Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-15
BULL MOOSERS ARE
SPLIT ON FUSION
Some Think Mccormick Should
Show His Sincerity For Reform
by Withdrawing Himself
LEWIS MEN ARE CHESTY
Believe Their Candidate Would Be
a Better Fusion Nominee
Than the Harrisburger

Men who led the Progressive party
in this State in 1912 are showing a
decided dissemination to turn their or
ganization into a tail to the Demo-
cratic kite and some of the friends of
William Draper Lewis have suggested
that instead of the dean retiring Vance
c. Mccormick should prove his desire
to defeat the Republicans by getting
OFF the Democratic ticket and allowing
Lewis to be the fusion candidate for
Governor. Mccormick has all along
been proclaiming that he is in the fight
for principle and not for personal
power, just as he did when he took
part In the reorganization of the
Democratic party, and, recalling how
he agreed upon himself to run for
Governor. the Lewis people are in
clined to allow him to prove his sim
cerity and disinterestedness by getting
out of the race himself.
Dean Lewis yesterday left his friends
in Philadelphia discussing the situa-
ton and went off to resume his cam
paign, speaking in Carbon county and
invading Lehigh To-day he is at the
big Progressive reunion in Lehigh and
his line of procedure does not look
much like fusion. In fact, it is init
mated pretty strongly in Philadelphia
that the dean does not think he should
be sacrificed for McCormick's am
bition. The friends of Lewis say that
he is the man because of ability and
singleness of purpose who should be
chosen as the fusion candidate for
Governor rather than Mccormick, who
is already handicapped by a record
of bossism and a fat "kampaign kitty"
In addition to hard times sweeping
the Sixteenth Congressional district
caused chiefly by the change of ad-
ministration from
r e p u b lean to
Democratic policies. Northumberland
the latter party Patronage Has
leaders have been Made Trouble
instrume n t i in
causing much dis
satisfaction, notably in the matter of
patronage. Congressman John Lesher,
who chiefly handed out the plums in
northumberland, Montour, Columbia
and Sullivan counties, is being round
ly condemned by disappointed aspir-
ants who have vowed to work against
his candidacy for reelection with all
the power they can develop. Friends
of eX-Judge Clinton Savidge are also
particularly grieved over his defeat
for the Democratic Congressional
nomination in this district and they
feel Lesher should be defeated for the
good of the party. His Republican
opponent, Charles Robins, Mt. Car
mel, is losing no chance furthering
what he and his large army of follow
ers believe is the best chance in a
long time to have the district turn
into Republican control. In many
years it was only held twice by Re-
publican Col i-gressmen-Monroe H.
Kulp, Shamokin, and once by DR.. e.
w. Samuel, Mt. Carmel.
The fusion emissaries were busy
yesterday. Farmer" Greasy left the
speaking caravan to pull some wires
and Bull Moose leaders
from various parts of
Wire Pulling the State went down
Goes On All to record their senti-
Over State ments with State Chair
man DIETRICH so that
they could be trans-
mitted to the bigger bosses. Some of
the leading men up the State fear that
fusion would mean the wiping out of
the Washington party and that if the
Democratic bosses got control of the
State government the Bull Moosers
would be left high and dry. The very
life of the Washington party is at
stake and as Finn and some others
have made large investments in it
some are curious to see if they want
to throw them away. Men acquainted
with the personality of Mccormick
are against fusion.
A Washington dispatch on fusion
says: Colonel Roosevelt is engaged
in finding a way out of making cam
paign speeches in Penn
sylvania this fall. Pro-
gressive members of the Greasy and
House from the Keystone Palmer are
State are convinced of Hard At It
this fact and pressure is
being brought to bear on
the Colonel to change his mind.
Bull Moosers here say the Coloners
cancellation of his Scranton engage
ment is fair warning what they may
expect. 1t is their belief that Colonel
Roosevelt does not want to antagonize
Republicans of the keystone State and
believes the best thing he can do is to
find 1t convenient to not include Penn.
sylvania in his speaking itinerary
William T. Greasy, candidate for
lieutenant Governor on the Demo-
cratic ticket in Pennsylvania, is carry
ing on negotiations with the Washing
ton party looking to fusion on the gov
ernorship. Representative A. Mitchell
Palmer, senatorial candidate, ii is un-
derstood, is working through Greasy
to bring about q coalition of the Demo-