New-York tribune., 1907-11-29
PORTERW[THOUTPARTY
EXCLUDED FROM CAUCUS.
Finds "Pete" Hepburn Has No Use
for 'Tndependent Republicans
LFrom nc Trlbune Bureanl

IFrpm The Trlbure bureau
Washington Nov. Representative Peter A
Porter of the 34th District Of New York. who
defeated Representative James w. Wadsworth
by six thousand votes and rode into Congress
on a cow finds he can't pry his way into the
Republican party with a crowbar.
Representative Pete" Hepburn, chairman of
the Republican caucus, repudiates Mr. Porter
and declares he is not Republican. Mr.. Por-
ter declares he is not a Democrat. And so the
man who polled -. S37 votes in a normally Re
publican district. which two years before gave
the Democratic candidate only 1925 has come
to Washington 10 find himself a political out
cast Mr.. Hepburn hates independent Re
publican" which is the title Mr.. Porter gave
himself on the ballot which elected him. and
thereby hangs tale.
When 1.-THE Congressional Directory was
printed last January, it contained the 'unoffi-
cial list" of the 60th Congress- the Republicans
being printed in Roman type and the Democrats
IT, italics To Mr.. Porter's CONSERVATION he
found his name printed in italics AS soon as he
came to Washington this fall he took steps to
remedy what he assumed to be an error or h
bit Of cheap humcr the part of his defeated
predecessor but he struck A snag The clerk Of
the House told him that he would be permitted
TO describe himself in any way he pleased IN
the brief biography which is printed in the
directory. but that he could not appear as a
Republican in other places in the directory
without the sanction Of the chairman of the
Republican caucus.
Straightway To Colonel Hepburn did Mr. Por
ter wend his way. Colonel Pete" who Is A man
of long memory, especially for his enemies and
his defeats, told Mr.. Porter in emphatic terms
that he was no Republican" Jimmie Wads-
worth was the straight Republican candidate
He was a fine gentleman and man Of high
standing in his party" said the colonel while
you ran as an Independent and received the in
dorsement of the Democratic convention"
HEPBURN OBDURATE.
To this Mr.. Porter replied that the figures Of
the last election in his district showed on their
face that he must have received over 5000 Re
publican votes; that matter of fact he was
elected almost entirely by Republican votes as
while he received the Democratic Endorsement
and his name was printed under their emblem
on the ballot, IT also printed under the title
Independent Republican" with the bovine en-
blem, and his district was normally Republican
by a large majority; that Wadsworth's attitude
toward the meat inspection bill and his opposi-
tion to President Roosevelt had made the Re-
publicans considerably more anxious TO defeat
WadsWOrth than were the Democrats to elect
him, Porter, who had been n Republican all his
life, who had never cast Democratic vote in
his life who had been "A lifelong acquaintance
and admirer Of President Roosevelt and had en-
tered the with the Presidents encourage
nent and whose wife was n sister of Mrs
Hughes, wife of the Republican Governor of
New York. Mr.. Porters arguments fell on deaf
ears however, for despite his familiarity with
COWS he didn't know the tale.
AS Colonel Pete's' word goes. the clerk of
the House obliged to enumerate Peter A.
Porter in the official list of the House. and this
despite the fact that Representative Sherman
chairman of the Congressional committee
listed Porter's election as a Republican victory
There have been previous Congresses i'm which
there were several variations in the description
of members. including Prohibitionists. Social
Democrats. Populists, etc, but this year there
is but one maverick" and that is the Hon
Peter A Porter Representative of the 34th
New York Congress District.
AS soon as John Sharp Williams. chairman of
the Democratic caucus, learned of Mr. Porter's
predfcament he wrote n nice note to the new
member inviting him to join the Democratic
caucus but Mr. Porter replied that he was a
Republican first last and all the time. and that
even the decision of "the omnpotent gentle
man from Iowa could not make him Demo-
cratic although he appreciated Mr.. Williams's
! courtesy.
WHAT PORTER DIDN'T KNOW.
And now for the tale which Mr.. Porter should
have known.
Colonel Pete Hepburn is a little sensitive
on the subject of Independent Republicans"
and as has been said before. he has long
! 1nemt,r., Back in 1886, there an Inde-
pendent Republican in the Colonel's district
The colonel laughed him and assured
! his friends that the Republicans of his district
Continued on second page.