The Washington herald., 1914-09-23
Pennsylvania Political Comedy.

1
The "unbossed citizens" of Pennsylvania hav,
been so impressed with their nightmare of bossisn
that they have succumbed to it as the only way the,
can assert their opposition to it. 1t may be the ole
tradition in Pennsylvania that the bosses rule ha.
brought the various groups of the Embossed" tc
recognize the need of bosses or it may be Just the
innate humbug of the cry against political bosses
but whatever it is the Progressives, the Washing.
tonians and the Anti-Saloon League are now giving
the finest exhibition of boss rule and political trading
that can be found any movie stage.
Pennsylvania has Statewide primary law, Sc
cured through the agitation of the Embossed citizens
and the primaries were held several months ago
Senator Penrose renominated by the Republi-
cans, A. Mitchell Palmer his Democratic opponent
and Clifford Pinchot the Progressive candidate
for Senator The people did it. but unfortunately for
the Embossed Washingtonans, they appeared at the
primaries as a dissoving view with the prospect of
disappearing altogether election day.
The bosses of the Embossed then appeared and the
Washingtonian candidate for governor, nominated
by the Embossed people, has withdrawn in the in-
terest of the Democratic candidate who does not OBJ
ject to bosses. The Philadelphia Public Ledger, as
determined enemy of all bosses, denounces this
render of the Washingtonian candidate for governor
as a trick to defeat the Republican candidate and
loaded editorial advising all Embossed citizens vote
for A. Mitchell Palmer for Senator the only way
to defeat Boss Penrose The Ledger appears to be
earnest in the campaign as in the other, and
Cyrus Curtis never posed a humorist, either.
To add to the serious comedy of the Embossed
Pennsylvanans, Richard Quay, of the former boss
of all bosses, but a Progressive and Washingtonian
denounces Boss Flinns selling to the Democrats
as the most disgracefu political trick put
in Pennsylvania and young Quay has set about the
organization of independent party for the I'M
bossed
The comedy does not stop there Col Roose-
welt announces that he will go into Pennsylvania to
support the Democratic candidate for governor and
the Progressive candidate for Senator The Colonel
will, doubt. denounce the free-trade policies OF
the Democrats in the Senatorial campaign, and advo
cate free trade in the gubernatorial campaign op-
pose the free tolls policy OF the Democrats when he
presents Clifford Pinchot the Progressive puppet
on one knee and support free tolls he presents
the Democratic puppet the other. The Colonel
will make the Pennsylvania campaign look monster
Punch and Judy show.
But the show is not all in the big tent There are
numerous side shows, the principal one labeled the
Saloon League where the bossswallowing trick
is illustrated by convention Harrisburg on Thurs
day Accepting the report of the Embossed Public
Ledger the Embossed Anti-Saloon League convention
was bossed by Boss Finn and Boss Van Valken-
burg. with the assistance of Clifford Pinchots press
agent, and the result cut and dried previously
prepared platform put with steam roller meth
DDS that would make Frank Hitchcock blush over his
ignorance of steam rollers. The Anti-Saloon League
swallowed the Democratic candidate for governor
and the Progressive candidate for Senator with one
and the same movement of the esophagus sort Of
nigh ball OF good Democratic Pennsylvania liquor and
cold water-or Rooseveltian milk. The
moving picture men have been denied the privilege
IF accompanying the armies OF Europe but they ought
lot to be shut out of Pennsylvania There will be
,omedy enough there to make the world laugh in
spite of the great tragedies in Europe if the moving
picture men can only catch the spirit of the Embossed
actors in their Tghtning-ke changes