Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-30
BIGELOW QUITS
JOB ON REQUEST
Continued from Page One

J Continued from Page One
| Republican State Committee in Pitts
burgh, in September of last year, refused
| TO permit an Endorsement of the Tener
| administration to be included in the Re
| publican State platform because Of
| 'Bigelowism," as the State Highways
scandal was known, This was the first
time In the recent history of the Republi-
/ can party in Pennsylvania that the re-
| firing Republican administration was not
! indorsed
Charges of the use OF his Office for
political purposes and of exorbitant cost
| of constructing and maintaining the high
ways OF the State were made during Bige-
| lows term of office and the scandal"
was considered so serious a blot upon the
Tener administration by the Republican
leaders that they refused TO ndOrse pub
licly that administration because of 1t.
"BECAUsE OF BIGELOW."
Senator Penrose's refusal to indorse the
Tener administration was made in the
Fort Pitt Hotel at a conference attended
by Senator Penrose Doctor Brumbaugh
and the Republican leaders who We're
drafting the Republican State platform.
When the draft was completed, Governor
Brumbaugh is said to have asked Senator
Pcnrose why no Endorsement of the Tener
administration was included.
Because of Blgelow," answered PEN
rose.
Doctor Brumbaugh, all during his cam
paign, was negotiating for the retirement
of Biselow before election but the oliver
faction in Allegheny County which placed
Bigelow in office as State Highway Com
missioner, blocked hts efforts.
Doctor Brumbaugh, after the Williams
Grove meeting last September and in the
presence OF Senator Penrose. asked Gov
ernor Tener TO request Bigelow's reslgna-
tion.
Governor Tener at that time refused,
probably because of the fact that he was
retiring as chief executive of Pennsyl-
vania without the Endorsement of his
administration by the Republican lead
ers.
Three weeks before election, however,
Governor Tener is said 10 have request
ed BigeloW's resignation. IL was to have
been received a few days before election,
so that the Republican State machines
skirts would be eleansed OF the blot OF
''Bigelowism" before the vote for United
| States Senator and Governor was cast
| on November 3,
This plan was never carried out, how
ever, and since his election Governor
Brumbaugh has gone ahead with his
plans for reorganizing the State High
way Department and the State highway
system ON the basis Of the elimination
/ OF Bigelow.
Bigelow would have resigned several
weeks ago. il was said today. had he
not been seriously m recently. He Is far
/ from well now, but his resignation at this
/ time is the result OF a direct request
| from Governor Brumbaugh. who Needed
/ the pleas OF county leaders for an early
start on road repair work.
APPOINTED IN 1911
Edward NJ. BigeloW was appointed
Highway Commissioner on June /. 1911,
By Governor Tener. He had previously
been Highway Commissioner Of Allegheny
/ County and had the support Of the then
powerful oliver faction in Allegheny
County.
During his term Of Office charges have
been continually made against bis ad-
mlnlstralion. lie has been accused of
uslns lha power q the state HlrhWs :
I usanl 1zz.aut for pnlIllcal pufnoses ana ~