Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-04-20
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BY the Ex-Conmitteeman

Notwithstanding the inability of
Governor Brumbaugh and the leaders
of the Senate to reach any under
standing in regard to the sending of
recess appointments to the upper
house for confirmation as required by
the Constitution it is likely that the
Governor will fill some of the vacan-
cies existing within the next month or
so and trust to developments to have
the men named continue in office.
The executive department has been
giving careful consideration to the
possibility that the incoming fiscal off,
GERS might refuse to honor warrants
for pay of men not confirmed by the
Senate and the view is now held that
until the Legislature adjourns sine die
the Governor is in control of the ap-
pointments and that he might allow
them to lapse and then name the men
all over again. This would have the
effect of continuing them in office un-
til 1919.
Incidentally, the State administra-
ton is prepared for suits which may
be started by taxpayers or anyone else
to test legality of administration of
Offices by men who have not been con-
firmed.
has made tentative selections for the
Superintendency of public grounds
and buildings, for which Private Sec
retary William II. Ball is once more
being mentioned; commissioner of
banking, for which General c. NJ. Gle
ment has been the most mentioned;
and chief censor which is also to go
to Philadelphia. Reappointment of
DIR. Nathan c. Shaeffer as superinten-
dent of public instruction, is regarded
as certain.
The administration people con-
tend that the appointment of a secre-
tary of internal affairs to succeed
Henry Houck does not have to go to
the Senate for confirmation and it is
believed an appointment to that office
will come along very soon. Ex-Con-
gresham d. F. Lafean has been much
mentioned for this place, but West
ern Pennsylvania administration lead
ers are said to want it for their Sec
ton.
Pittsburgh people are coming
here in force on Tuesday to discuss
the Lynch bill to remove the nonparti-
san feature from the second-class city
act The hearing will probably be
lively one.
-Philadelphia's city councils yes
terday went on record against the bill
chamber, but there was a lovely de-
bate before the action was carried.
Governor Brumbaugh last night
announced that nothing had been de-
termined regarding the resignation of
o. d. Bleakley as a congressman from
the twenty-eighth district adding that
the question was in the hands of At
torney General Brown.
The bulk of the discussion over
third class city legislation appears to
be among half a dozen legislators and
city officials from various parts of the
State. The impression that the whole
State is aroused over some of the bills
is not well founded.
The Philadelphia Evening Bull
letin in discussion of the hecoming judi
cial elections SAYS: "The number of
judges in the Philadelphia Courts who
will be up for reelection this year is
probably the largest known in this
city since the judicial Office first be-
came elective. 1t is not certain, by
any means, that all of them will
| receive another term. There is a dis
position to raise objections to two, if
not three, of them on the ground that
new blood is needed in the courts"
and it would be easy, as a conseqaence
of factional politics, to start up a for
midable opposition to any of the
lot opens the way, too, for a scramble
when new candidates make their ap-
| pearance. On several occasions since
it was authorized by law which was
conceived in a beneficent purpose, but
which has fallen far short of 1t, can
didates for the Supreme Court, as we'll
as various Common Pleas Courts, have
had to spend their money literally, to
take hand in the electioneering and
to compromise themselves much more
than they ever did when they were
nominated by party conventions.
During the past forty years nearly all
our Common Pleas and Orphans
Court judges who behaved themselves
have been reelected, with only three
or four exceptions. There Is no other
great city in the United States that
has record like Philadelphia in the
prolonged retention of men on the
bench who have given steady satisfac-
tion from year to year, and who have
been elected for second or even a
third ten-year term on the principle
that one good term deserves another"