Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-06

CONTINUED From First Pagel
ment of the State was against him and
for uninstructed delegates. and fore
casted commission government in
Philadelphia to get rid of what the
Senator called contractor rule
The surprise OF the evening, how
ever, was the declaration of j. Benia-
min Dimmick. of Scranton, who was
the anti-Penrose candidate for Senator
at the 1914 primaries, for the Senator
and against Or. Brumbaugh.
While these speeches were going on
the Governor was speaking in Pitts
burgh, defending his course in regard
TO industrial matters. but not referring
10 politics. Others who spoke did.
Penrose's Speech
The Penrose speech was in part as
follows:
Il have been In close touch with Re-
publicans in and about the national
committee and throughout the country
for long time. 1t has been gratifying
TO note that a universal sentiment in
favor of unpledged and uninstructed
delegates has generally prevailed. If
in the present crisis any Republican
wanted to be President, the quickest
way for him TO destroy himself would
be to press his candidacy, either by
himself or through his friends. by par
tisan. factional or Objectionable
methods.
The result is that no candidate
stands forth. even at this time, close
as-itls-to the time of the meeting of
the national convention, VINO is likely
to have a majority of the delegates on
the first ballot. An examination of the
list of delegates already elected-and
substantial majority have been
elected-and those likely to be elected
discloses the fact that the convention
will be composed of representative
businessmen and political leaders of
their States and districts.
Contractor Rule
I'm this situation. so general
throughout the country and so crafty
ins 10 every lover of his country, there
has been projected IN a very few in
stances a spirit of factionalism and
sefshness. firm of street cleaning
contractors in Philadelphia, anxious to
ingratiate themselves with the present
Governor of this Commonwealth,
started a campaign for him for the
nomination of President soon after his
election. Aiding and advising the Ware
contracting firm was the paid attorney
of the Philadelphia contractors, who
is, quite conveniently. the Attorney
General of the State in the present
administration and the general engi-
neer of the utility commission of the
State, so far as that body which is sup
posed to be judicial can be made OF
professional or political advantage.
The great majority of the Repub-
liCans of the State were unwilling to
sacrifice great principle at a critical
national period to any purpose of
selfish, personal or political aggran-
dizement. Being in close touch and
sympathy with them, and having the
larger view of my national RESPONSE
bilities, | was unwilling to concur in
proposition so largely based on vanity
and commercialism. The result has
developed the present factional con-
test in Pennsylvania, so far as there is
a contest.
Responsibility for the factional
warfare rests upon the street cleaning
contractor element, which. although
aided by the Attorney General of
PENNSYLVANIA, and. apparently, with
the acquiescence of the Governor, was
unable TO secure any response from
the people for a candidacy that was
never taken seriously and soon became
discredited
The Governor has within the last
few days declared that he is not can
didate. Therefore his name is on the
official ballot for presidential prefer
ence vote not in good faith, but to aid
a faction and for trading purposes. In
fact, it is due to him TO say that he
was actually ready TO withdraw alto
gether before his name was entered
and that the correspondence was
drawn up and ready for signature,
when he was coerced into changing his
promise and his plans by the Attorney
General and by the Philadelphia
street-cleaning contractors.
As to Wasson
"A political leadership that has any
selfish basis must be conceded in a
voluntary way by the members of a
party. 1t cannot be obtained for any
length of time by fraud or coercion,
and il cannot certainly be created by
an artificial process. The present
member of the Republican national
committee from Pennsylvania, as is
generally known. is an accident. and
is not even representative of the ideals
involved in the upheaval of four years
ago. He certainly does not speak for
the Republicans of Pennsylvania. 1t is
known that he might have been eX-
PEELED by the national committee or
advantage might have been taken OF
his offer to resign. had II been thought
OF sufficient importance.
Speaking for no one but himself
and impressed with the idea that he
might be a candidate for appointment
TO judicial position, he has addressed
a letter to the Governor inviting him
to be the leader of a reunited party.
The party was already united until d
fatuous surrender to a contracting firm
in Philadelphia and 10 the paid attor-
ney of the contractors, who happens
to be the Attorney General tempo
rarily divided the party in the State
Outside of the coercion of the office
holders who have been involved. the
Republican party is reunited in Penn
sylVania as ] have already described
81 hplipNp the OVarub aI