Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-23
SPEAK KERSH|P IS
EAGERLY SOUGH7 7
Friends of the Candidates Are Co.
ing Through the State to Sc
cure Members Votes
PENROSE MAKES STATEMENT
Says He Has No Candidate and
Will Not Be Drawn Into it;
Palmer Gets Peevish

Candidates for the speakership of
the next House of Representatives ap-
pear to have taken it for granted that
it is to. be fight to the finish and are
making strenuous efforts to secure the
pledges of members elect. The ap-
pearance of Charles A. Amber in the
field has had the effect of stirring up
partisans of upstate men and il is
possible that more may enter the con-
test. None of the men who entered
the race the last six weeks has given
the slightest intimation of withdraw
ing.
The various candidates will open
headquarters in this city on New
Years day and will get to work on the
incoming members who do not happen
to be pledged. 1t is predicted that
large proportion of Republicans will
elect to remain unpledged until they
reach the city.
Senator Penrose yesterday added
some interesting comments to the sit
uation and made it plain that he was
not committed to the candidacy of
anyone. The senator said: II can
only reiterate / am not committed to
any candidate for Speaker and know
of no agreement by any considerable
number of members of the House
upon any candidate. The contest is
still an open one and it may be diff
cult to pick the winner until the men,
bers get together in Harrisburg for the
Republican caucus. All the candidates
are friends of mine and up to date
| there is no reason why / should inter-
fere in the contest"
Governor elect Brumbaugh yes
terday received a delegation of MEM
| bers of the Civil Service Reform Asso-
citation of Pennsylvania and assured
them he favors their project for a
Statewide civil service law. He made
it clear that he would advocate u sem
sible and practical act, not mere
theoretical measure, and that it must
be framed not only to protect the
State but to be fair to the individual.
The name of Alexander Simp-
son. Jr., eminent Philadelphia lawyer.
has been submitted by n number of
lawyers to Governor elect Brumbaugh
for appointment as Attorney General.
James Scarlet. of Montour county,
special counsel in the State Capitol
prosecutions, has also been proposed
| for this honor
George w. Gillespie, road COM
| missioner of Allegheny county, has
been recommended to the Governor
elect for State Highway Commissioner
| to succeed f. NJ. Bigelow. of the same
county. and so has William Cornell,
CnleI Oh highways OF Hnllauelpnla.
Congressman A. Mitchell Palmer
| became peeved yesterday at the man.
ner in which Senator Penrose had held
up the post office appointments which
have been protested, especially in Sus-
| quehanna and Monroe counties, and
| issued q statement in which he de-
| nounced the senator. Inasmuch as the
| senator has managed to expose some
| Democratic chicanery. the statement
| of Palmer is rather sharp. 1t will
probably have as much effect as Pal
mers speeches in the last campaign.
| The members of the Central
| Democratic Club will fight out their
| differences over the vice. presidency
and the house committeeship tonight
The contest is one of the most bitter
In years and all the animosities of the
late campaign are expected to crop up
| Officers Of the club have been en-
| deavoring to smooth down the fuss.
| The appointment of John Kehoe
as postmaster of Pittston was con-
frmed yesterday by the Senate. Ke-
hoe is one of the men whose selection
! led to the troubles of the Democracy
in Luzerne.
| -Senator-elect e. w. Patton left
Philadelphia councils yesterday after
a service of thirty years.