Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-01-18
DEMOCRATS HERE SEE
BIG ROW IN PROSPECT
Fireworks Display Starts as Fore
runner of Volcanic Eruption
In State Machine
BEAVER COUNTY is WARNED
Reoragnizer Leaders of That Dis
trict Receive Severe Jolt at
Hands of Voters

Democratic members of the Leg
islature gathered here to-day were
tremendously interested in the out
break against the ruling powers in
the State machine on the part of the
Beaver county Democratic commit
tee. For weeks there have been NUT
terings over the causes of defeat last
fall, the incapacity of the leaders who
had everything, including the ma
tional administration, in their favor
and the manner in which patronage
had been doled out. No one expected
Beaver county, which was a hotbed of
reorganizers, to break loose. But 1t
did and it has started the fireworks
that will blow out the present bosses
just as the men who ran the machine
years ago were rejected. 1t is about
time for the Pennsylvania Democracy
to rise in its might and furnish en-
tertainment.
In all probability there will be
similar reVolts in eastern counties and
the next three months should show
interesting manifestations of feeling
among the Democrats who are dis
appointed, disgusted and disheart
they call bossism.
At Beaver on Saturday the county
committee meeting was largely att
tended and besides serving notice upon
Arthur Mexican that they will no
longer recognize, support or have
any connection with him." gave notice
to s. ]. Schleiter, another of the big
Democratic leaders in the county, de-
manding that Mexican resign as post
master of Beaver Falls and that w.
A. Ketterer relinquish his appoint
ment as postmaster at Rochester.
While Mexican and Schleiter sat stol-
idly in their seats. the county commit
tee practically unanimously adopted
resolutions charging that they distri-
buted Federal patronage "seltishly,'
without regard to fitness. capability or
political standing and utterly in de-
fiance of the wishes of Democratic
voters. A resolution calling on A.
Mitchell Palmer to resign as national
committeeman and censuring Roland
S. Morris was offered. This resolu
there was a tumult of protest when
County Chairman Joseph !. Reno
declared it had fallen short of sufti-
cient votes to carry. Reno said after
ward he wanted to be fair to the State
leaders for the present" Whats
going on in this county, Reno added,
can be duplicated in any county in
the State among the Democrats. The
rank and file have been regularly af-
fronted and instead the selfish inter-
ests of leaders conserved. a worse
mess could not be imagined in the dis
tribution of Federal patronage than
that in Pennsylvania since President
Wilson entered the White House."
More post office appointments
were announced on Saturday night
and it is probable that the outbreaks
will start promptly. Z. +. Leininger
was named for Myerstown; Thomas ].
McClelland for Boswell; Robert Nc
Calmont at Franklin; w. w. Van
Eman at Grove City; J. Edwin Nc
Cam at Paoli, and r. Morgan Root
at Pottstown. They are still squab-
bling over the post offices at Phoenix
Vile and Scranton. When they are
filled more trouble will start.
The doors of the Democratic
State windmill were opened to-day
but few legislators entered. The
chances are that not much attention
will be given to the Legislature for a
while by the Democratic bosses.
Under new arrangements Phila-
delphias common council Will con-
tain eighty-seven men.
There are $50 post offices to be
filled in Pennsylvania and about $500
Democrats are after them.