The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-23
Frankly Tell Him They
Will Not Support
Him In His Local
Option Fight
CONFERENCE IN
THE MANSION
Republican Organization Chieftains At
titude Is Taken to Mean That They
Are at the Parting of the Ways
With Brumbaugh


created to confer with Governor Brum'
baugh eoncering legislation contained
in his personal platform, met at the
executive mansion last night, as has
been it's custom every Monday evening,
the most important matter taken up
was the one closest to the Governor
heart, that of local option. When the
men got together Governor Brum-
baugh is said to have asked the Sen
atorial leaders where they stood on To-
cal option. Senator MeNichol very
frankly told the Governor that he had
committed himself to oppose it long
ago, and Senator Sproul announced that
he is against it.
Before the election I was pledged
against local OPTION said Senator Me
Nichol, "and' l propose to stand by my
pledge"
The Governor very insistently stat
ed that he wanted to know whether
they were for him or against him in
the local option fight, and asked Sena-
tor Crow, who is the chairman of the
Republican State Committee, whether
he would not endeavor, even though he
is against the bill personally, to secure
Governor that he did not propose to
coerce any members one way or the
other upon the measure, and he added
that he hoped ''no one else would,
either. -
He was asked whether he did not
think that his course in opposing the
bill would influence the members from
Fayette, but this he denied, saying that
all of the members of the House had
been elected either for or against local
option last November and he did not
believe that any one had right to in
terfere with them at this time.
Parting of the Ways
Governor Brumbaugh declared that
he had sounded out sixty per cent. of
the county leaders of the State and
that they were willing to 30 along on
the measure provided the State lead
ers did not whip their members into
line. He served notice that he was op-
posed to any practice of that kind.
The conference discussed in a Pc
functory way the subjects of child la
Dor and workmen S compensation, but
the real subject before the meeting was
local option, the Governor s intention
being TO place the Republican leaders
on record so that he may know how to
act in matters hereafter where they
fare concerned. Senator Crows posi-
tion will be used for the purpose of
stiffening up opponents of the local op-
tion bill who were weakening under
the influences of the Governor and
others who wanted to get them around
to vote for the bill.
The. nnn rooo.lol
Capitol Hill as the beginning of the
"parting of the Ways between the
Governor and the Republican leaders,
and the biggest kind of row is now
looked for. The Governor is Just as
determined that local option shall pass
as the antis are that it shall not pass.
and the fight is on. Just at the close
of the conference last night, and aft
er the Governor had returned to the
capitol, he issued the following state.
ment:
The Governor Statement
The joint legislative committee of
the House and Senate on Platform
Bills, together with Lieutenant Gov
ernor McClain, Secretary of the Com
monwealth Woods and Attorney Gen
eral Brown, met with the Governor for
two-hour session on Monday evening.
The subjects of workmen S compen-
sation, child labor and local option
were thoroughly discussed. A practic-
ally unanimous. agreement was reached
upon the fact that the workmen IS com
pensation bill should be passed in prac-
tically its present form after a hear
ing This hearing is to be held to-mor-
row afternoon, though the details of
this bill are still open for decision.
In regard to the subjects of local
option and child labor the discussion
was more general; but the detailed fea-
lures of the bills were not agreed upon.
The Governor stated that a hearing
had been requested for the local option
bill. This will be held on April 6,
when both sides will be given an op-
portunity to make full statement of
the case"