Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-13
PRIMARIES IN PENNsYLvANIA
Both Parties Elect Delegates TO Ma
tiOnaI and state Conventions.


PHILADELPHIA, April 12-The primary
elections of all political parties in Pennsyl-
vania were held throughout the state today,
the polls closing at 5 last night. Each
party elected delegates to its national and
state conventions and nominated candidates
for congress and the legislature. In addi-
ton all of the sixty-seven counties and
nearly all the municipalities in the COM
monwealth named candidates for various
minor offices.
The last republican state convention hav-
ing endorsed United States Senator Knox
for the presidential nomination there were
no contests in the party over the presi-
Dental preference, but there was numerous
sharp skirmishes over the individuals who
will make up Pennsylvania delegation to
Chicago. h,
There was fight in many sections OF
the state in the democratic party over the
question of whether the delegation to the
Denver convention shall be instructed for
w. j.. Bryan. or shall so to the convention
without instructions. Democratic National
Committeeman James NJ Guffey of Pitts
burg is opposed to instruoting the delega-
tion while other prominent men in the
organization among them State Treasurer
William Berry, have been quite active in
instruct the delegates for Bryan. The re-
turns tonight are late and scattered and
give no indication of what the state conven-
tion may do.
The hottest fight OF the day was over
the nomination of candidates for both
houses OF the legislature. Only five sena-
tors (half of them) and a full house (207
members) 20 be elected in November
Local option appeared TO be the paramount
issue and there were spirited contests in
every section of the state. The next legfs-
lature will elect new United States sena-
tor and Senator Boise Penrose whose term
will expire next March, is a candidate for
reelection. Some of the independent re-
publican leaders had announced that they
would oppose his candidacy and in conse-
quenoe the senator's return to Washington
was an issue in some sections Of the state.
The primaries in Philadelphia passed off
quietly. The hardest fights were in sew
eral wards where the republicans were split
into several factions. With few exceptions,
however, the republican slated candidates
for congress. national and state delegates
were elected and the slated candidates for
legislature nominations were successful.
The democrats slated candidates for con-
gress were also nominated, but there we're
many fights over national and state dele
gates. Among those who were elected as
republican national delegates from Phila-
delphia are United States Senator Penrose,
ex-lnsurance Commissioner Israel Durham
and Senator james P. MeNichols.
PIrTsBURG, Pa. April l2.-Colonel ]. NJ.
Guffey, national committeeman and leader
of the democratic party in Pennsylvania,
when seen last night, said:
From information l have received from
over the state. the delegates elected at to-
days primaries to the state convention, to
be held in May. absolutely insures an un-
instructed delegation from Pennsylvania to
the Denver convention, and rightly So"
Pennsylvania can deliver no votes in the
electoral college and should be left free
to Join in the choice OF a candidate deemed
available by the states that elect demo-
cratic presidents.