Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-24
Pee;t;c4 IN
Ps~~oqeSa~;a
BY the Ex-Committeernan

GIL investigation into charges aHect-
ing government, which can be used
Tor State. county or municipal prob
ing, is the center of political interest
In the State and is being discussed in
every city even more than in Harris
burg. Members of the Legislature
who went home last night and to-day
declared that they were going to
sound out sentiment and to see what
impression was being made by the
charges against the Governor and
other men connected with the State
administration forces.
| The resolution was reported out in
the Senate just before 1t adjourned for
! the week at o'clock yesterday after
noon. 1t was then passed on first
reading and will, be on second reading
on Monday night when the real fight
will come. Friends of the Governor
Will move to secure an amendment to
| the resolution first, and If 1t fails will
| tight 1t in the Senate, and If it gets
by that branch will endeavor to form
coalition with the Democrats, al
though it is doubtful if that can be
! done as the Democrats are on record
as favoring an inquiry.
The fight in the Senate committee
yesterday was over an effort on the
part of Senator Salus, Ware support
er, to secure a change in the clause
which gave Immunity" The senator
said that there should be some check
on perjury and Senator Ware declared
that the lack of such n provision
showed it to be unfair. He will in
sist upon it on Monday night
The members of the appropriations
| committee voted as follows on the
Salus amendment:
For-Salus, Ware, ]. F. Graf, Ma
Il. T.
kee, Hindman and Stewart.
| Against-Buckman, Snyder, Crow
| Sproul, McNichol, Croft. Daix, Phipps,
Mcconnell, Schantz, Baldwin, Eyre,
W. P. Graf, Mason. Weaver. Craig.
Sones, Washers, Topkins, Hackett,
! Warner Sassaman and Beidleman.
| Eight members of the committee
were absent and Miller and Homsher
refrained from voting.
| With few exceptions the newspa-
pers of the State expect the investiga-
ton to be made. The philadelphia
| Press says there will be n bitter fight
over the resolution and the Ledger
says that it will get to the Governor
! in a rush. The North American says
that the action of the Senate COM
| mittee was a surprise to the Cover
| nor's friends and that what it terms
the real Penrose spirit was demon
strated. The North American, which
| has been very friendly to the State
administration, says that the commit
! tees show that Penrose's control is
complete. The Inquirer says that the
Senate committees action was an an
swer to the charges that the resolu-
ton for investigation was a bluff and
was to be held up and also quotes
Senator McNichol in saying that he did
not know how far the matter would
go once it started The Pittsburgh
Gazette Times looks for a fight over
the resolution, but expects 1T to go
through.
Auditor General Powell has been
thanked by a number of the men,
bers of the Legislature for his invita-
ton to them to make use of the facili-
taties of his Office in public business
matters. The Auditor General in
formed legislators that the records
were open to inspection and that in
formation desired in regard to legisla-
alton and matters connected with it
would be placed at their disposal.
-Twenty-thr bars in Northum-
berland county have been refused Ii
censes, the largest number ever held
up at one time.
Senator Penrose has sent word to
| friends here that he will come to Har-
risburg at any time if he can assist in
the Investigations or in other matters.
committee chairmen has not evoked
criticism in spite of some newspaper
efforts to make trouble. The speaker
! took care of the men who voted for
him as the Democrats would have
| done had they succeeded in electing a
speaker. None of the Cox men got
a craftsmanship, and it is doubtful IL
any Baldwin man whould have been
given a chairmanship if the Cox peo-
| pie had won.
e. Lowry Humes, chairman of
the Democratic ringmasters' commit
| tee in announcing form of act prohi-
biting assistance to voters, said: The
act prohibits all assistance to voters,
| except where complete physical dis
| ability exists. Physical disability is
defined as such a degree of blindness
as prevents the voter from distinguish
ing the names printed on the ballot, or
| the loss or inability to use both hands
| so as to incapacitate the voter from
making a mark. Illiteracy or inabil-
| ity to read or write is not a physical
disability. A voter asking assistance
must make an affidavit setting forth
the nature of his disability, and in
first. second and third class cities the
affidavit must be made at the time the
voter registers and must be noted in
the registering list. If not so noted at
the time of registry, assistance cannot
prescribed for all violations"
The Law and Order committee of
the House will apparently stand II
'wets" and 9 "Drys." William c..
Wagner, of Allegheny county. is its
chairman. He is a wet" and the fol-
lowing members are classed on the
same side: McCaig, Lauler and
Michel, Allegheny; Ramsey, Della
ware; Urich, lebanon; Rininger,
Blair; Perry, Boyer. Cans, McArdle,
Lafferty, Crosby, Mehring and Miner,
Philadelphia; Flynn, Elk, and Leary.
Erie. The members classed as dry"
follow: Goodwin, Venango; Wood,
Indiana Sampsel. Snyder; Dewey,
Bradford; McVicar and Ross, Allie
gheny; Siggins, Warren; Haight, For
est and Lanius, York.
j. B. Smarr, who sued the Smith
administration in Philadelphia for re-
instatement, has lost his place.
Plans to push Immediately the
proposed new loan in Philadelphia are
being made. The election will be
April 10.
Speaker Baldwins advice to the
legislators yesterday not to crowd in
bills just to make a showing and to
avoid Implications and to work in
committees has been much comment
ed upon.