Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-09
PoeHc4 i~
Pe~~a4eSa~io
BY the Ex.Committecrnan

SylVan1a democracy over the Sttua-
ton in the party in the state which
they had promised to turn over to
President Wilson, and did not, are
commencing to be noticed not only
in this city where the windmill is To-
Gated but in other parts of the state.
The present titular leaders got into
power at a time when carrying on
the party organization was very ex-
pensive and took advantage of a Sc
we're defeat, in which some of the
present high lights took a part, to
charge treachery and force reorgani-
cation. They are afraid some other
people have learned the way and
may start something next winter.
And they are also afraid that they
are going to be called to account
by the schoolmaster because of the
way the congressional outlook Is
shaping up.
When the Palmer peo-
Pile dethroned the Colonel Guffey
regime the fuss was made so great
that it was overlooked that the pres
ent national chairman had bolted the
Democratic state ticket in 1910.
Lately some men have been reviving
that memory. And they are talking
about it in advance of a state cam
paign in which the standard bearer
was named in opposition to the
wishes of the bosses of the state
machine.
Not only are the men who sit
about the council board in Washing
ton and frame the official destinies
of the Democratic party in Pennsyl-
vania worried over the refusal of
the Dem mocratic voters of the state to
carry out their orders, but they are
afraid that there will be a party sit
uation created by Judge Eugene c.
Bonniwell which will force them into
a position such as they alleged the
old leaders to be after the campaign
of 1910. Judge Bonniwell says he
means to name his own committee to
carry on his campaign for Governor
Independently of the State Commit
tee or any committee which may be
named by other candidates. This is
tantamount to a declaration of no
confidence" The judge is also Great
ing a situation by his demand for
retirement of ]. washington Logue,
the reorganizer who won second
place on the ticket by few hun
dred votes. The upshot may be that
the Bonniwell Democrats will play
a lone hand and the Palmer-McCor-
mick Democrats will have to stand
by Logue. There are all sorts of
possibilities for a grand old party
row next winter when folks have
leisure to review what happens this
fall, but no possibility of any Dem
ocrat being elected to state office. 1t
is predicted that the present leaders
will have to stand trial next Win
ter and that the game the Palmer
Mccormick people worked in forcing
a meeting of the State Committee
early in 1911 may be repeated TO
their disadvantage.
Not only is this condition dis
turbing the leaders who make Wash
ington their headquarters but there
is the great probability that right
when the President wants all tse
Democratic Congressman he can get
they may see the Keystone Demo-
cratic congressional delegation ma
terially reduced. There are now
seven Democratic Congressman from
Pennsylvania. 1t is said in some
quarters that in November there
will be only three or at most four
to be reelected. Men who have
been closely observing conditions in
many parts of the state say that the
Democrats are in bad because of
their family quarrels and that the
Donnybrook Fair may result in men
voting Republican out of disgust.
The only Congressman of DEM
ocratic faith sure of reelection are
Dewalt and Steele, both of whom
were renominated against the Pal
mer- Mccormick factions opposition,
and some sanguine folks think that
the row may result in defeat of one
of them. However, they live in
strong Democratic districts. In one
Allegheny district Congressman Guy
E. Campbell got on the Republican
ticket because of some fighting
among Republicans in that county.
He will win, but it is claimed by we'll
posted men that the chances are
excellent for defeat of Congressman
Lesher, Brodheck, Beshlin and Ster-
ling.
-Lesher is the Northumberland
district Congressman and has a fam
lily fight in his district, while the
perennial racket among the York
Adams Democrats is starting again.
3eshlin is claimed to have been an
accident against repetition of which
| safe and sane policy has been
AIKEN out.
Mayor Smith, of Philadelphia,
an interesting figure for men who
follow politics in Pennsylvania, in
view of his testimony yesterday. He
declared he was not a real Ware
man, but a friend of McNichol.
The county commissioners con-
ention at Pittsburgh seems to have
been a love feast as men of all
shades of politics got together and
| talked over their problems. ]. Den
ny O'Neil and Charles A. Snyder
were the big speakers yesterday.
A st. Louis newspaper writins
about what may happen after the
war makes this reference to politics.
1T is altogether likely that the cleo.
ton next November will be the last
| election, for many years. to come, in
which civilian candidates will be a
predominating element. BY 1920
whether the war is over or not, the
candidates with war record will
be in evidence Officers and mer
who are invaded home will recover
sufficiently to be qualified fol
various public duties from con.
stable to Congressman, and the in.
cumbents will have to make a very
definite showing of service to stand
any chance against them in the prf.
maries.
When the war does end, and the
soldier voters get home, the civilian
officeholder and the civilian candI.
data will Ioua