Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-11-15
PeethcA i~
Pe~~oqeSa~ia
BY the Ex-Committeeman

An announcement by Senator Pen
rose in Philadelphia last night to the
effect that he was preparing a general
legislative program which he would
urge upon the next Legislature has
been interpreted all over the State to
mean that the senator intends to make
a fight for control of the next House
of Representatives. He is conceded to
have the State Senate with him. The
announcement, which supplements his
speech in May, when he declared for
several reforms, carries with it decla-
ration for abolition of the assistance
10 voters clause. about which there
has been scandal for years and which
is much in the air because of charges
made in Philadelphia since the cleo
ton.
The senator's announcement fol-
lowed luncheon with Mayor Smith,
of Philadelphia, who was Immediately
afterward sought by Senator Ware, and
Il consultation with Auditor General
elect Snyder, Senator Sproul and
others.
The Philadelphia Ledger says the
senator's announcement is a decla-
ration that If the Wares and the State
administration want a fight, they CAN
delphia Record gleefully says that the
war of the factions will center on
legislation. The North American says
that Penrose has turned reformer to
beat the Wares and predicts a red-hot
session. Pittsburgh newspapers look
for warfare.
AS the senator will embody his pro-
gram in a statement to come later,
there is chance for the leaders to get
together and avoid a row next jan
uary. The State administration, ex-
cept for few. is not believed anxious
for a war and the senator is not dis
posed to fight unless he must
One of the reforms which Senator
Penrose plans to champion in the next
Legislature is a law to prevent illegal
assistance to voters at general cleo
tion. His attention was called to this
by the charge of leaders that much
Illegal assistance had been forced on
voters. Senator Penrose declared that
he had always favored such legislation
and asserted that he would favor bill
to abolish the assistance clause in the
present election laws. He favors
bill, modelled after the primary elec-
tion law. which requires an elector to
make an affidavit declaring physical
disability before he is entitled to as
sistance.
The Philadelphia Record says:
Acute political observers regard the
senior senator's announcement as the
first shot in the resumption of hostili-
ties, which were permitted to subside
for the appearance of harmony during
the presidential campaign. and profess
to see in 1t determination on Senator
Penrose's part to take the initiative
and force the fighting instead of wait
ing for the Wares to begin their an
ticipated struggle for the political su-
xsx aNxr 80 kIza 4a4 n
Senator Penrose's address during the
primary campaign to the Independents
at the dinner in the Bellevue-Stratford
on Friday, May 5, when he threatened
to put program through the Legis-
iature which would shear the Smith
administration of it's power The elimi-
nation of the police and firemen from
politics. the repeal of the Bullitt bill
and the substitution of a commission
form of government were some of the
reforms advocated by Senator Penrose
at that time. The senator's announce
ment yesterday was made Just after he
had lunched with Mayor Smith and
reported for some time that the Wares
contemplated reopening the factional
fight in the Republican ranks, with
the view of carrying 1t to a finish, in q
determined effort to dethrone Senator
Penrose as the State leader. The
Wares. with the aid of Governor Brum-
haush. practically controlled the last
Legislature, and are said to count on
controlling the next"
According to some of the Philadel-
phia politicians National Committee
man A. Mitchell Palmer will be the
national Administrations choice for
the Democratic gubernatorial nomina
tion in 1918. Leaving out of the sques-