Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-04-23
PROHIBITION IS
To Be HELD BACK
No Chance For Members to Vote
on That as a Sop to Constituents
on Local Option

Those who voted against local op-
tion to carry out their election agree
ments with the liquor interests will
not get an opportunity to partially
make amends to their constituents by
supporting the prohibition consti-
tutional amendment. The Glenn
amendment is in the House law and
order committee and the admins
tration Is credited with faVoring a plan
to keep it there.
Two years ago after the local option
Dill was defeated by q vote of 121 to
S3 the resolution proposing a consti-
tutional amendment was put before
the House and it polled 90 votes, while
los were cast against it, The result
of this was that in the primaries and
election of 1914 the members who op.
posed local option and supported pro-
hibition made much of this fact with
their constituents. 1t is now proposed
to make the 12S opponents of local
option in this session go back to the.r
constituents on the record they have
made. The friends OF local option are
in the majority on the law and order
committee and if they stand together
they can keep the resolution buried.
The Governor held a conference ON
Wednesday night at the Mansion with
his lieutenantS, planning for the fight
in 1916, while some of his opponents
were making speeches in the barrooms
and other places about what they
would do to Mr.. Brumbaugh. During
the conference the Governor told his
friends that he had promises of sup
port from 10S members of the House
to aid him pass the local option bill
lie seemed to have a clear idea of how
some of the votes were lost.
Now that the local option bill is out
of the way and any debt that might
have been owed to the LIQUOR interests
is paid, some of the most prominent
Republicans in the state are talking
about getting the party right in the
1916 campaign. The method of do
ing this is to draft platform in adj
vance of the May primaries in 1915
which will contain a local option
plank. This would commit the nomi-
nees of the primaries to vote for this
legislation in the session of 1917.
The adoption of plank of this kind
would bring thousands Of men back to
the party who have strayed away be-
cause of the friendliness shown to the
liquor interests. If the liquor men
were able to again get control of the
Democratic organization the result
would be the accession of thousands
OF Democrats to the Republican ranks.
at least in so far as the liquor uues-
tion is concerned
There is a strong possibility that
unless the Republican party gets right
on the question of giving the people
power to determine the question of
licensing the liquor trade the contests
for United States senator, congress
n-at-large, auditor general, state
treasurer and even the presidency and
the election of national delegates will
he determined next year in Pennsylva-
MIA along dry" and wet lines
II II becomes necessary to build a
Republican ticket along dry" lines in
order to assist in the fight for legis-
lators who will give the. people what
they want, it would not be surprising
TO see DIR. Brumbaugh head it as a
candidate for President. Under the
primary laws candidates for Presi-
dent can go on the ballot and candi-
oates Tor national delegates can ex-
press their presidential preference.
With DR.. Brumbaugh as a. candidate
Tor President stumping the state in
the interest of dry" senator's and rep
resentatiVes, coupled with q full ticket
for all the offices to be nominated. in
Guiding the twelve national delegates
at-large who are to be elected in the
primaries, the campaign would at least
be interesting. Such q situation is not
beyond the possibilities of the sit
uation. The Governor seems deter
mined to win his fight: the Setback"
is apparently Just stimulating him for
the battle which is to come. He has
the whole patronage of the state to
use in assisting him in building nm an
organization that will help give the
legislation the people want and he he
lieves in fighting with the weanons
which have been placed in his hands,
Ihose who are willing to help him are
the ones he believes should get his
help. mo