Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-02
BROWN STRIKES BACK
ATPENROSE AND ALLIES
Attorney General Orders All Ex-
pense Accounts of 1914 and
1916 Campaign Impounded
MAY BE LOST OR MISLAID"
Move Designed Apparently as Check
mate on Plan to Probe
Governor

Attorney General Francis skunk Brown
announced this afternoon that he had or
dered mpounded all expense accounts in
the Statewide campaign of both last fall
and 1914.
He said that he had ordered Secretary
Of the Commonwealth Woods on Monda u
last to see that all accounts desired were
kept safe. "Yo know" he explained. lin
case of an investigation they m ght be
lost or mislaid.'
The action of the Attorney General
caused no excitement out of tie ordinary
In the Penrose camp, although II places the
supporters of the senior Senator at a dis
advantage IL they probe too hard and too
deep. Their election eXpenses,~too. are held
by orders of the Attorney General not only
members of the Legislature but all the
candidates may be investigated.
II Attorney General Brown cares to do
60. he can investigate the election accounts
Of Senator Penrose. Auditor General-elect
Snyder, Lieutenant Governor McClain. Sec
retary of Internal Affairs lIouck and 9TH
ers in official position who have shown hos
tility TO Governor Brumbaugh.
TRIUMvIRATE STEALS A MARCH
BY this master stroke--for such II seemed
to many politicians who are informed of
II this afternSon-the Ware -Brumbaugh- =
Brown trlumvirate have stolen a march on
Penrose. 1t was said that the expense ac-
counts of the political boss of the State
as neither the PennSylvan a Manufacturers
Association. nor the Liquor Dealers AS
soc ciation, nor the Brewers ASSOCIATE ton filed
accounts covering their expenditures at the
time of Penrose's reelection to the United
States Senate in 1914. All three of these
bodies aided greatly in his successful cam
paign.
The minor political gently such as GER
tain members of the city and county COM
mitrees. will not be free from possible
probing Their accounts are just as unsaI Ie
as those of the big leaders. II Brown de-
sres to single out any particular man. Al
though the Wares rule the Philadelphia
City Committee. the Penrose wing control
many of the city and State committees. and
also the Republican State Committee.
Attorney General Browns statement was
"Last Monday / requested Cyrus ! Woods
secretary of the Commonwealth. to place
campaign expense accounts OF all Candi-
dates in the Statewide Gu unpaigns OF 1914
and 1916 in a safe place and to safeguard
them so that they might be available in
case of an investigation
FOLLOWS PENROSE THREAT
The Brown statement came at an oppor-
tune moment. II was issued only a few
hours after Senator Penrose had said the
Legislature should stay in session until De-
cember to watch the Governor. Some one
ought to be in Harrisburg for the rema nder
Of the term OF the present State Administra-
tion to guard the interests of the people.
he said. The Legislature could do that
very well. 1t need not be in actual session
all the time, of course but would be sub
ject to convening any time. In that way it
would be splendid corrective of anything
unwise contemplated or done by the Admin
istration."
This contingency of n protracted session
was considered at meeting of the war
board in Penrose's office.
Penrose was also believed. after those
statements to have club to hold over the
heads of Mayors Smith and Magee. the lat =
ter of Pittsburgh. to force them to keep
hands off, at the next election. This be-
lief dssipated in The wintry air when
Browns statement became known. Check
mated" was the way Browns move was
characterized.
Senator McNcho last night. in booming
Ernest L. Tustn, former Senator and Re
corder of Deeds. for Mayor, also raped
Brumbaugh. In regard to Tustin. sunny
Jim" urged thaJ Tustin be supported for
higher office than he ever held before
The dinner was one of the get together
dinners of the Penrose faction. Frank Cav
en- was POSTMASTER and Jimmy Waldron a
capable chairman of the committee in
charge of the affair, Charlie Snyder. Audi
tor General-elect. who may be one of those
probed instead of probing. won the speech
making honors of the evening.