Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-05-02
Poe;t;c4 G..
Pe~'.Oqeeo~ia
By the Ex-Committeeman

By the Ex-C x-Committeeman
The biennial discussion of ways
and means to simplify the present
primary nominating system and to
avoid the troubles which arise In the
| hnal rush of petitions at the office
of the Secretary of the Common
! wealth is on at the Capitol and II Is
| possible that some suggestions will
be made to the next Legislature, The
chief theme appears TO be a way to
avoid the filing of petitions to
Jockey" aspirants for office who
have announced candidacy out of
advantages they may have by reason
OF the first letter of their names or
initials, Such things are becoming
common, One OF the suggestions
made is that candidates for statewide
nominations, at least, should draw
| lots or deputiEe some one to draw
| lots for them, to determine order of
| place on the ballot, This is done by
candidates for council in third class
| cities under the third class city nom
| partisan election clause, Another
step which is suggested is rearrange-
| mont of the time OF filing and for
withdrawal, BY operation of the old
| law which regulated Withdrawals
| and OF a new law which shortened
the period in which to file, so that
more time could be given to certify,
| just one day as allowed for with
| drawal this year, The conditions
| which will prevail in the election Of
Supreme Court justices this fall,
| when nomination papers will have to
| be filed and the field will be open,
will also receive attention.
while Soma nawsnapers are
calling upon Governor Brumbaugh
to take his time in regard to filing
the two vacancies on the Supreme
Court bench and select men who will
command the respect OF bench, bar
and public and be nominated and
elected without serious opposition
this Fall, other newspapers and
some politicians are calling attention
to what fine plums there are for
political use in the appointments.
The Philadelphia Record intimates
that the vacancies are being thought
of in connection with the campaign, !
while the Philadelphia Bulletin calls
upon the Governor to take the Su- |
preme Court out of politics and name
one Republican and one Democrat
who will measure up to state de-
mands and be elected to full terms
without a fight in November. In this
connection il is interesting to note
that Senator Sproul has declared for
Judge George Kunkel and a.
Mitchell Palmer as the two men to
be justices. 1t should be borne in
mind that one of the judges must
be q Democrat, under the constitu-
ton. Justice Mestrezat was the DEM
ocratic member of the court.
While the Wares are still insist
ing that Notwithstanding the deci-
sion of the Dauphin county court
Republicans who voted Town Meet
ing cannot vote at the primary, it is
apparent that they are going to do |
so and that Penrose and others will !
not be stopped. If they are there will |
be arrests. Senator Wares assertion |
that other decisions conflict is all the !
more reason, in minds of students
of political matters, for revision of !
the whole primary, system. In Phila- !
delphia attacks on petitions for COM
mitteemen are developing some new
questions, which are puzzlers, one
being whether man must be both
registered" and enrolled
Commissioners O'Neil spent yes
terday on tour of Allegheny county |
and will leave there to-day to take
part in the anthracite region tour
which is being termed the grand
spring offensive" about his head |
quarters. The O'Neil men look for
results from their speeches in that
section and believe the people are
interested in their announced pro-
gram to assail Penrose. Senator
Sproul. who spent yesterday at Will
Transport, left to-day for Pittsburgh
and will be in Western Pennsylva-
MIA, where Senator Beidleman is
quite busy, the next two weeks. Sen
tor Beidlemal casually remarked
that while Cong ess was working for
the nation at Washington and had
been for some time, Mr.. Scott had
been much in Pennsylvania.
No one here was very much
surprised when it was announced by
John r. X. Scott, at Philadelphia.
last night, that he proposed to
stump the state with O'Neil. The
O'Neil hea dquarters was silent on
the subject, just as Scott's partisans
have been silent on the question
whether he will come out and join
with ONeil on the dry issue or
remain on the fence while also on
the O'Neil speaking platform. Scott
came here a week ago and got his
speaking dates at O'Neil's head
quarters and it has been no secret
that he was getting ready to join
forces.
Some people here think that
Scotts appearance with O'Neil, the
Governor and the Attorney General
will be intended to show the people
that while the Wares are not en-
dorsing any candidate for Governor
they are sympathetic with O'Neil,
otherwise Scott, their favorite for
Lieutenant Governor, would not be
seen with O'Neil. The belief is
growing that the Wares will remain
neutral.
The Philadelphia Press makes
this remark about Scott: "Scott's
significent action of yesterday un-
doubtedly upsets the contention that
the Ware organization will be solidly
for Sproul. 1T now becomes a ques-
ton of how far the city organization
will wander from the path originally
marked out, whether 1t will be a di-
vision of support between the two
candidates, or unqualified support
for O'Neil." The Democratic Phil
adelphia Record says: How O'Neil
and Scott will mix was the big ques-
ton being debated yesterday in this
city by political wiseacres. The
unique combination of church work.
er and Tenderloin Congressman and
attorney is expected to cost the
Highway Commissioner thousands
of votes in the rural sections of the
state and also among the church
people in the cities On the other
hand, O'Neil Is sure to be benefited
/ in the Vare-controlled ward of this