Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-30
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Pe~~eqeSoto
BY the Ex-Committeeman

WHICH represent alreauy Ine Lac
tions which will wage the battle at
the Republican primaries next spring
are being held to-day. The admin
istration people will decide about ap-
pointments and changes to be made
on Capitol Hill and the Penrose peo-
pie will arrange their campaign.
1t is claimed that every one of the
active men in the Penrose movement
so marked his ballot at the recent
election that he will be qualified to
vote at the Republican primaries
next spring, when candidates will
| be nominated for Governor and 9TH
er state offices at large and for dis
trict members of Congress and the
State Legislature.
The Republican alliance will go
upon record not only against con-
tractor rule, but upon other live is
sues which have been forced to the
front as the result of recent devel-
opments in this city," says the Phil
adelphia Inquirer.
Ballot box stuffing, the double
crossing of ballots after they have
been deposited in the box by the vo-
ters, and other forms of election
crookedness will be denounced and
steps will be taken to insure the
early enactment of legislation to
prevent a repetition of these and
other crimes against the sanctlty OF
the ballot. A call will be made for
immediate Supreme Court decisions,
which will not only affect Philadel-
phia, but every county in the state
in line with the thought that the
intent of the voter shall rule in the
counting of any ballot and that this
vital question shall not be left to |
the decision of either corrupt or |
ignorant election officers. The Alh- |
ance will be committed to require |
every candidate who shall aspire to |
go to the Legislature next year and |
before he shall be supported for |
nomination, to pledge himself that |
he will vote for legislation that will |
remove the police and firemen alb |
solutely from politics. 1t is probable |
an amendment to the Bullitt charter |
which will remove the Department |
Of Pubic Safety from the control of |
the Mayor will ultimately be advo- |
Gated, or that a statewide measure |
for a metropolitan police and fire |
administration will be the outcome |
of future discussion of this issue.
Pittsburgh politics seemed to !
have subsidized more than the politics
of any other city in the State. Con-
sidering the virulence of it's cam
paign the city has qu1eted down
amazingly. Scranton still has an un-
der current of feeling over it's battle,
while in Erie and Reading they are
preparing for the legislative battles
The Philadelphia Bulletin is
having a good bit of fun discussing
the remarks of Councilman S. K.
Singer, in Philadelphia, in which he
called the Governor "a halfway
man" and the failure of Senator
Ware, the next speaker at the din
ner at which they were made. to re-
ply. The Bulletin says; Neither
Senator Ware nor any Ware adherent
took UP the cudgels in behalf of Gov
ernor Brumbaugh. and Councilman
Stingers' attack did not so mach as
draw a word of protest. The incident
gave rise to the suspicion among
some Ware men that relations be-
tween the Wares and the Governor
were strained, but it was by others
accepted as one of those breaks
which have been known to mar din
ners."
State Democratic leaders are
still eagerly discussing possibilities
and are awaiting the return of Vance
C. Mccormick from Europe.
The Philadelphia Inquirer to-
day says of the court contest: "Hav-
ing shown evidence of error or at
least trickery, if not palpable fraud,
through the opening of ballotboxes
and the recounting of ballots, Town
Meeting party leaders, while con-
tinuing their fight in the election
,,,;l hanin N for
legal action in the contest in Quar-
ter Sessions Court. A meeting of the
Independent leaders and attorneys
will be held Monday to go over the
results of the recount and at that
time they will outline their plan of
action. The first step will be the
appeal of the Supreme Court for
reversal of its ruling on the mark
ing of the ballots"
The defeat of the Wares in the
next mayoralty contest, and the
election of a mayor who will have
the support of independents, Demo-
Gratis and of Senator Penrose, con-
stitute one of the chief reasons for
the determined legal proceedings
which aim at the correct counting
of the vote in the election of No
vember 6, says the Philadelphia Led
ger. Town Meeting leaders and
counsel were more confident than
ever last night that either the COM
putation or the contest court would
certify the election of the Town
Meeting ticket, or at least a major
portion of it, over the Smith-Vare
SLATE" but they were also looking to
the future.
Revised figures sent out yester-
day by Chairman Gaffney to the
members of Philadelphia's councils
finance committee as a basis of de-
termining the expenditures for 1918
as agreed upon to date, do not alter
the financial situation as it stood
when the committee adjourned over
Thanksgiving Day. The figures total
$46,250, 900, and sustain the conten-
tion that the municipal tax rate will
have to be increased from $1.25 to
$50 for the coming year, and with
the school tax rate, increased for
1918 from so to so cents will require
joint tax rate of $2.40 on each
500 valuation of taxable real estate.
The Philadelphia Record sug-
gests editorially that the next gov-
ernor of Pennsylvania be drafted. 1t
discusses conditions and thinks that
the draft is the solution.
John B. Trussel, post office in
spector in western counties, is to be
appointed county detective of Law
renee by District Attorney elect
| George w Muse