Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-23
Poeit;c4 IL
Pe~~oqeOo~io
BY the Ex-Committeeman

Predictions that contests against
the legality of the vote of the Penn
sylvania soldiers will be launched in
half a dozen counties and that some
of the commissioners who supervised
the elections may be dragged into
the inquiry were rife all over the
state to-day and discussion of the
effect such proceedings in court
might have upon various close cleo
ton battles dwarfed the interesting
moves now being made in state poll
ties. The manuevering in advance of
the spring primary at which state
ticket will be nominated has begun
much earlier than usual and there
are half a dozen men whose activi-
ties indicate that they are going into
the preliminary campaign in earn
est.
The state administration leaders
have been endeaVoring to soft pedal
political talk until the Philadelphia
situation clears up, but the fact is
that there are three or four men so
ardently backed by partisans { the
governmental leaders that keeping
quiet is the last thing possible about
the Capitol. The Penrose people are
also endeavoring to maintain silence.
AS -lIiey nave HlOSI W gam lTOHl ue-
velopments they are more successful
about discouraging activities than
the other factions.
There are several points upon
which contests of the soldier vote
might be made. In the first place
many persons in Pennsylvania have
never been quite clear that soldiers
had right to vote for local officers.
These people have insisted that the
intention of the trainers of the act
of 1854, which governs such cleo
tlonS, contemplated national and
state elections and not local con-
tests. Then, it is contended that the
tax situation also barred soldiers
from voting, although this may be
Far fetched and due more or less to
ocal animosities. Just what effect
he charges of undue activity on the
part of some commissioners may
nave is problematical.
The issue will likely be raised in
Philadelphia, where every vote will
count in the city election results not
20 much as in determining who was
elected, but as to how much the
Republican majority was cut down.
IN others words the effect on next
springs primary election will be the
Dig thing.
The Philadelphia Press to-day
says: "A three -cornered fight for
he Governorship between State Sem
ator William c. Sproul, of Della
ware county; State Highway Com
missioner ]. Denny O'Neil and United |
States Secretary of Labor William B.
who halls from Blossburg, is
being anticipated as more than n
possibility by political leaders in the
state, it was learned yesterday. Sec
retary Wilson, a member of Presi-
1ent Wilson's Cabinet, has been put
forward as a likely candidate by the
labor leaders of the state who are
that he is named as the
candidate to oppose Senator Sproul. |
The candidate for governor will be
chosen at the primary elections next
spring and the political leaders have
had their lieutenants out in all parts
Of the state sounding out sentiment"
"The Democrats apparently have
been busy making hay throughout |
the state and figure that they have
every opportunity of electing Secre- |
tary Wilson as a Democratic COVER |
nor of the state providing there is a |
fight between Senator Sproul and
Commissioner O'Neil after the pri-
maries. incidentally it is said that
leaders regard the con-
dition as so disturbing that some of
the up state elements may intervene |
for the sake of their own safety and |
in some way compel a truce between |
the warning factions in Philadelphia.
To this end the corners of the state |
are being busily combed for likely |
who would be so non !
partisan and at the same time so
that the battling ele- |
ments among the Republicans may
be united upon single candidate"
Labor leaders who. have been
identified with the state adminis-
tration and who are here for the
talk about the difference of opinion
among them over Clifford Pinchot
and Major John Price Jackson as
timber. Other labor
leaders who do not wear Brum-
baugh colors were insisting that la
Dor should unite regardless of Re-
publican factions. The sudden ap-
pearance of Mr.. Pinchot in Harris
burg yesterday startled some of the
partisans of Major Jackson and sent
the scouts of Highway Commissioner
J. Denny O'Neil on still hunt to
find out what he had said. From
the best information available Pin
chot has not said whether he will
run or not. He wants to survey the
field.
Folks at the Capitol expect Com
missioner O'Neil to say something
about his ambitions very soon. Men
who have been talking of Attorney
Brown are much interested
in what O'Neil, who has been fitting
about the state, may have to say on
the subject.
The Philadelphia Record re-
marks that Registration Commits
sioner Shoyey does not seem to be
in a hurry to resign although re-
turns indicate he has been elected
city treasurer of that city.
Glenn c. Meade, well known to
people at the Capitol, has been made
a Philadelphia assistant city solicit
tor.
Just what is going to be the
fate of the State Commission of
Agriculture is an interesting prob
lem. It's meetings have not attract
ed much attention at the south end
of the Capitol.
Friends of ex-Mayor Magee say
that he will likely be chosen to a
place in the Pittsburgh city coun-
Gil.
Reports are that Representative
William Davis, of Ebensburg, is dan
gerously Ill and may not recover.