Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-05
Poeitice ;~
Pe~~oqesonio
BY the Ex-Committeeman

der way in the state, open in some
counties and cities and disguised un-
der the nonpartisan cloak In some
municipalities. for control of the Re-
publican state ticket selection next
year The state administration has
gone into municipal and county con-
tests In way not known in many
years, and the Democratic state or
ganization appears to have split half
dozen ways. Leaders of the Demo-
Gratis Nhave been accused of delib-
erately dividing their strength in or
der to reap advantage next year
when the minority Will endeavor to
seek power by making a capital and
labor issue.
Every indication is for a big vote
in almost every county tomorrow.
The aggregate may be greater than
the Presidential and Gubernatorial
polls. And there is more interest in
where the vote that stayed at home
at the primary will go than for a
long time. while students of elections
are wondering how the nonpartisan
law is going to stand the test The
soldier vote, estimated at over 5000.
will have a big influence in many
contests. The men in the camps have
been looked up with great care and
the Governor has named a commits
sioner to each camp so that every
soldier will have chance to vote.
The contests for the honors are
as outlined in the Harrisburg Tele-
graph Saturday. In addition to the
judicial and mayoralty battles there
are associate judge contests which
are attracting wide attention such
as that in Perry, where George Z.
Boyer. the dry candidate, is maxi
ing n vigorous campaign.
Beaver Falls votes tomorrow
on whether it shall be a third class
city and the state will watch to see
how the new law allowing a mu-
nicipality to vote to change a loan
already authorized to another pur-
pose will work out. Johnstown and
Williamsport have big loan fights.
The last moves are being made
in Philadelphia and it is significant
that the newspapers are calling upon
people to study the ballot. They
print the Town Meeting ticket as it
should be marked. The city admins
tration has covered Philadelphia
with cards and posters denouncing
lying newspapers" the strength of
the terms used recalling the desper-
ate effort made by some of the Phil
adelphians against Speaker Baldwin
in this city last winter. Meetings
have ended and doorbell pulling is
under way. Attention is called by
newspapers to the seriousness of the
situation and the Smith administra-
ton is warned that If there is any
attempt at terrorism the law will
be invoked. The Committee of Sew
enty has sent men into every ward
and District Attorney Rotan has is
sued a warning.
The Philadelphia Inquirer says
the Town Meeting party will win
with "a majority estimated at 45,-
600" by Chairman Sheppard. The
North American calls on citizens to
man the polls and vote to put police
out of politics. 1t also says that Nc
Nichol has refused to aid>Vare and
will stay silent, while the Press says
that 'all Philadelphia goes to bat to-
morrow and SHOULD have no difficulty
in making q run for home" The
Record says that the Town Meeting
people are confident of winning and
rlakes strong appeals to vote that
ticket, while the Ledger says that
both sides are confident and makes
stirring appeal to fight "Prussian-
ism" in Philadelphia at the polls by
voting the Town Meeting ticket.
Next to Philadelphia the point of
greatest interest in to-morrows bat
tie will be Pittsburgh. with Scranton
next. Harrisburg is right behind them
because of the activity of the state
m I'M tiOO Tho pittShItrgh
papers are as strenuous as those in
Philadelphia in their participation in
the campaign, but unlike those in the
Quaker City, are not all on one side.
There are claims and counter claims
made. The Philadelphia Ledger,
which has been paying close atten-
ton to the Pittsburgh contest and
which said on Saturday that 'indica-
tions are that Babcock will be elect
ed mayor over Magee," says to-day
ii is anybody's fight. The Ledger's
dispatch says: Privately it is ad-
mitted in both camps neither candi-
date. expects to win by more than
2,500 out of q total vote of $4,000.
Magee's managers have accused Bah
cock of employing convict labor and
have charged him with operating
company stores, paying low wages
and fighting organized labor. The
Babcock managers have countered
with the charge that Magee has not
actually resigned as a member of the
State Public Service Commission and
allege that Brumbaugh is holding the
job open for him. They point to Ma
gees previous five years as mayor,
which they declare was an era of
profiigate spending. The attack on
which they are counting most is that
Magee displayed ingratitude toward
DIR. j. P. Kerr president of the City
Council, who ran independently in
the primaries and polled 200 votes,
against $4,000 for Magee and 1000
for Babcock. Kerr has declared for
Babcock."
In Scranton all indications point
to a very close contest between Con-
nell and Durham for mayor. The Re-
publican is backing Connell with
great vigor and claims his election is
a certainty, while the. Democratic
Times says that the popular support
is behind Durkan because of the
mine cave issue.
These contests are extremely in
teresting because of the way Demo-
Gratis are acting. In Philadelphia
Democrats are all for the Town
Meeting party and against the city
and state administration. In Pitts
burgh Joe Guffey and other machine
Democrats are for Magee, the state
administration candidate. In Scran-
ton the Democrats are against Con-
nell, who is backed by the state ad-
ministration along with other Repub-
Iican influences.
An interesting sidelight upon
one of the chief figures in the Phil
adelphia campaign is thrown by the