Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-11
Pse;tsca ;a
Pe~aaqeso~;a
BY the Ex-Committeeman

The belief seems to be CROWNS
very general about the Capitol that
there will be no commissioners sent
to take the votes of the soldiers in
France. Siberia or the Philippines
but that the only commissioners to
be named will be men to take votes
in cantonments and various naval
and other stations in this country
There may be several hundred OF
them. all to be gubernatorial ap-
pointments The Attorney Generals
Department. to which was referred
the question whether War Depart
ment regulations in time of war can
supersede state law providing Tor
voting of soldiers in the field, is OK
pected to render a decision within a
few days. New Jersey, it is pointed
out here, operates under an entirely
different law and the naming of three
commissioners to take votes does not
fall within the Pennsylvania situa-
ton.
Railroad men here see little
| chance of a revision of the order Of
Director General McAdoo that all
men connected with railroads having
political positions or being candidates
must retire from one or the other.
and some of the railroad men who
are legislative candidates have been
sending inquiries to the Capitol ask
ing what steps shall be taken. The
Democratic state headquarters which
has been asked about the matter by
some candidates is not making any
statement just now.
Present indications are that the
meeting of the Democratic state COM
| mittee here at noon Saturday to hear
what Judge Eugene c. Bonniwell
has to say about the Palmer charges,
will be one of the largest in years.
Not only will there be an impressive
list of members and leaders of the
Palmer Mccormick faction present,
but the friends of the Judge are COM
ing in force. Hotel reservations are
being made and it looks like a high
party council.
There is some perturbation at the
Democratic state headquarters over
the talk of having Democratic
Congressional candidates meeting to
demand a cessation of the party
strife. The present leaders got con-
troll through a Congressional demand
for a reorganization of the party
machinery and the alarm felt is
shown by the way National Chairman
Vance c. McCormick's newspaper to-
day denounceS people who talk that
way as friends OF Bonniwell.
The Philadelphia Inquirer to-
day gives this interesting view of the
plans of the Bonniwell contingent:
1T would appear that Judge Bonni-
well intends to dig down into the po-
litical past of the former Congress
man and present alien property Gus
todian and to not only defy him, but
Vance c. Mccormick, the Demo-
cratic national committee chairman,
and also every member of the Demo-
cratic state committee who shall fol-
low the advice of Palmer and re-
pudiate the Bonniwell candidacy.
Among other things decided at yes
terday's conference was that Judge
Bonniwell shall not attend the meet
ing of the Democratic state commit
tee, which has been set for next
Saturday at Harrisburg, at which
time, according to the terms of The
resolution, adopted at the meeting
at which Palmer made his charges
against Bonniwell, the candidate |
was to be given an opportunity 10 |
make answer 10 1the allegations of |
the national committeeman. Re- |
gardless of the state committee, |
Bonniwell's managers are planning |
for him to address meetings through |
out the state, at which he is expected |
to speak frankly about all of his
Democratic opponents"
Much is being made in some |
quarters Of the state of the selection |
of a state chairman for the Demo-
Gratis from a wet" county, as in
dicating that the Palmer r-McCormick t,
crowd in picking a man to be- the |
official goat in this falls campaign, |
were careful to see that he came |
from section where Bonniwell !
would be expected to be strong
est.
Friends of Congressman John V |
Lesher, of the Northumberland dis |
trict, who were inclined to think that |
things would be easy for him have |
changed their minds since the Demo-
cratic row was intensified and are
worried, while the partisans of Con- /
gresham A. r. Brodbeck, of the |
York-Adams district, are gloomy in
deed.
"A proposition to back Senator |
Edwin W.. Patton, of the West Phil
adelphia district, for appointment
as successor to the late County Com
missioner Robert j. Moore in Phila-
delphia is being seriously considered !
by the Ware leaders. This vacancy
will be filled by appointment by the
board of Judges. Should Senator
Patton be named as county commits
sioner the plan is that he shall with
draw from the Republican ticket for /
the Senate. The Wares, controlling a |
majority of the Republican ward |
committees in the district would then |
be in a position TO nominate John A. |
McAvoy, the Ware leader of the Thir-
ty-fourth ward, for state senator.
1T is said to be a foregone con-
clusion that Harry Mackey, chair
man of the State Compensation |
Board, will be retained under the I
next administration. Mackey has
given an immense amount of time |
and thought to the development of |
the system in this state and was one
of the first of the Philadelphia ward |
leaders to come out for Sproul.
Auditor General Charles A. Sny-
der, whose speech at Collegeville, |
Montgomery county. calling attention |
to the dabbling of highly placed ma
tional officials in the partisan politics |
of Pennsylvania has been much COM |
mented upon. is scheduled to make |
another speech at Doylestown on