Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-04-02
DRY NOMINEES TO
BE ENDORSED
Committees Will Meet in This
City to Outline Amend ;
ment Advocates Plans

A meeting which will have an i'm
portant bearing on the efforts of
the dry" forces of Pennsylvania to
secure the election of a majority of
the next Legislature pledged to vote
for the ratification of the national
prohibition amendment will be held
here, Thursday. The participants in
the meeting will be the state coop
Grating committees of the Dry Fed
Grafton and the Anti-Saloon League.
The committees are composed of
the Rev. Rufus w. Miller, Philadel-
phia; the Rev. w. Scott Nevin, Mar
berth; the Rev. Harvey Klaer, Har-
risburg; Lex N Mitchell, Punxsu-
tawney, and William N. McNair,
Pittsburgh, for the Dry Federation,
and the Rev. John Watchorn, Phila-
delphia; the Rev. Dwight c. Hanna,
Philadelphia; the Rev. ]. B. Mark
ward, Harrisburg; John w. Wicker
man, Bellevue, and George Rankin,
Jr., Williamsburg, for the Anti-Saloon
League.
The committees were created by
their respective state organizations
for the purpose of harmonizing the
dry supporters in the various sena-
torial and legislative districts and
preventing n division of forces in
cases where more than one dry"
candidate is running for a single
vacancy. 1t is the intention of the
two committees to reach an agree
nent on dry" candidates, selecting
men, whom in their judgment, would
be successful and then seeking to
induce other dry" candidates to
withdraw and permit a clean-cut
wet" and dry" issue to be made.
In former legislative fights wet
candidates have been elected in
three-cornered contests when two
other candidates divided the dry
vote. This year it is proposed that
no such condition shall exist and for
this reason the state cooperating
committees of the Dry Federation
and the Anti-Saloon League, repre-
senting Between them all the dry"
forces of the state. have been clothed
with large powers in the final en-
dorsement of candidates.
AS preliminary to the joint meet
ing next Thursday, the members of
both committees representing their
respective sections of the state will
meet on Monday to pave the way for
the larger gathering. Mr.. Miller,
Mr.. Nevin, Mr.. Watchorn and Mr..
Hanna, representing the eastern sec
ton, will meet in Philadelphia; Mr..
Klaer and Mr.. Markward, represent
ing the central section, will meet in
Harrisburg, and Mr.. Mitchell, Mr..
McNair. Mr.. Vickerman and Mr..
Rankin will meet in Pittsburgh.
The meeting in Harrisburg on
Thursday will be attended by DIR.
John Royal Harris, state superin-
tendent of the Dry Federation, in
addition to the committee members.
The meeting will be the first of a
series which will be held up to
April 12, the last day for legislative
candidates to withdraw their petit
tions and the day following the last
for fling. Following April II, the
dry" forces will publish a list of
candidates for all legislative vacan-
cies who have pledged themselves to
vote to ratify the national prohibi-
ton amendment.
1t is probable that the Thursday
meeting will discuss candidates for
state offices to be voted on this year.
Many of the "drys" became favor
able to the candidacy of State High
way Commissioner ]. Denny O'Neil
for the Republican nomination for
Governor, but since State Senator
Wlllldll y. opTOul, dlSO IL CdHuludIe
for the Republican nomination, has
declared emphatically for the ratifi-
cation of the national prohibition
amendment, many of the "drys" fig
ure that the Governorship issue has
been decided so far as the Republic
an party is concerned. and that their
efforts should be centered and con-
fined to the Legislature. This matter
will be thoroughly discussed and
some definite action probably taken
at the Thursday meeting.