Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-04
HUMES FALLS DOWN
As An ORGANIZER
Efforts of Western Pennsylvania
Democrat to Form a Legisla-
tive Machine Failure
SOMEONE ELSE WILL TRY 1T
State Chairman Morris Worried
Over the Outlook; Post Office
Appointment Rows

| Just seven of the forty-one Demo-
cratic members of the House of Rep
resentatives foregathered with e.
Lowry Humes. United States district
attorney for the western district of
| Pennsylvania, this week when he. ar
ranged q meeting to furnish the
Democratic State organization with a
legislative program. Fourteen are
said to have been urgently invited to
attend the meeting, but only seven
appeared. Humes has been here off
and on since the session started and
because of his experience last session
was picked out by the leaders as the
man to attempt galvanization of the
Democratic machine.
For weeks there has been dissatis-
faction manifested over the failure of
the Democrats in the Legislature to
make themselves felt and this has
been added to the troubles piled on
the plate of Democratic State Chair
man Roland S. Morris and National
Committeeman A. Mitchell Palmer be-
cause of the manner in which they
have been filling post offices, especially
in the western part of the State. Nor
ris is said to have desired to get some
action in the Legislature to remove
the cause of criticism, to stir UP in
terest so that he could pass the hat
more successfully for the payment of
campaign and to furnish some cam
paign thunder.
The selection of Humes was un-
fortunate. He was unpopular with
some of the Democrats last session be-
cause of his constant desire to stay in
the limelight and this session he was
not only without influence because he
was not a member and had few real
friends but had the handicap of being
the appointee to q well-paying office.
According to the story told here,
Humes was so chagrined at his failure
to round up more than seven members
at O hotel near the Capitol that he
did not unfold his legislative program
and went home without calling up
Morris at Philadelphia. Whether he
will come here or not Is unknown, but
the leaders are determined to make
some noise, and they may pick a more
successful manager. 1t Is presumed
that the Democrats will try to make
charitable appropriations their cause
of complaint.
Among visitors to the city yes
terday was ex-senator Donald P Nc
Pherson, of Gettysburg who was
prominent in legislative affairs six or
eight years ago. The Senator takes
an active interest in public affairs and
is considered by many as the most
available candidate for Judge in his
district this Fall.
Revenue Collector Fritz Kirken-
dali has designated Scranton as his
revenue district capital. although he
lives in Wilkes-Barre. Ben Davis will
keep his headquarters at Lancaster
Friends of Warren VanDyke are
wondering how he is to be rewarded
for the part he took in the last cam
paign. They expected he would be
named to the place beyond a doubt.
No explanation of the Davis appoint
ment has been made.
The appointment of w. A. Nc
Adoo as postmaster at Kittaning is
another illustration of the ability of
noisemakers to get something from
the Democratic bosses. McAdoo has
been noisy reorganizer and for years
bucked everyone that could not give
him anything.
Trouble has started in the Demo-
cratic machine in Washington county
over the appointment of the post
master for Washington and other
places announced yesterday. II is said
that some protests will be made.
With tonight A. Mitchell Pal
mer term as Congressman ends and
while he Will remain as national COM
mitteeman. some profess to see the be-
ginning of his end as distributor of
patronage in Pennsylvania.
The Prohibition State committees
bill for district prohibition instead of
local option is due to be presented in
the House next week and it is said
that Representative Don Gingery, of
Clearfield county, will be asked to in
troduce it. The bill is somewhat diff
ferent from the prohibition bills which
the committee has sponsored in re-
cent years in that 1t will provide a
means for the voter to say whether a
ward or township shall be dry. The
idea is to have line printed at the
bottom of each ballot for expression
of opinion whether the voter is in fa-
vor of prohibition. No provision is
made for a change in case a district
once goes wet" 1t stays that way.
The general plan is for the line to be
printed on ballots every two years.