Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-16
Poei;c4 i~
Pe~~e4so~io
BY the Ex-Committeeman

much attention among men who fol-
low the development of partisan and
factional political affairs as just now.
For weeks the Ware brothers have
been keeping the state guessing as
to what they intend to do in the Re-
publican gubernatorial primary and
the elements opposed to the South
Philadelphia leaders have been max
ing life more or less stirring for
them, especially ip regard TO con-
tracts and conduct of municipal af-
fairs. The situation in the Quaker
City is believed to be on the point
of developing and the next ten days
will probably be as momentous in
state politics as any in the last doz-
en- years. Indeed. so serious has it
become that national Republican
leaders are now reported as about to
take a hand and on orders from the
highest Democratic leaders the
Pennsylvania Democrats have held
back all booms for Governor until il
is seen what comes out of Philadel-
phia.
In other words, the whole state
campaign of all parties has been held
up and even efforts Oh behalf of the
dry" amendment retarded until some
squabbles about politics in Philadel-
phia are either ironed out or given
fresh animation.
What appears to have been a
well-arranged assault upon Senator
Wares neutrality position occurred
yesterday when Governor Brum-
baugh and Attorney General Brown,
recipients of the favor of Senator
Ware and the leading advocates of
Highway Commissioner J. Denny
O'Neil as the successor of DR.. Brum-
baugh, joined Mr.. O'Neil in pleading
with the Senator to come out for
O'Neil. Attorney General Brown is
personal counsel for Senator Ware,
but even that fact and the presence
of Congressman John r. *. Scott
at the conference with Mr.. ONeil |
failed to result in any change that
was announced or even intimated to !
the throng of officials and minor Of !
ticeholders of the state administra- |
ton who appeared to have business |
In Philadelphia yesterday. The move |
on Ware was evidently expected to !
bring forth something definite be- |
cause the Capitol was on tiptoe with |
last night and Mr.. O'Neil |
was in hopes when he left the city |
that he would have something by |
which to steer.
While the administration big |,
chiefs were at Wares tepee and the |
and sitting in movies" State Chair /.
man William L. Crow was discuss |
ing the situation with the Penrose
leaders from all parts of the state |
and Senator William q. Sproul was
men and lining up his cam |
paign which will become active |
about April 1.
Democratic leaders and scouts
were pussyfooting it all over Phila- |
delphia and the wires to Washington
buZzed with reports of inability to
get line on things.
The whole thing is now resolved
down to the meeting of the Repub- |
lican city committee of Philadelphia, !
which is to be made the vehicle of
the Ware declaration. The commit |
tee is controlled by the Wares who
will have the mayor, district attor-
ney and other officials sit with 1t in
up the choice. Some of the
state administration men are jubi-
liant at this plan after runlinating
over 1t for a week. 1t is generally
suspected that Senator Sproul has
Senator Vare's promise. Ware is u
wise general. He gets the drift of
and gets ahead of it. Now,
if through the efforts of the Attorney
General and others, enough Ware
lcduSTSp VIII less WlllinSs
should declare that O'Neil should
for the man from McKeesport. ~
the other hand, Sproul men claim
that the majority of the Philadel-
phia ward leaders are for Sproul
and that they realize that the state
administration can not put may
more appointments in Philadelphia
without upsetting the balance in thet
rest of the state. They also argue.
these friends of Sproul, that the
administration will end
in nine months and that the Var es
may have to fight to held their con-
troll in Philadelphia again, to sayI
of facing a demand in the
state when the General Assembly
Philadelphia's political distemper.
Speaker Richard J. Baldwin, of
the last House, will probably be a
for denomination in Della
ware county's second district, ac-
cording to friends. The speaker had
been saving wood and contemplat-
ing the historic spots along the
but as he rejoices in n
record of seven sessions, he will
probably run again.
another veteran who may re-
turn is Thomas +. McNichol, floor
leader of the administration in the
last House. clever. witty and genial.
with friends in every party and fac
ton. McNichors ambitions lie to-
ward the bench. but in Philadelphia
many people are anxious to have him
back in the House and he may yield.
Glen Chestnut, the Fulton
member. has sent word to the
70
most everybody else are for him in
his bailiwick and that he is coming
back to the Legislature. but does not
intend to sit in any back row seat
next time. Chestnut. however, can
individualize any seat which may be
bestowed upon him in legislative
halls.
An interesting piece of political
gossip from Western Pennsylvania
IS that George Plummer Baker. one
of the Washington county delega-
ton. is thinking of trying for the Re-
publican senatorial nomination in
the Greene Washington district. DR..
]. c. Mckay. OF Waynesburg. and T.
B. Fl. Brownlee, of Washington, also
have aspirations. They are both
dry" but Mr.. Baker has not de-
clared himself.
John A. Bclard. an attorney of
Cambridge Springs. twice defeated
for the Legislature from Crawford.
says a Meadviile dispatch, Is willing
to try his luck again on the Repub-
lican ticket. Ex- Representative L.
o. McLane, of Linesville. is leaning
toward the race course as a Repub-
lican, and Fred J. Shattuck. of the
same place. present assemblyman,
will probably be In the field for re-
nomination. The Hon. John P. Will
liams, of East Meade, the other as