Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-11-02
EVENING Chat

| LEVENlNG CHAI
The political campaign which closes
mere tonight possesses more than the
usual interest for Harrisburg, which is
saying something, considering the fact
that this is the State capital and a
change of administration has a mighty
erect upon an official center For the
nrSt time in many years, probably the
very hrst time, Harrisburg has candi-
dates for two of the major offices to
be elected. and for the first time in
nIty years has q candidate for Gov
ernor, and the first time in probably
seVenty-five years candidate for the
highest court in the State. Much home
pride activity has been manifested,
that In behalf of Judge Kunkel being
notaple Tor its nonpartisan character
IN tact, never has any Harrisburg can
dluate for anything received the whole
souled support that has been rendered
the judge by those who know him best
Judges Simonton, Mcpherson and
weiss were rendered in years gone by
What amounted to nonpartisan cleo
tlons because they were on practically
all tickets, but never has the electorate
OF Dauphin county manifested as
much zeal in behalf of q candidate.
Inc men who bitterly opposed him in
the memorable campaign of eleven
years ago are his most ardent hackers
ana men OF every walk In life have
Deen doing what they could to spread
beyond the borders of the county the
popularity of Kunkel. Justice John
Stewart, of Chambersbufg, was elected
some years ago by votes of nearly all
parties and may be said to have been
the first real Supreme Court nonparti-
san election. He received throughout
n a Sfnt 4. a
sincere support, despite the fact that
he had no contest in sight that has
been accorded Judge Kunkel by his
nelghbors and which has been extend
ed by men without regard to political
faith in the siXty-siX other counties of
the State. EX-Mayor Mccormick, on
the other hand, has been a purely
partisan candidate. and both his own
campaign and those waged against
him have been typical. The situation
presents some interesting phases for
the man who likes to study elections.
Speaking of Judge Kunkel, Colonel
Henry G. Demming said the other
evening: Il hope the people of this
State realize what a man they have
in Kunkel. When l was in France
four years ago found French LAWYERS
knew OF him because of the unusual
record he made in the Capitol cases.
lie was of as much interest as the
cases."
1t might be said, too, that this is the
first gubernatorial campaign in many
years in which the parade and the
meeting have been so frequent In the
last four State elections there were
meetings held and parade or so, but
this year there have been more mass
meetings held by the various parties
known civ u 4.
campaign and at times the demon
strations nearly approached those of
presidential years. The parades, in
stead of being the perfunctory turning
out of club for a walk around, were
something like the old-time parades,
although not as extensive as those OF
presidential years. 1t has been said
that parading is one of the lost arts
of campaigns, but we are threatened
with revival of that picturesque ad-
junct of campaign.
The Capitol just now presents the
usual ante election appearance and in
every department only those men and
women who live in Harrisburg are to
be found attending to business Some
of the departments were frankly closed
up to-day and all will be shut down D
as they say on The "Hill," tomorrow,
with exception of the State police and
1ealtn departments, where there are
people on duty every hour of the day
and night. It's funny how the people
who have no connection with the State
government or who are connected with
parties which are desirous of breaking
into the Safe pay roll always refer to
the exodus of placeholders about cleo
ton time. One would imagine from
some TO the shocked expressions of
these persons that not even the eXi-
Sencies of strenuous campaign would
call the Pennsylvania officeholder from
his duty for election, entirely for
getting the fact that it is in reward for
political services, nine times out of
ten, that gets the man the job. More
over, one of the loudest complainers
about absenteeism on the "Hill' Just
now can generally be found to be the
man who once held a job there or
who wants to get there. And it might
be remarked that absence from desks
around election time characterized
Democrats in the days of the Pattison
administration just as 1t has marked
the department of men connected with
the stalwart Republican admins
trations and of the Bull Moose domi-
nation of the fiscal departments now.
Some of the complainers might also
be referred to the conduct of office
holders under the Roosevelt, Taft and
Wilson administrations for illumi-
nation as to the way they COMFORT
themselves in a larger official circle
than Harrisburg