Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-12
PENROSE WARNS
OF THE CRISIS
Says That Trained Man Is
Needed to Handle Problems
at the White House

Senator Boies Penrose in a remark
able speech at the banquet of the
Young Republican Club of Lancaster
in that city last night gave warning
that the country was approaching a
crisis and that trained executive, one
with a knowledge of legislative and
administrative affairs from long ex-
perience, was needed at the helm The
senator declared that in such an emer-
gency it was the duty of Republicans
to unite for the welfare of the country
and that this was not the time when
factionalism should be allowed to
show its head.
In his speech as presiding officer
Lieutenant Governor McClain paid q
high tribute to Senator Penrose. Pub
lie Service Commissioner w. d. B.
Ainey, who was to have been the other
speaker, was unable to reach Lam
caster. The banquet opened the cam
paign in Lancaster county.
Senator PenroSe said, in part:
Not since the Civil War has the
Republican Party faced such grave re-
sponsibilities as will confront us in the
approaching national campaign.
In the enunciation of principles
and the selection of candidates for
the national convention which will
assemble in Chicago in June the Re-
publican Party must subordinate every
personal interest or petty conflict of
opinion that stands as an obstacle to
the performance of it's duty. Never
before has there been more pressing
need for a party convention that will
represent the best thought and broad
est-minded opinion of the Republican
voters of the nation.
with opportunities of intimate
knowledge of the movements in the
party | am glad to be able to say that
this aim seems to be paramount from
one end of the country to the other
among Republican leaders. The feeling
prevails that this is not the year to
force the candidacy of any individual;
in fact, it may be stated with accuracy
that there are no candidates at the
present time for the Republican nomi-
nation in the usual acceptance of the
term.
The Republican Party contains
within its ranks many trained and re-
sourceful statesmen, and their qualifi-
cations should be a matter of careful
canvass and consideration by dele
gates. One thought seems TO stand out
and that is that the country will re-
quire in the executive office a man OF
training and intimate familiarity with
the business of the Federal Govern
ment and with its diplomatic and in
! ternational affairs"
This declaration was received with
noisy demonstration of applause.
This is not the time" continued
Senator Penrose, ito intrust these vast
responsibilities to anyone who is not
an expert in governmental matters
Blunders in high office are bad enough
at any time, but they may be fraught
with untold disaster if committed in
a situation such as this. The general
sentiment of the Republicans of the
United States is that the delegates
to the National Convention should be
unpledged and uninstructed.
'An effort has been made, so far as
l can observe from a consideration of
the very large number of delegates al
ready elected, to have successful bust
nessmen and political leaders of the
several districts and States go as dele
gates to the convention.
II think any person will admit if
he will scan the list of delegates al
ready elected or investigate the char
acter of those suggested ip other States
for the rapidly approaching primaries
that the next Republican National
Convention will be composed of as fine
a body of Americans as ever has as
sembled upon the American continent,
representative of the best element of
our citizenship and prompted by the
highest motives of disinterested
patriotism.
"It is gratifying that such should
be the case, and everyone who is i'm
pressed with the gravity of the
situation will realize that were fac
tional alignments and partisan efforts
visible in different sections of the
country the result, indeed, would be
unfortunate. The contrary, however,
is almost without exception the case.
Whatever factional divisions may un-
fortunately have existed in the past
are rapidly disappearing if they have
not entirely passed away.
"The breach in the Republican
Party which occurred in 1912 is now
happily being healed. Republicans
are coming together with the single
thought of saving the country from
the Ignorance, incompetence and in
trinity of the Wilson administration.
1t did not require any conference or
political arrangement to bring about
this result. 1t is the natural coalesc-
ing of the Republican forces deter
mined on n common object and asso-
ciating together in harmonious spirit
with high purpose to save the coun-
try.
"Any one at this time in any State
of the Union who could attempt by
factional or other obnoxious methods
to force candidacy or create n con-
dition calculated to make a break in
the ranks would be very generally
condemned and repudiated by the Re