Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-20
NEWEST FUSION PLAN
To RETIRE PALMER
Senator Penrose Indifferent to ANY
More of the Kind
Proposed
REPUBLICAN VICTORY SURE
Can Fuse or Stay Apart" Says
Candidate For All G. o. P.
Cares
REPUBLICAN VICTORY SURE

NdreS
Congressman Palmer, Democratic
nominee for United States senator, lie
willing that there should be fusion for
every Office but that to which he
aspires. Palmer, at the outset, wasn't
very enthusiastic over the idea of unit
ing the Progressives and the Demo-
Gratis on the State ticket this Fall,
knowing full we'll that hundreds OF
Democrats would refuse to support the
Roosevelt ticket and that the COM
| paratively few remaining Progressives
would hasten back into the Repub-
lican party rather than vote for men
who had deserted them in the hope
of contributing to Democratic success.
In the light of Colonel Roosevelt's
Pittsburgh speech, in which he re-
pudiated the Wilson administration
and flayed the Democratic party in
general, it is difficult to see how hard
shelled Progressives, who have fol-
lowed Roosevelt blindly ever since the
party was brought into being, could go
to the polls and vote for the con-
| tinuance of political policy that
Roosevelt himself has declared to be
ruinous to the country.
Palmer, more experienced politician
that he is, realizes this and wants to
stay out of the muddle. Mccormick,
desperate with the thought of defeat
after all his efforts and tremendous
expenditures of money, is willing to
accept anything that he thinks may
add few votes to his total. Finn,
hopeless, and looking for somebody on
whom to lay the blame for the ever
whelming defeat he sees ahead, is
willing that Mccormick should shoul-
der the responsibility and the expense
of the campaign.
1t would cost Finn a pretty penny
to finance the ProgressiVes this Fall
and 1t seems not unlikely that he
would be willing to have Mccormick S
millions used to defray the cost, es-
peclally since he and everybody else
who has given any attention to con-
ditions in Pennnsylvania know that the
progressive party is on the rocks and
growing smaller every day.
Will Widen Breach
tuslon would only widen the breach
that already exists in the Democratic
party and might result in the placing
of a second Democratic ticket in the
ileld. Such move would unquestion-
ably cause widespread dissatisfaction
among the Democrats of Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh and Palmer is wise
enough to know this. Consequently
he is willing to let the other fellows
have all the fusion they want, while
ne stands pat as an out-and- out Demo-
crat.
Senator Penrose yesterday in a for
mai statement commenting upon the
proposed fusion deal between the
democrats and the Washington party
leaders expressed indifference to any
program they may agree upon.
the latest proposition provides for
q - eaNuFs,l .1f A
Del--Scratic nominee for United States
senator, and the retirement of William
Draper Lewis, Washington party nom
NEE for Governor, making possible a
ticket headed by Clifford Pinchot,
washington party, for United States
senator and Vance G. Mccormick
Democrat, for Governor, the other
later.
This proposition is predicated upon
suggestion that Vance C. McCor-
mick, Democrat, shall finance the
washington party, as we'll as the
democratic party, and thereby relieve
William Finn as the financial backer
OF the Bull Moose movement
1t is said that Palmer has seen the
handwriting on the wall and is per-
fectly willing to get out of the race
TO save himself from certain defeat
1t is also hinted that he expects a fed
eral appointment of some magnitude
shortly.
Penrose on Fusion
Senator Penrose in his statement in
part said:
II view the fusion proposition with
Indifference. They can fuse or stay
apart, as they may choose, as far as
the Republican party is concerned.
The Republican campaign is being
pressed effectively and vigorously
without regard to what the others
are doing. The anti-Palmer and anti
administration sentiment is so intense
and the disintegratlon of the Wash
ington party so complete that fusion
would be a rope of sand
The Republican ticket will be
elected by an enormous plurality and
a majority over all, in any event. If
the proposition were of sufficient i'm
portance to justify any notice or
comment on the part of Republicans
1t might be sufficient to say that fu-
sion would absolutely be machine poll
tics and bossism in extreme form and
at variance with the spirit of the
popular primaries and utterly incon-
sistent with the protestations of the
Washington party leaders.
THE people voted for certain can
didates at the popular primaries to
be placed on the Democratic and
Washington party tickets. They have
not given anyone power of attorney
to reverse this action or to take can
didates off or put them on. Such Sc
cret deals of politicians are certainly
In violation of the spirit of popular
primaries and are Illustrations of the
popular will, which has decreed that
certain candidates shall run.
However, as the Democratic ticket
was framed down in Washington un-
der boss orders from the White House
and the rank and file of the Demo-
cratic voters were given no voice in
its selection, and as the Washington
party ticket was framed by Finn
without any consultation with the
rank and file, 1 suppose a machine
deal like fusion would only be in har-
mony with the previous performances
Moreover, the Washington party
leaders have been going up and down
the country proclaiming at the top of
their voices that their integrity and
virtue shall not be contaminated by
association with either of the old par
ties.
"If they have repudiated anything
they have repudiated any such alli-
ances. OF course, fusion is entirely in
consistent with these protestations and
will disgust everybody who is left, in
that party.
The mere talk of fusion is the best
evidence of the hopelessness of the
opposition and is one of the arguments