Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-21
PoeittcA in
Pe~~eqe0o~io
BY the Ex-Committecman

The name of Representative Aaron
B. Hess, of Lancaster, turned up in
the contest for the Republican nomin-
alton for speaker of the lower house
of the Legislature to-day when it was
intimated that the Lancaster man in
stead of being for either Cox or Bald
win, would be asking support of
friends among legislators for himself.
Mr.. Hess, who succeeded Lieutenant
member from the city of Lancaster,
was talked of as possible candidate
for speaker months ago, and if the
Baldwin candidacy had not made such
headway it is likely that he would
have entered the race. Mr.. Hess has
declined to say where he stands and
the five votes of Lancaster are claimed
by both Baldwin and Cox.
A statement by S. r. Tarner, of
Pittsburgh, prominent in the Order of
Railroad Conductors, attacking Bald
wins vote for the full crew repeater.
came here to-day and was received
with mixed feelings about the Capitol
owing to the fact that Edwin r.. Cox,
the State administrators candidate,
voted the same way. At the Baldwin
headquarters it was declared that the
attacks being made upon the Della
ware man by James II. Maurer men,
Der from Reading, and various men
connected with the mine workers or
ganizations were being offset by as
surances from individual workers that
they resented being used in fac
tlonal scrap.
Attaches of the State government
who will start to go home for Christ
tonight hninU ui of
that anything they can do to help line
up their home members of the House
in behalf of the Governors speaker
ship candidate and his legislative pro-
gram will be appreciated. There is
nothing unusual in this. 1t has
been done many times before when a
fight was on, and it is to the credit
of good many men in the depart
ments that they have voluntarily of
fered their services. A number of
men from up State counties were call
ed on the carpet yesterday and told
to get busy when at home and a spe-
cial drive is being made by the Ad-
ministration forces to secure at least
one vote from Tioga for Cox
Governor Brumbaugh's decision
to retain Banking Commissioner Will
liam II. Smith, when it had been wide
ly announced by his political advisers
that the veteran chief would be asked
to have been the result of energetic
protests by mail, telegraph and tele-
phone from some of his closest friends
in Philadelphia. Several of these men.
who were personal friends before the
Governor got into State politics
strongly urged him not to permit the
Banking Department to be even mem
toned in the present fuss. In addi-
ton protests came from all parts of
the State in such volume and from
such people that the Governor resisted
the advice of political friends and did
not ask the resignation as had been
proclaimed he intended to do. Mr.
Smith left for home yesterday after
noon. He has been ill, but every day
has been in telephone touch with the
department and all reports go to him
Whether he will be forced out later
on is matter of speculation. The
Governor however, is standing by him
now against considerable political
pressure.
Representative Edwin r. Cox. ac-
companied by Representative Dam
iel j. Shern, spent yesterday in Fay
ette county endeavoring to get mem
bers of the House to line up for the
Philadelphian. Mr.. Cox said that he
was we'll satisfied with the outlook and
that his election was a certainty. He
will operate in other western counties
while Congressman John r. X. Scott
works in the anthracite region, where
he is lining up the labor people against
Baldwin.
An attack upon the candidacy of
Richard ]. Baldwin for his course on
local option is said to be under way
among some of the Governors friends.
An attempt to offset the candidacy of