Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-18
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Pe~~e4Gsa~io
BY the Ex-Committeeman

The right of Chairman Mclean to
designate Joseph F. Guffey or any
one else to act as chairman of the
Democratic state committee during
Mr.. McLean's absence in the Army,
will be questioned by the friends of
Judge Eugene c. Bonniwell. nom
inee for Governor. News of Major
McLean's proposed leave created
much surprise here. and while peo-
pie at Democratic state headquarters
were like clans in the absence of
Secretary Warren VanDyke, who
mad business at Washington, the
parusans. of the judge were not.
Howard o. Holstein, who ran for
Lieutenant Governor on the Bonni-
well ticket, bluntly declared when
told of McLean's action and the talk
OF Guffey as acting chairman, that
means more trouble. How does he do
that?"
The belief here is that Judge Bon
niwell will either demand a meeting
OF the state committee or the execu-
tive committee, which is composed of
the division chairmen. and renew his
effort TO name the chairman. The
state chairman has not yet succeed
ed IN notifying the judge or ;nduc-
ing him to attend either a meeting
OF candidates TO name a campaign
committee or to designate a day
when he would meet with the plat
form committee.
Mayor Smith. of Philadelphia,
yesterday summarily removed <-om
the board of Recreation the three
members whose designations he had
demanded because they refused to
sapport for the post of supervisor of
the city's Fairgrounds Edward r.
Gudehus, former clerk in the Of
nee of Senator Edwin II. Ware.
-Pittsburgh's council adopted a
resolution presented by Enoch Rauh
by which the several thousand per
diem men employed by the city will
be given a two weeks vacation with
pay, provided the step does not cost
the city any money for substitutes
and that the service is not impaired.
w. J. Burke, who is the author of
a measure TO give the men the va
cation without restriction, opposed
the Rauh resolution, arguing the
per diem men were entitled to vaca-
uons the same as other employees,
even II II did cost the city money.
In discussing the boom launch
ed by Lancaster countians to- Rep
resentative Michael r. Hoffman, ior
State Treasurer, the Philadelphia In
quirer says: while Mr.. Hoffman is
popular in his home county, he is
not well known to the active Repub-
licans of the state. He is of a mod
est. retiring disposition and would
probably be handicapped in that
respect should he find his competi-
tors for the State Treasurership
trained campaigners, with potential
connections in the different coun-
ties.
In Congressman Griest, he, how
ever would have the support of one
of the most experienced and success
full factors in the Republican State
organization. Griest has frequently
been referred to as the Sphinx OF
Pennsylvania politics. He is not
given to public declarations as to
his political plans and has for yeats
frequently acted independently of
state leaders.
LAS to the State Treasurership, a
number of months must roll by be-
fore the issue will be up to a vote.
The State Legislature will be re-
convened on the first Monday of jan
uary and during the session some of
the members of the General AS
sembly NAV strike a popular chord
in che advocacy of timely legislation
or there may be a hero of the war
with Germany who may loom upon
the political horizon end be acclaim
ed the successor to State Tt easurer
Harmon NJ. Kephart. In fact, there
are So many contingencies that may
arise tha. would effect the situation
that speculation at this time ss to
any ones chances would be mani
festly premature"