Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-20
Poe;EcA IT.
Pe~~oqeoo~ia
BY the Ex-Committeeman

Names of five men may be submit
ted to the Republican caucus for
speaker of the next House of Repre-
sentatives and what is interesting
people here is when each candidate
will announce whether he will abide
by the decision of the caucus. The
names which will probably be submit
ted are those of Richard j. Baldwin,
Delaware; Edwin r. Cox, Philadel-
phia; Nelson McVicar, Allegheny;
George w. Williams, Tioga. and Jo-
seph II. Phillips, Clearfield. In the
event that the latter's name goes in
it will be for q ballot to demonstrate
that Central Pennsylvania has a men,
Der who is willing.
The possibilities of Mr.. McVicar be-
coming a candidate were much dis
cussed to-day. He has declined to
give any assurance where he stands,
but while here last night made a law
yers critical survey of the situation in
regard to the leading candidates. The
| Tarentum man has been claimed by
the Cox people, but refused to discuss
what he would do or the suggestion
| that he might become a candidate.
George w. Williams is a candi-
date to the finish with no chance of
compromise, according to word that
comes here and although the local
option standard-bearer has not been
backed by the Anti-Saloon League or
the Local Option Committee of Penn
sylvania he is out seeing members
and gaining, according to his friends
The position of the Anti-Saloon
League is peculiar. Generally it has
come out for candidate, but this
| year in spite of the minimizing of the
| local option issue by the chief sup
| porterS men connected with the
league say they are advocating Cox.
The local option committee is said to
| have issued circulars in favor of Cox.
! The Williams hackers are not taking
kindly to these activities and the
| chances are that next week there will
| be declaration from the Tioga man.
The proposed removal of Banking
Commissioner William II. Smith has
stirred up protests from one end of
| the State to the other and the Gov
ernor is getting many letters on the
subject. The Governors position is
| that Mr.. Smith, while an able and eff
cient official, has not been in the best
of health and that with a record OF
honorable service behind him, Mr..
| Smith can give way to a younger man.
The Governors friends point out that
| in q contest which means so much to
him he is justified in using appoint
| mentS.
Reports that Highway Commits
sioner Frank b. Black threatened to
resign last evening or that Governor
! Brumbaugh contemplated asking him
to quit or to change jobs with insur-
ance commissioner brought unquali-
fled denial from men aligned with the
Governor to-day. Mr.. Black, like
| Commissioner of Health Dixon, has
standards for his department which
! the Governor has approved and the
men will not be used for political pur-
poses even in the present emergency.
-Denials came from State admin
istration officials to-day that there was
anything to the report that Auditor
/ General Powell would resign and be
named to the Public Service Commits
sion, and Charles A. Snyder go into
the Auditor Generals department
without serving in the Senate where
the administration does not want him
to be frank about 1t. Mr.. Powell said
the same story was sprung about State
Treasurer Young and Harmon M. Keep