Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-20
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machine which would have done
credit to the organization of the
party in any southern state and the
head of its state ticket became so
indignant at it's motion that he re-
fused to follow the traditional GUS
tom of appearing before the state
committee and denounced the official
leaders of his party as chiefs of a
vendetta. The Democracy of Penn
sylvania is once more divided and
the spectacle of a candidate for gov
ernor preparing to run his own cam
paign in defiance of the highest
council of his party is presented for
1918 entertainment.
Many men who have been observ-
ing the trend of Democratic affairs
for the last year have been expecting
just such a situation. The Palmer.
Mccormick faction got into power
by drastic measures used against
men who had been long in politics
and ever since the strenuous winter
days of 1911 the deposed men have
been scheming for revenge. After
series of abortive outbreaks they
succeeded in signally defeating the
candidate of the bosses for governor
last. month, but committed the blum
der of failing to capture the state
committee at the same time.
The meeting of the state COM
mittee yesterday demonstrated con-
clusively that the Palmer Mccormick
faction, which is backed by the Fed
eral officeholders, dominates the Of
ficial organization of the party in
he Keystone State. 1t is said that
IL 1t had come to a pinch that they
could have had more than ninety
votes. The state committee will
proceed to organize the campaign
and to call a meeting of the candi-
dates for selection of a campaign
committee, while it will have the
platform committee, composed of it's
own adherents. meet here in the
next six weeks.
Judge Bonniwell came here with
the intention of forcing the state
committee leaders to give him con-
troll, and when he did not get it he
cleVerly turned the chief weapon
employed by the banded bosses in
1911 against them. This weapon is
sometimes known in polite society as
lack of confidence" but in Demo-
cratic circles it is summed up in the
assertion that some one is q traitor
TO the party. He refused to attend
the meeting of the state committee
when it was organized under the
personal direction of A. Mitchell
Palmer, contrary to his wishes, as
sailed Palmer to his face, and then
put out denunciation of his oppo-
nents that sounds like a pronuncia-
mento of the reorganizers in the
days when they assumed control of
the machine with high-sounding
phrases and strong hands.
Just as an illustration of the
temper displayed in the big day of
the Democracy which has been pro-
claimed from Market Square as unit
ed and harmonious, it may be said
that the Philadelphia Record, Dem
ocratic organ, declares this is some
of the interview between Judge Bon
niwell, candidate for Governor said
to A. Mitchell Palmer, national COM
mitteeman from Pennsylvania:
Il wouldn't speak before
those four-flushers and double
crossers," Judge Bonniwell said,
land you should be ashamed to
ask me. The action of the COM
mittee to-day is an insult to me
and every honest Democrat in
Pennsylvania"
do you mean that we are to
return to the committee and tell
them that?" Mr.. Dively asked.
GO back and tell them that
they are doub1e-crossers and
four-fiushers, and also tell them
that l will conduct my own cam
paign and will not be crossed
by the Palmer-Donnelly out
fit" Judge Bonniwell replied.
lyon CAn mama Unnr nufy1
campaign chairman" Palmer in
terposed.
Mr.. Palmer, you can enjoy
your triumph. You have jeop-
ardiZed every candidate for Con-
gress by your action to-day. Let
the blood be upon your hands"
Realizing that their visit was
futile, the committee drew away
and volunteers took their places.
Former Senator Webster d.
Grim, a Bonniwell, supporter, at
tempted to persuade the nom
inee to attend the meeting, but
without success. Others pleaded
with Judge Bonniwell and were
promptly turned down.
The Bonniwell statement affords
an enlightening slant at the result
of Democratic reorganization as
practiced in recent years. 1t says
in part: THE action of the Palmer
state committee to-day is prelimi-
nary notice that he and his clique
propose to do all in their power to
defeat my election as governor of
Pennsylvania. Every Democratic can
didate within a generation has been
accorded the selection of a state
chairman. *$ 1 am not deceived
by false smiles, nor to be betrayed
by hypocritical professions. l shall
neither deal with nor trust the COM
mittee so controlled. From the Judas
leadership that has defeated John j.
Casey, Charles N. Crosby, Robert
Creswell and other distinguished
Democrats, and has sought to de-
stroy the great Democratic districts
of Arthur G. DeWalt and Henry ].
Steele, I appeal to the loyal, honest
Democratic workers to reorganize
their counties and once for all end
this vicious, contemplate leadership
that has fastened itself like a para
site upon the fair name of President
Wilson. and whose sole concern is
the peddling of patronage"
Two things stand out in the
midst of the Democratic debacle.
One is the way in which the Demo-
cratic national chairman, Vance C..
Mccormick, called by the Pittsburgh
Gazette-Times the majority stock
holder" in the machine, found that
his duties kept him in Washington.
And the other Is the fact that the
state committee, in spite of the pres
ence of Palmer, never called on the
national committeeman for a speech
and never complimente him in n