Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-06
Anti Penrose Resolution Turns Out
to Have Prongs on Many
Sides Nowadays
PALMER BADLY TRIMMED
Election of Casey as His Successor
Was Against His Wishes and
His Candidate

tion of Senator Boies Penrose who was
chosei. senator by plurality of some
thing like a quarter million votes,
were mighty quiet to-day when they
learned that there was provision in
the Senate resolution for the probe"
which would include their own partys
gilden campaign. Some of the Demo-
Gratis who had read the way the Sen
ate committee on elections had
amended the resolution saw a chance
for Mr.. Penrose and his friends to use
the artillery planned against the Sen
ator to shell the Democratic camps
In Clinton and other counties where
there have been charges made regard
ing the expenditures and methods of
the adherents of A. Mitchell Palmer
and Vance C. Mccormick. 1t will be
recalled that the State rang with
charges made against the primary
methods of the Democratic machine
and there should be some good hunt
ing unoer the Penrose resolution.
"A Washington dispatch says: "The
Senate Committee on Privileges and
Elections to-day voted to report ia
vorably to the Senate the resolution
of Senator George w. Norris of Ne
braska, calling for an investigation
of the primary and general elections
in Pennsylvania and other States.
Senator John w. Kern, of Indiana,
chairman of the committee, said he
would make the report to the Senate
at its next meeting Monday. If an
investigation is ordered a probe of
the election in Indiana, Alabama,
South Dakota and California, in addi-
ton to Pennsylvania and Illinois, will
be asked when the resolution is con-
sidered At to-day's meeting of the
committee the resolution was amended
to read as follows:
Resolved, that the Committee on
Privileges and Elections of the Senate
be, and hereby is authorized, empow-
cred and directed to make an investi-
cation for the purpose of ascertaining
the expenditure of money made by
candidates and other persons, commit
tees, organizations, corporations and
associations in the nomination of can
didates for the United States Senate
at the primary elections recently held
in the State of Pennsylvania and IL
linois. and such other States, and in
any other States where such evidence
is presented to said committee, as in
their judgment will warrant such an
investigation The resolution further
directs that the same investigation and
recommendations be made in regard
to the collection and expenditure of
funds in behalf of the election of the
candidates who were nominated at the
primaries "'
Senator Penrose said in discussing
the resolution last night: 1.-THE state
ments originally submitted to the
Senate Committee on Privileges and
Elections were intended solely for
campaign purposes. This object was
so apparent that members of the COM
mittee refused to consider them un-
til after election. There is no foun-
dation in these statements and so
far as am concerned, it makes
not tne slightest difference whether
or not there is an investigation.
From the beginning I have held
this position and l shall be satisfied
with any action the Senate may take
The election in Pennsylvania resulted
in such an overwhelming Republican
victory that the irresponsible utter
ances of defeated candidates are
hardly worthy of consideration. Ac-
cording to well-defined reports there
were flagrant abuses in the elections
in several States and I understand the
attention of the Senate will be called
to these reputed violations of the
law. In this way the investigation
may be extended to all the States
where Senatorial elections were held"
Next to the unexpected DEVELOPMENT
in the probe which was planned to
unhorse Penrose, but which may
cause many anxious weeks to Demo-
of the discredited Palmer Mccormick
machine in this section were talking
about the defeat administered to
Palmer in Congress, where he was
hailed by certain newspapers as the
personal representative of the Presi-
dent while ago. Reference was
made yesterday to the election of
John ]. Casey, of wilkes-Barre. to
the ways and means committee to sue
ceed Palmer over the Monroe coun-
uan's personal choice, John " Lesher
of Sunbury. 1t is believed in WASH
ington that this election marks the
real DOWNFALL of Palmer, Mccormick,
Morris, Blakslee and their ilk in Penn
sylVania Democracy. A Washington
dispatch says: ITO the so-called 'Old
Guard of Pennsylvania Democracy
belongs the chief credit of Casey's
victory and in achieving it the Wilkes
Barre man added new page to WAYS
and Means Committee history. Casey
is the first union labor leader ever to
gain seat in this a11-powerful COM
mittee and he is the third Pennsylva-
MIA Democrat thus honored. The first
Pennsylvania Democrat ever chosen
on the Ways ana Means Committee
was the late William L. Scott, of Erie,
and rather peculiar coincidence is
remarked because of the fact that
Michael Liebel, Jr.. an old Guard
e,
who will represent the old Scott dis
trict in the next Congress, is one of
the most potent leaders in the move
ment to bring about the election of
Casey. Mr.. Liebel, despite the fact
that he is a Wilson Democrat, was
openly opposed at the last election
by Mr.. Palmer and other reorganiza-
tion leaders, through their friends and
lieutenants in his district. Mr.. Liebel
has been here since Monday working
in Caseys behalf. Still another pecu-
liar old Guard coincidence is the
fact that in the caucus last night
Casey was placed in nomination by
Arthur G.. Dewalt, of the Lehigh-
Berks district, who was one of the
numerous Democratic leaders slated
for the political scrap heap by Mr..
Palmer and the reorganizer leaders"
William Finn left philadelphia
yesterday on his way to Florida and
the plan of forming a new progress
sfve party to catch the kickers at
municipal elections is under way in
earnest, but also under cover. Men
in several counties where there are
chronic insurgent movements have
been sounded out as to whether they
would care to align themselves with
party of protest again.
Organization was effected by the
Seventh Ward Progressive club at a