Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-07
Peett;c4 ;~
Pe~~e4eeo~ia
By the Ex-Committeeman

1 III.
| By the Ex- x-Committeeman
The contest of the election of city
and county offices in Philadelphia
: last month which was launched yes
terday by the independent, reform
| and other elements opposed to the
| Smith-Vare alliance will be the big
! gest thing in Pennsylvania politics
| for many a day. 1t is possible that
| by the time it ends the guber-
material contest will be well under
way. 1t means a recount of the
whole election, appeals and maybe
1 changes. Out of the contest are GER
J tain to come changes in election
laws ana, in all probability, new po-
! litical alignments. Briefly stated the
! Town Meeting people claim their
ticket was elected by $4,000 and that
| a recount will show it.
The specific charges are volumin-
| Gus and cover almost everything.
Some of them are given as follows:
Ballots were cast and counted by
persons pretending to be qualified
electors who were known by the cleo
ton officers not TO be the persons
they claimed to be.
Ballots We're unlawfully and
| fraudulently deposited in the ballot
box, although cast by no electors
whatever, and the same were count
ed and returned as having been le-
gally cast.
THE election officers did not cor
rectly count the ballots which were
| cast. but made improper returns
knowingly and fraudulently.
'"The election officers misbehaved
themselves by signing the returns
before the ballots were counted and
by permitting persons not qualified to
handle and to count the ballots and
to make the returns"
Councilmanic contests were also
begun by Pown Meeting leaders in
the Fortieth and Forty-third ward. |
The rules are returnable on Decem- |
Der 10.
1T cost the combined Republican
and fusion forces about $4,000 to
conduct the campaign which culmi-
mated in the election November 6,
according to the expense accounts
filed yesterday by the Republican
city committee, Republican Alli-
ance and Town Meeting party eXecu-
tive committee. Says the Philadel-
phia Record: THE statement of
the Ware organization as compiled
by William +. Finley, executive di-
rector. shows that S143,165.7S was
expended in behalf of the Ware
Smith candidates for county offices
and Councils and that the contribu-
tions, received almost wholly from
the assessment of municipal en-
ployes, totaled s144,6S5.10. Finley's
figures show a balance on hand of
$1,519.32, but also disclose unpaid
debts and obligations of about $685.
600. Senator Edwin Fl. Ware was
mittee. He tops all other contribu-
tions with donation of SIS, ZOO"
The Pittsburgh Post says: |
when Mayor Joseph G.. Armstrong |,
ends his administration in January |
he will become county delinquent |
tax collector if present plans are car
ried out The position is now held |
by Sameul j. Grenet. a lieutenant of |
w. A. Magee. 1t is a fee office and |
pays more than the mayoralty. City
Treasurer William H. Davis. 1t is |
said. is to become director of public
safety; Director Frank p. Booth, of |
the department of supplies, is to be-
come city treasurer and Director
Hubbard, of the safety department
is to become director of supplies.
Daniel Winters, who was DR.. ]. P.
Kerrs campaign manager in the re-
cent primary battle. also has been
mentioned for director of supplies.
Superintendent of Police w. Noble
Matthews, it is said, will not be re-
tanned. Commissioner Robert Alder
dice has been mentioned for the po-
sition."
The Philadelphia Press to-day
saws: "It is gratifying to note
among the demands which the dis
satisfied policemen make upon the
city authorities is that politics be re-
moved from police duty. The law
already seeks to divorce the police
from politics. They are forbidden
to take any part in it but in prac-
tice they are not permitted to obey
the law"
A new organization. known as
the Philadelphia County Co-opera-
tive Temperance CommIttee, was
launched at a mass meeting last
evening in Philadelphia. 1t will CO.
operate with the Anti-saloon League
and other temperance bodies in a
fight at the primaries next spring
against liquor controlled politics.
Some of those identified with the
movement are Bishop Joseph F.
| Berry, of the Methodist Episcopal
| Church: DR.. Russell H. Conwell, DR..
Floyd W. Tomkins and DR.. Edwin
Heyl Delk. The organization will
raise a campaign of at least $4,000
for a spring drive" on the liquor
interests.
1t cost s13,7Ss TO elect A. T.
Connell Mayor of Scranton and the
account filed for Judge Fuller's re-
/ election campaign committee in
Luzerne shows over $4,000.
r. NJ. Jones, we'll known in
Western Pennsylvania politics and a
| former editor and Westmoreland Of
| fetal, died at Scottdale.
! Representative II. Atlee Brum-
! baugh. of Blair, says he will not be
| a candidate for reelection.
The death of Recorder DePugh,
of Perry, makes another place for
| the Governor to fill.
william H. Berry is out making
| speeches again
| -Burnham may try to have an
other election on its S45, 900 paving
program next year.
l. Republicans seems to be gener-
| ally organizing school boards
throughout the state.
| Edward 81 Klingaman is the
new mercantile appraiser in Lehigh.
Former Judge Robert Grey
| Bushong, one of the leaders of the
! Republican party, is quoted at
Reading as saying regarding the
! Town Meeting pre- emption ct Read
| ing: "It is a Ware move for the
state fight next year. don't think