Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-25
PoetE@ IN
Pc~~oqeSo~;o
By the x-Committeeman

Joseph F. Guffey of Pittsburgh was
chosen temporary chairman of the
Democratic State Committee at a
meeting of the executive committee
in Philadelphia yesterday to relieve
Chairman William C. Mclean of
Wilkes-Barre, who is an officer in the
newly organized Third Artillery regi-
ment, which is preparing to go to
the Texas border. Warren Van Dyke,
| deputy internal revenue collector in
the Lancaster district. was chosen Sec
rotary of the committee and it was
announced he will resign from his
Federal position and open headquar-
tiers for the committee in Harrisburg.
headquarters will also be established
in Philadelphia under the direction
of Charles d. McAvoy of N~orristown,
and in Pittsburgh, by Acting Chair
man Gufey. A meeting of the COM
mittee will be held in Harrisburg,
September Is. A. Mitchell Palmer.
addressing the executive Committee,
declared that the Democratic cam
paign in this State will be conferred
on the congressional candidates and
predicted that the Democratic con-
gressional representation from Penn
sylvania will be increased by the cleo
ton OF members from the Lacka-
wanna, York-Adams, Fayette-Greene-
Somerset, Bradford-Wyoming and the
district now represented by Benjamin
F. Focht. He stated that President
Wilson will make only q few speeches
but has promised to deliver one in
Pennsylvania.
B. F. Davis yesterday received no.
tice from Washington that he had
been confirmed by the Senate as Col
lACTnF of the Ninth InfArnol ax-A,,,a
District, including Harrisburg, on Au-
gust IS. He was appointed collector
by the last Congress. but the appoint
ment was hung up. He was again
appointed last Spring. Mr.. Davis was
appointed to succeed Fred c. Kirken-
dali of Wilkes-Barre who was made
collector of h Twelfth Revenue
District, when it was carved u of
the Ninth, of which he had been coll
lector. Warren Van Dyke, then Sec
rotary of the Democratic State Com
mittee, had been slated to succeed
kirkendall, but through Congressman
Amer Davis got the place. His
nomination was not confirmed and he
was an ad-interim appointee. Last
spring Davis name vas again hung
up when sent to the Senate and it
was said hat it through Senator
Penrose's charge that Davis a Demo-
cratic county chairman had trans
crossed by sending out a call for cam
paign funds as county chairman. The
Democratic faction in Lancaster OPP
posed to the Davis faction made the
most of the situation and it is said
wires were pulled to stir up sentiment
at Washington against Davis onfir-
nation as collector. In political cir
cles it is believed that the real cause
of the failure Of earlier confirmation
is due to dissatisfaction in other
counties of the Ninth district because
of Davis appointing so many Lam
caster county men to positions.
Senator Penrose declared last night
that the confirmation of B. F. Davis,
as Collector of Internal Revenue for
the Ninth District of Pennsylvania
by the Senate on August IS, was
aquiesced in by him.
I did not fight the confirmation
of Davis" said Senator Penrose. IT
merely asked that his confirmation
be withheld until certain charges
made against him were investigated.
When it was found they were not sub
stantiated 1 went to Senator Simmons
chairman of the Finance Committee,
and told him that I no longer opposed
Mr.. Davis confirmation and that I
acquiesced entirely in it."