Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-03

Memorable Days In Political History
TO thc Editor Of the Evs~t~o Public Ledger:
Sir-The closing paragraph in the
latest OF Mr.. Chester 8. Lords remin.
iscences in the Saturday Evening Post
recalls to old timers the suspense Of the
country for two days following the
Cleveland; Blaine election in, 1884, ow-
ing, as Mr.. Lord says, to the holding
November 4. The next day New York
City went back to its usual routine, dis.
pensing with all further concern about
the election. For New York 1t was
settled.
ninety miles away, was plunged in Z
maze Of doubt Tor forty eight hours
or more with a street riot that might
have been more serious than II was. The
rooms Of the Pennsylvania Republican
State Committee in the United Repub-
lican Club at the corner Of Broad and
Chestnut streets, where the Girard
Trust Company now stands, adjoined the
old Americus Club, a leading Demo.
cratic political organization Of the day,
afterward the Turf Club. The United
Republican Club was founded and main.
tained BY ]. Donald Cameron in sup.
port Of bis candidacy in the Legislature
the following year for re election to the
United States Senate.
The proximity Of the two political
centers brought rival crowds under the
stress Of long waiting and suspense into
collision on Broad street on the second
night after the election, and in the re-
sulting melee shots were fred up at the
windows Of the Republican State Com
mittee, riddling a transparency. For.
tunately no one was injured.
Blaine was native son Of Pennsyl-
vania and the idol Of it's Republican
hosts. The State gave him a plurality
Of 1000 votes. the highest ever polled
up to that year for a State wide can.
didate. taking the lead of all other
New York State, outside the 1--WE
counties embracing the present metro
politan area of New York City, gave
Blaine q plurality Of GO 900. the next
highest in the country, except Kansas.
1t was the knowledge Of this immense
sweep in the State and the extraordi.
nary exertions to overcome 1t by ma.
chine built majorities in New York City
and Brooklyn that created the hesitancy
Of the Blaine managers to concede the
result. The lower end Of Kings County.
which includes Brooklyn, was under the
empire Of John y. McKane, popularity
called the Race Track King Of Coney
Island" Tammany boss and disci-
pie Of the oft quoted philosophy Of Bill
Tweed: "It makes no difference who .
poll the votes, so ! count them
There is little doubt after the span
Of years that the vote of New York in
the Cleveland Blaine election was
Mr.. Lord in his previous ar
ticle in the Saturday Evening Post men.
toned a prediction of Mr.. Blaine's that
he would be counted out In New York
even II he won. In Chauncey NJ. De-
pew's volume. my Memories Of Eighty
Years." on page 139. he says:
"There Ia no doubt that Mr.. Blaine
was elected in 1884" and he adds
hat he would "have been a victor ex-
,ept for transparent frauds in New
York"
Four years later. under the eye Of a
trained tactician, Matthew s. Quay, |
hen at the head Of the Republican Ma
.ional Committee. Kings County Topped !
1000 votes off the usual Democratic
cad in Coney Island. The specter of
,pen jail doors was held up to John Y.
IcKane and he wilted.
1t was the opportunity Of the writer,