lease of life or be permanently
relegated to the junk pile.
Upon the result of the election de
ponds even more than the local re-
form issues involved in the contest
It may confidently be said that II will
have a most important bearing upon
the next state campaign in Pennsyl-
yania and upon the political future
of several Republican leaders of ma
tional prominence.
Six years ago the people of Pitts
burg smashed the old Republican ma
chine, controlled for decade or more
by the Finn-Nfagee coterie. But the
machine refused to stay smashed.
Senator William Finn vaulted into
the saddle again and prepared to get
things under control again. Hence
it became necessary for opposition
and reform elements to again grid
themselves for the fray.
The machine recognized that II had
real fight on its hands. and after
carefully looking over the field picked
Alexander NJ. Jenkinson as its most
suitable candidate for mayor. Jen-
kinson is a stogie manufacturer. re-
puted a millionaire. and willing to
shell out literally to further his polit-
ical ambitions. With the exception of
one term as a member of the city
council he has never held any polit-
ical office. and therefore he had no
public record open to attack.
Jenkinson is not only opposed by
the Democrats. but by the remnant
Of the old Citizens party and con-
siderable element of dissatisfied Re
publicans. The mayoralty candidate
Of this fusion element is George w.
Guthrie, a lawyer and a reformer.
About the worst charge that his OPP
ponents have been able to lay at Mr..
Guthries door is that he is a peren-
NAL ofice-seeker. having been an I'M
successful candidate for mayor in
1896 and for lieutenant-governor four
years ago.
The weakness of the old machine
in the present fight lies in the fact
that it has been placed on the defen-
sive. Sinister motives are ascribed to
the Jenkinson candidacy and these
have been strengthened by the indis-
Greet utterances of the candidate him
self. who. early in the campaign. pro
claimed that there were millions to
back him.
In its broader aspect the fight is be-
tween the leaders who are endeavor-
ing to reorganize the Republican state
machine and their opponents. Since
the death of Senator Quay things
have gone badly with the Republican
state organization. The result Of the
election in Philadelphia last fall shat
tered the Organization" in that city
It also wrecked the leadership of
Senator Boies .Penrose. This was
followed by the election of a Demo
cratic state ticket In the light of
these disasters 1t was evident that
something must be done. Henry Clay
F'risk. Senator Knox. A. ]. Cassatt |
and other leaders came together and
undertook the reorganization and sal |
walton of the party. 1t was recognized |
that the city election in Pittsburg
would be OF vital consequence to the |
success Of the movement With the |
control Of Pittsburg. the great me
tropolis OF the western end OF the
state, and the support Of the Repub-
lican reformers in Philadelphia. It |
was calculated that the naming OF a |
governor next fall would be an easy
matter.
The Guthrie campaigners have pur-
sued a fierce fight and are confident
Of success. But the fact is not to be |
overlooked that the machine leaders |
are consummate politicians well ac-
quainted with every twist and turn
of the game. Furthermore, they have
unlimited resources at their command |
in the present campaign. Hence 1t
is that the unbiased onlooker hest
tates TO predict the result with any
degree Of confidence.
RIVAL CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR.
A. NJ JENKINSoN Republican,
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