The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-06
FOR BREAKS DOWN IN
PHILADELPHIA POLITICS
Penrose's Harmony Scheme Expected to Bring
$2OO,OOO,O 900 of Contracts Into the Laps
of the Republican Bosses.

PHiLApELPHiA, Sept. 5.-After four
years of a reform administration under
Mayor Rudolph Blankenburg Phila6el-
phia Is going about the formality Of
electing his successor with no indica-
tons that reform has made a hit with
the people.
Popular primaries are the metnoi
by which the nominations are to be
made, but the Republican organization
here isn't trusting TO the people to 10
MS nominating, and by n remarkable
display OF "~harmonizing' II has re.
duced the results Of the prellminaries
to a certainty.
T. Il. Smith. a Penrose man. FORMER
postmaster OF Philadelphia. will be the
Republican nominee. and his election In
November In claimed even now by a
majority anywhere from $4,000 up.
The other parties will make sepa-
rate nominations at the primary cleo
ton september 81. and there Is no SEM
lance this yea OF the determined In
dependent movement that by comsiu-
ing on a single candidate four years
ago succeeded In defeating the q. o. p.
organization and e~lecting Blankenburg.
smith Sure of Nomination.
The ~harmonizing system Of the Re-
publican machine was simple and sure.
IL consisted In a delightfully."- unanimous
declaration by all other candidates than
Smith that for the good OF the party
they felt they should withdraw from
the primary contest. They withdrew
at the last moment. after the explra-
ton OF the period in which candidates
could enter the lists. As a result
Smith is certain OF nomination.
As the coming administration will
ave the pleasant duty of awarding
about $4,000 0 900 worth of rich mu-
nicipal contracts. principally for sub-
ways and elevated railways, the har-
monizing performance was singularly
fortunate-for the harmonlzers-be-
cause The rival factions thus so happily
brought into accord are headed by the
big political contractors and bosses Of
the city. Jim McNichol. Penrose's man.
and the Ware brothers.
Representative w. s. Ware was ostcr-
slbly a candidate for the nomination
against Smith. but had he remained In
the field a factional fight would hive
torn the organization wide open. Ono
side or the other would have lost con-
troll OF the city. not to mention thA
trlnlnR s-OV,OUO,O OU IN contracts. So,
for the good of the party. and purely
from patriotic impulses. the two sides
got together. harmonized. agreed on
Smith and saved the organization
also the contracts.
The most noteworthy aspect Of the
"harmonizing strategy was the part
taken In II by Gov. ~Brumbaugh. The
Governor. elected on the same ticket
with Senator Penrose last fall, has been
In office eight months. and during the
recent session OF the Legislature he
gave the independents hope that he
was going TO fight the Republican er-
ganization leaders. lie pushed through
a lot OF legislation to which the Pen
rose-McNichol crowd was opposed.
Brumba uGh's Part.
Now through his participation in tns
Philadelphia Mayoralty manpuvrings
Brumbaugh has dashed tho hopes OF the
anti-organixation men. The Governors
part was to give a certificate OF char.
acter to Smith and TO help the Va e,
save their face with the voters. Smith
always has been a Penrose man, and
therefore an anti-Vare man. When the
necessity arose for the organisation 10
harmonic on a single candidate Smith
was the only man available
How to put Smith before me public
as a Ware man was the problem. An
elaborate scheme was followed. Repre-