Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-05


COL. w. II. ANDREWS.
Col w r. Andrews, secretary of the
Senate committee on postoffices and post
roads. and chairman of the republican
state committee of Pennsylvania, an init
mate friend and adviser of Senator Pen
rose. died in his apartments at the Port
land at s:15 o'clock this morning after an
Illness of three weeks. His death was
due to pneumonia.
Funeral services will be held al the
Portland at / O'Clock tomorrow after
noon. Rev. L. G.. b. Pierce, chaplain of
the Senate and the Rev DR.. Moore, pas
tor of the Foundry Methodist Episcopal
Church, will officiate The honorary pail
bearers will be Senators Penrose and
Oliver. Representatives Olmsted, Bling
ham, Dalzell, Bates and Cooper and other
members of the Pennsylvania delegation
in Congress.
Col. Andrews remains will be taken to
New York Monday morning by his
brother, +. H. Andrews, territorial dele
gate TO the House from New Mexico, to
be placed in the family vault.
In Politics Since 1856.
Wesley r. Andrews had been in poll
tics for over half a century. In the cam
paign of 1856 he was not old enough to
VOTE but he organized marching clubs
and made speeches for John c. Fremont,
the first presidential candidate of the re-
publican party. At that time he evinced
the characteristics which later distin-
guished him by Wasing energetic
campaign against the opposition. The
efficiency of his work was indicated by
an unprecedented majority for the repub-
lican ticket in the vicinity where he re-
sided. From that campaign, excepting the
years he served as "a Union soldier, he
was identified with Pennsylvania politics
as party worker, newspaper publisher
or official of the republican state commit
tee.
| Col. Andrews was native of PennsyI-
vania. He was born at Sugar Grove
Warren county, December %, 1897. His
mother died when he was nine years DID,
and a few years later he began to earn
| his own living. At the outbreak of the
| civil war he was engaged in the mer-
| camille business.
Enlisted in Union Army
| In April, 1861, he enlisted as a private
| in New York regiment, which was not
accepted. He again enlisted in 1862 in
another regiment for three years, and
later was commissioned first lieutenant
and regimental quartermaster. He served
with the Department of the Gulf until
compelled to return home because of Sc
rious illness. Shortly after he returned
| to Pennsylvania Gen. Lees forces crossed
the Potomac. Mr.. Andrews FASTENED to
| Harrisburg and from Gov. Curtin re-
| ceived permission to organize regiment
| of infantry.
| In Philadelphia he enlisted 700 men. in
| three days Before he could be mustered
| in as lieutenant colonel an order was is
sued by the War Department directing
| all officers and enlisted men to report to
| their regimental headquarters, and before
| he could return to Philadelphia the bat
| tie of Gettysburg had been fought and
New York city was in the hands of the
| mob. He reported to Maj. Gen Dix and
] was on duty in New York until the close
| of the war At the conclusion of his
| services he was highly cOmplimented by
| Mai. Gen. Sanford for his efficiency and
courage under many trying conditions pc
culiar to the situation.
Enters Newspaper Field.
| After the war Col Andrews again en-
| gagged in the mercantile business until
1884. when he established the Meadville
| Tribune Republican, a newspaper which
| commanded the respect and support of
the people of northwest Pennsylvania.
/ This newspaper he conducted with signal
| ability for many years.
/ Col. Andrews first became a conspicu-
Gus figure in Pennsylvania politics in
| 1898, when the opposition to Matthew
| Stanley Quay, under the leadership OF
| the late c. l.. Magee, Daniel II. Hastings
and David Martin sought to supplant
| Senator Quay in control of the republic
| can organization in the keystone state.
| In that notable contest Col. Andrews did
| effective work for Senator Quay. Quay
| won, and when elected chairman of the
| republican state committee had Col. An
] drews elected secretary of the committee
He retained that position until 1903 In
| the campaign of that year Senator Boies
| Penrose retired from the Craftsmanship
and Col. Andrews was elected chairman
| He had been at the head of the state
| committee ever since.
Meets Defeat in 1905
In 1905 the republican party in Pennsyl-
vania was defeated in a state election
for the first time since the election OF
| Robert E. Pattison as governor in 1890
| The republican candidate for state treas
| urer, j. Lee Plummer, was bitterly at
| tackled by the democracy, which had a
strong candidate, in William II. Berry.
| About ten days before the election came
| the sensational failure of the Enterprise
National Bank of Allegheny, followed by
| the suicide of its cashier The democrats
| instantly projected the banks failure as
| an issue into the campaign and ii proved
| effective. Berry carried fifty-one of the
SiXty-seven counties and was elected by a
| ajority of nearly 100000. State Chair
| man Andrews insisted that If he had been
| given a week longer he could have an
| swered the charges of the democrats.
turned the tide Of sentiment and elected
| Plummer
Col. Andrews personally was very popu-