Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-03
Poeitica ;~
Pe~~oqeOo~io
BY the Ex-Committeeman

The disposition is to mark time in
legislative matters just now and the
leaders of all parties and factions are
resting after the strenuous contest for
the speakership which was decided
yesterday in favor of Senator Boies
Penrose and his friends. Notwith-
standing a very manifest desire on the
state to fix date for early ad-
journment, there is slim prospect of
any time being set for three months at
least, and it is possible that not only
will the Legislature pass the appro-
priation bills earlier than usual and
take a recess while the Governor is
acting upon them, but that there will
be numerous investigations started and
the lawmakers called back in the fall
to hear reports. The men who van
quished the Governor and his allies
seem determined not to give the ad-
minstration element any more Gee
ognition than they would have gotten
themselves in the event of defeat and
to follow the example of John r. X.
Scott in the session of 1913 when he
heckled the Tener administration for
weeks.
If the Vare- -Brumbaugh- Ma GOO
forces had won, the Penrose peonIe
say, they would have had short shrift
and as the senior senator got victory
IN the race of the state and Philadel-
phla city administrations, organized
lapors legislative committees and
many olnceholders and influential men,
the chances are that the conquered
VIII have troubles of their own.
AT present the plan of the Penrose
people is to go ahead and prepare a
legislative program, get the commit
tees and the offices filled and attend
TO other details of a general plan
which will continue throughout the
session and be arranged to meet any
eventualltles. While this is being done
watched to see if it tries to start anvo
thlng' Ii 1t does, the plans will he
MADE to meet 1t accordingly
1t is not the intention of the vic
tors IN yesterdays fight to inaugurate
any Impeachment proceedings against
the Governor in spite of the demands
OF some Jealous partisans. Even the
Penrose people think that things have
gone far enough in that line, but thev
VIII keep the precedents and procedure
handy in case 1t becomes necessary To
resort to severe measures.
Mayor Smith, of PhiladeIphia
VIII not rare so we'll in the general
opinion. The mayor is not considered
by the Penrose people to have pIaved
the game exactly as he promised al
though his friends say that he STAYED
out OF the fight. The mayor will he
race TO face with some legislation
which he does not want.
1t Is not improbable that some of
the men who come to the legislative
nails year after year to lobby for or
against bills in behalf of organizatione
and who were fioodmasters in the for
rents of abuse which were directed
against Speaker Baldwin will find lib
critics clipped. These men were
aligned with the State administration
and their attacks on Baldwin. accord.
Ing to the Penrose leaders. were
vicious and sent out from the Coz
headquarters.
Speaker Baldwin before leavint
the city declared that he was In favol
! OF more money for schools and fol
good roads, together with other legis
lation, remarking that he was favor
able to humane legislation notwith
standing all that had been said abou
him, but he was not accustomed IL
l
hos received many requests for com
mittee assignments already and som,
of the men who were noisiest in oppo
sition to him have not shown modest.
in asking for good places. The Speakel
asked that all members send him thei
preferences and they are doing ii
those who fought Baldwin bein,
among the men who wish nice berths.
James f. Woodward. of Allegheny
will be chairman of the House appro
priations committee and some of TIN
men who were talked of for chairman
ships before the ballot on Speake
occurred in the Monday caucus will
not get what they thought. Eleventh
hour switching from Baldwin will ma
some legislative hopes,
The long recess arranged, whicl
will bring the Legislators back to Har
risburg on January 90, will enable tn,
whole situation to be gone over care
fully, and 1t is even possible that som,
sem blance of harmony may b,
reached The organization of Thu
House was remarkably serene aftel
the bitter contest and there are somt
/ hopes based on 1t;
| Senator j: p; McNichol. backei
of Baldwin. treated Senator E. III
Ware, leader of the Cox campaign, te
a free chair in a. parloT car to Phila.
| aelnhia. IN spite et thsiE polltica.