Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-28

fine speaker. He speaks right out. He is a
fine fellow. Everybody likes him
Penrose first came into general notice as
Matt Quays man. AS a young man ne
entered politics a business. He went
into il to master all it's ntricacies Just as
a young fellow learns to be a shoemaker
or blacksmith. He soon saw that Quay
had the key to the keystone state, ana
he stuck close to Quay. Through Quays
influence he got into state politics: He
went to the lower house of the legislature
and afterward to the state senate. Then
in 1895 he made his first squirt for some
thing worth the while. He had the back
ing of Quay and the ward combine for
the republican nomination for mayor OF
Philadelphia. The plan was apparently
fixed with F'Dave" Martin. then the
political boss of the city. Penrose went
he would be the next mayor of Philadei-
pha, but he awoke the next morning. like
Byron, to find himself famous-some might
! use the other word. Throughout the city
were posters denouncing him from moral
| viewpoint. The story was thus told by
! the Philadelphia Press:
Some six weeks before the nominating
| convention disquieting rumors began to
| pass from lip to lip among men whose &C
| tivity in republican politics does not
| usually 60 beyond voting their party
| ticket Republican leaders and men of in
! fluence An party councils had warning
/ from sources which could not be ignored
| of grave charges which would be made
against him. and We're urged to keep him
I
| challenge public sentiment and thus take
| the risk of turning the chief republican
/ city over to the democracy on the verge
/ Of a presidential year The clergymen be-
! gan to speak warnings publicly from the
/ pulpit
| suddenly as the time for the nomination
! drew near. the republican leaders We're one
! morning confronted with a warning poster
/ staring down at the people from every
| dead wall and billboard in the city signed
! by over 200 of the most respected and
/ influential citizens of Philadelphia. All
| of them We're republicans, hundreds of
/ them We're clergymen, being a majority of
| the clerGymen having congregations in
| Philadelphia.
This was followed by the celebrated
/ laZaretto' poster, stuck up with equal
! publicity. 1t had the signatures of 1920
| of the wives and daughters of Philadel-
! phia's leading citizens including in the
| list representatives of the Women Civic
| Club, the Christian Endeavor societies and
| the women most prominent in church and
| charitable work. 1t declared qHaran-
| tine against this nomination., and the pur-
| pose publicly proclaimed that II II
! was persisted in. a public mass meeting
| would be held in the Academy Of Music
| and an Independent candidate put In the
| field"
Dave" Martin dropped Penrose and
! Charles F. Warwick was nominated FOR
| mayor in his place. Quay was furious and
| in his rage put the dollar-mark on Martin.
| + y
| At the time of that election Penrose was
state senator. He went back to the legis-
| lature and, with Quay at his back. made
| war on the combination that had brought
! about his downfall. He began an investiga.
| ton of the city government and called fol
a committee to investigate the councilmen
| In a city like Philadelphia, which has beer
| the prey of looters who could give cards anG
| spades to Tammany Hall in It's palmies
,,al, tioat inn mt
| deal. There was the municipal building
that cost the people 25,000,O0O, and today
, stands as one of the most stupendous monu-
| rnents to graft that the world has ever
! known There was Penrose posing re.
| former. But he did not appear long in this
| role, for harmony was restored, and Mar
| tin Warwick and Penrose met In the eXecu
| tive mansion at Harrisburg vita Gov. Has
| tings as peacemaker.
| In 1897 an effort was made by one wing
of the republican party in Pennsylvania tc
| elect John Wanamaker to the United State.
| Senate. Quay promised to support him
| In reality, the movement aimed a
Quay. and was led by such men as Thomas
Dolan. c. C. Harrison and Rudolph Blan
kenburg of Philadelphia. The willy boss o
Pennsylvania. while pretending to favor
| Wanamaker, suddenly shifted to Penrose
! who was selected by vote of 1873 to 10
At that time 1t was openly charged thai
| Wanamaker's defeat was brought about b!
| the corporations which, it. was said, Quay
| invoked to come to his aid. State Senator
| William Finn was reported saying. afte
| the caucus that every corporation In tn,
| state was for Penrose. and that millions o
| dollars had been spent for his election
| Several members of the legislature WIFI
| were said TO have given written and verba
| promises to support Wanamaker voted fo
| Penrose.
| Since Quays death Penrose has kept up
| stubborn fight against the ant-Penrose re
| pubicans to control the state. In some re
spects he is a good politician. but he doe
| not possess the shrewdness, the clevernes
| nor the all-around ability Of the late Sena
| tor Quay Penrose is inclined to make enc
| mics. He has the reputation of seldom
keeping an engagement, which is bad for
| politician. In his reception room the othe
day at Philadelphia, an anxious group o
members OF the state legislature We're await
| ing his arrival.
1.-THE senator Is in town." was the smil
ing assurance of the clerk who sat at
small side table between two telephone
like a Chinese god propped up between
joss sticks. The senator is in town." h