Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-09-20
BIG REPUBLICAN
VICTORY AHEAD,
SMITH DECLARES
"Old Guard" Unpopular;
People Will Nominate
Ticket, He Says
70 HAND-PICKED SLATE
Leaders Merely Support Hon
est, Independent Candi-
dates, He Asserts

II have just returned from a tour
of the county" said State Committee
man Frank A. Smith. former Repub-
lican county chairman, "and l find
conditions most favorable for a sweep
ing Republican victory at the polls in
November, if the right kind of men
are nominated. as have no doubt
they will be.
Il believe in using the same meth
ods in politics that ! have found sue
cessful in business. Honesty and fair
play with everybody, always win out
/ in the end. There has been good
deal of talk in certain circles of states
and factional differences within the
ranks of the Republican party in this
county. 1t would be folly for me or
anybody else to say that the pro-
gressive element of the party is not
back of one set of candidates who go
before the people next Tuesday. In
deed, nobody is trying to disguise this
fact. On the other hand, If the So
called younger element is supporting
a Slate it is not one chosen by any
leader or set OF leaders, but rather
the leaders getting behind the most
likely and independent candidates that
came into the field.
There Is such slate II slate 1t
can be called, and / am indeed proud
to be one of those who are support
ing the candidates named thereon.
And there is just one reason why those
who believe in the kind of admins
tration of county affairs displayed by
it necessary to line up behind certain
of the candidates. 1t is this:
THE old party leadership-at the
head of which stood the McIlhennys,
the Meetches. Harry L. Hershey and
their relatives-had become distaste-
full to the rank and file of the Repub-
lican party. Four years ago this lead
ership plunged the party into uncalled
for and inexcusable defeat. Good men
went down before a wave of public
sentiment that had nothing against
them except that they were backed by
what tho public chose to term the old
| Guard.
When in 1912 I was chosen county
chairman the first thing I did was to
call a meeting of the county commit
| tee-an almost unheard of thing-and
ask for a reorganization along lines
| that would put the machinery of the
! party into the hands of the rank ano
| file. The rules which We're framed al
my suggestion give the voters the right
to select their own committeeman an6
the committeeman the right to elect
their own chairman. Thus the com.
mittee and its officers became the
creatures of the rank and file of the
Republican party. and not independ.
ent of it. The voters may now change
| leadership at will.
"It was not long until ] discovered
whether right or wrong, that the
voters had determined to have nc
more or what they termed Nell.
/ hennyism' in this county It was per.
was so unpopular that it had to bt
repla ced il the party was to remain al
the head of the column in Dauphir
/ county.
Those identified with this discred
tied McIlhennY leadership realized
this and evidently determined to make
| one more final effort TO get back into
rover this year. Early in the Sprina
| IL became apparent that they, with
John Fox Weiss. were setting UP a
slate with this purpose in view. Know.
ing that nobody with the brand OF
! McIlhennyisn1 upon him could be
elected and desiring to give the voters
an opportunity to vote at the genera
elections for candidates absolutely
unpledged and of high caliber per.
sonally, some of the younger leaders
have got behind good. substantial mer
as they came out for each of the
offices to be filed They are not the
candidates of any man or set Of men
| All that they are pledged to DO is tc
conduct the offices honestly. efficiently
and without orders from anybody.
GAS said. the men we are sunport
ing are ABSOLUTELY free from anybody's
dictation. and II any of their names
| appear on the slate h ear Is being cir.
culated bv the old Guard It is not hy
! their seeking. The issue is clearly
| 'McTlhen1y'sm against the rule of the
rank and file. and the rank and file
are goine to win on Tuesday by a biz
majority