Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-01-18
Pee;Eca ;n
Ps~noqesaaia
BY the Ex-Committeeman

month, seems to be on a fair way to be
shattered because of row which has
broken out among the factions over
vacancies in the Federal service and
some postmasterships which have not
been filled because bosses could not
agree upon the selections. For months
the State leaders were able to pacify
the local leaders and in spite of the
multitude of applicants for places
managed to prevent any breach at
various meetings last year. They even
Kept the liquor question down and
men who had been deadly rivals united
under the stimulus of a national cam
paign.
When the Republican state leaders
started to row over the speakership
the Democrats fairly threw themselves
at each other and there was much
talk about the harmonious organization
ana the manner in which the Demo-
Gratis were united and bent upon clean
ing up and doing other things to Penn
sylvania. And now they have fallen
out over the part which they should
take in any investigation of the State
! government and over the appointment
20 the mercantile appraisership in
| Philadelphia. Some of the Democrats
want to run the investigation and
others want to take only a part in it,
| While some do not want it at all.
The Philadelphia Press. always
friendly to the reorganization crew,
has this to say: Fractional strife in
the Democratic ranks between the old
Guard and the Reorganizers. never
actually concluded, although appar-
emily so, when City Committee Chair
man B. Gordon Bromley retired as
head of the Old Guard and State Com
mittee Chairman Roland S. Morris re-
tired as leader /of the Reorganizers,
mas broken out afresh in the struggle
for the $4,000 appraisership post re-
Gently made vacant by the retirement
OF w. w. Roper. The slated candidate
Is, as announced by The Press, A. L..
Noise, law partner of City Committee
chairman Edgar w. Lank. He has
the backing of A. Mitchell Palmer.
vigorous opposition to the Noise ap-
polntment, which his hackers tried to
have made before knowledge of it was
widespread, has broken out since pub
icity was given to it."
The Philadelphia Inquirer of to-day
says: "A Penrose move to win the
cooperation of the Democrats in the
probing of the several departments in
the Brumbaugh administration was
| disclosed yesterday when Senator Pen
rose admitted that proposition had
been made that there be at least one
Democrat from the Senate and one
from the House upon the joint COM
mission of the General Assembly to
conduct the investigation. L think
this is an eminently fair and proper
suggestion remarked the senator,
| and believe it will be carried out.
The senator added that there had been
no agreement as to the number of
members to be appointed on the COM
mission. He said it was desired that
the commission be as small as possible,
the exact number to be determined be-
fore Monday next, when the resolution
Will be offered at Harrisburg. There
are ten Democratic members of the
Senate and thirty-seven Democrats are
on the roll of membership of the
House. The attitude of the Demo-
Gratis has already been clearly defined
by the action of their caucus which
was followed by the introduction of a
resolution in the House by Representa-
tive Sarig, of Berks county, calling for
an investigation of the various charges
made by Senator Penrose and others
affecting the State administration and
reciting such allegations in full. The
Democrats hope to make political capi-
tai out of the probe that will aid them
in the next gubernatorial campaign"
Democrats in some of the cities
of the State are not showing as much
eagerneSS to spend their money for
trips to the Wilson reinaugural as they
did four years ago and there are fears
among some of the Democratic leaders
that there will be n startling contrast
between the Keystone State paraders
of March and those of four years ago.
In Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, where
the jobs are nearly all given out, there
is little interest, and the Lackawanna
and LuZerne contingents will be more
of compliment to the men who worked
them up than to the President.
Another thing which is disturbing
the Democrats is that there is a pro-
/ mr. fx-ici ion arHpR 90 hnv,
on the rum question. The State lead
ers have not made up their minds and
the red-hot declarations of some can
didates two years ago are not echoed
by the rank and file. The fact that the
Democratic members soft pedalled that
proposition at the recent caucus in the
Capitol is regarded as significant.
The city of New Castle has solved
the much veXed question of where to
locate it's garbage plant by buying a
plot some distance from the town. AL
toona will probably do the same.
| Senator Frank E. Baldwin. who
was fought by the State administration
. forces for election to the upper house
may be a member of the investigation
commission which is proposed.
The formal resignation of Bank
ing Commissioner w. H. Smith was
issued last night. 1t is less than
! twenty words.
d. Edward Long, the. new Su-
perintendent of Public Printing, had q
talk with the Governor and Attorney
{ General yesterday and will await con-
firmation by the Senate before making
: any move to take charge of the office.
The city council of Williamspor
is tied up in knot on the question o.
a city clerk to fill a vacancy caused b!
4 death. Several ballots have not shown
an election.
Pittsburgh dispatch says: "AH o
= the Allegheny county representative
who voted for Richard J. Baldwin fo
: Speaker in the Republican caucus, an,
iprobably more, will back Senator Pen
:, rose to the limit in his announced plai
to investigate State offices at Harris
: burg. Public Service COMMISSIONS
William A. Magee, ex-mayor, and chic
a Brumbaugh supporter here, is care
fully laying lines to capture the mayor
e atty for President J. P. Kerr, of Pitts
burgh's city council of nine at tn
n nonpartisan primaries, in oppositio
to the regular organization force
# headed by Mayor Joseph G. Arm
strong, a staunch supporter of tn
Is senior senator. An investigation {
the Public Service Commission, whic
would have to do largely with the pc
litical and other activities of Commits
y sioner Magee, the anti-Magee peopl
here figure, would keep Magee bus
n | in Harricht1ro cn fbaf ba xuot.