Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-01

up-SldlC 5alliGlSu III
delphia yesterday say the dry"
sentiment is growing rapidly and
! spreading. Says that newspaper,
referring to conferences yesterday
| with Senator Penrose: Assuming
! that Senator Sproul, candidate for
| the Republican nomination for gov
| ernor, favors the amendment, the
| leaders who gathered at the Belle
vue-Stratford to talk over the situa-
! ton seemed to think that the or
ganization will come out for the
amendment irrespective of previous
alignments."
The Philadelphia Inquirer,
! speaking of the conference, says:
Republican State Chairman Will
liam E. Crow spent several hours in
! this city yesterday in consultation
with active Republicans from more
than a dozen counties. He met most
of them with Senator Penrose in
| the latter's office in the Commercial
Trust Building, where the general
political situation was reviewed and
various issues likely to figure in the
coming gubernatorial campaign were
discussed from all angles.
practically all of the visitors met
Senator William c. Sproul, of Della
ware county, who is regarded as as
sured of the Republican nomination
FOR governor, and they told him of
the sentiment in their respective
counties in favor of his candidacy.
Probably the most important
matter considered was the proposed
amendment to the Federal Consti-
tuition calling for prohibition, which
is to be passed upon by the coming
session of the General Assembly. The
proposition for referendum special
election at which the voters of the
state would be given an opportunity
to express their attitude upon the
question of the adoption or the re-
lection of the proposed prohibition
amendment was also discussed. There
was difference of opinion upon
these issues, as we'll as the question
OF local option. No conclusion was
reached upon any general line of
policy or upon any specific measure
or issue.
There will be further confer
ences before any program of action
shall be announced.
Il came here said Chairman |
Crow last evening, just before his
departure for home, to meet rep
resentatiVe Republicans from diff
ferent sections of the state, as | |
have been meeting others in west
ern counties for an exchange of !
views upon the current issues and
upon plans to strengthen the Re
publican party organization in the
state and to get all elements work
ing in harmony to insure Republi-
can success next November. While
practically all possible issues were
discussed, there was no attempt to
reach a conclusion upon any ques-
tion that may have to be passed up
on later when the time comes to
frame party platform. There is
the best of feeling existing among
Republicans throughout the state
and l am confident that we shall
have a sweeping victory in the fall
Among others who met Chairman
Crow yesterday were former Mayor
Joseph G. Armstrong. Colonel Sam
uel c. Jamison and Max G. Leslie,
of Pittsburgh; James f. Woodward,
of McKeesport, who is strongly back
ed by the Allegheny county delegation
for secretary of internal affairs; for
mer Judge w. E. Rice. of Warren;
State Senator WILDER p. Graft and
former Senator John S. Fisher, of
Indiana; Auditor General Charles A.
Snyder, of Schuylkill; Senator r.
Larry Eyre. of Chester; Thomas II.
GarVin, of Delaware; w. Harry Ba-
ker, of Dauphin; former Auditor
General A. e. Sisson, of Erie, and
others.
Senator Penrose also met num-
Der of his local supporters and ex-
poets to take up Philadelphia mat
ters with Thomas w. Cunningham,
chairman of TIC Republican All-
ance; Select 'ncilman Harry ].
Trainer and others to-day"
campaign of 1918 is going to be re-
as the year of the great
question mark, because more ques-
tionnaries are being prepared for
candidates than ever dreamed of by
the Government in it's task of CO.
ordinating all ends for the national
defense. Most of the men aspiring
to run as candidates this year are
of hardy mould or else belong in
districts where organization has
been perfected to a high degree.
In addition to the official dry"
people who have been busy prepar-
ing to put every legislative candidate
on record as to how he will vote
on the prohibition amendment. there
are probably half a dozen organiza-
tons working for the amendment
who plan to ask questions, too. The
woman suffrage people are going
to make a drive in the same direc-
tion, while the State Grange, State
Federation of Labor and various
other state organizations will have
series of questions of their own.
The Interrogation mark will be the
big sign of the year and from all
indications it is going to be ram
pant about May l..
In discussing the trend of the
Democrat bosses toward Guffey for
Governorship honors and their eva
sion of the liquor issue the 'Insider"
writing in Philadelphia Press says:
IF the Democrats believe there will
be split in the Republican ranks
made by j. Denny O'Neil-and they
by no means hold this opinion all
by themselves.th might we'll feel
that a man less known to the public
than Wilson, Mccormick or Palmer
could be run as their candidate,
leaving the latter gentlemen undis-
turbed in the important work they
are doing for the Federal Govern
ment. Moreover, their rather sur
prising lukewarmness to the pro-
hibition amendment fits into this
scheme. In q state like Pennsyl-
vania prohibition is a ticklish sub
ject that any political party or can
didate would be glad to let severely
alone on general principles. unless
the party happened to be the Pro-
hibition party or the candidate a
Prohibition candidate. The Demo-
Gratis may perhaps figure that the
Prohibition issue is claimed by j.
Denny O'Neil and let him have it
only too gladly. If they have gaug-