Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-25
Poeit;c4 ;n
Pe~~eqeSo~io
BY the Ex-Committeeman

From all accounts Acting State
! Chairman Joseph +. Guffey. of the
| Democratic State Committee, has
made up his mind to be candidate
| for the Democratic gubernatorial
nomination, and machine Democrats
are looking forward to a campaign
in which there will be plenty of
funds with pleasurable anticipation.
Dry" Democrats are looking on with
misgivings, and the Old Guard ele-
ment, is grinding a knife or two
remembering the manner in which
the State Chairman tnrned on 1.-The
! Colonel" as they still refer affec-
tionately to James NJ. Guffey, uncle
of the man who now seeks to be
candidate for governor.
Men who follow politics are await
ing the reception that National
Chairman, Vance c. Mccormick and
the federal officeholders, will give
Guffey. The Pittsburgh man can
not be assured of the commentator
of Mccormick. unless he makes a
declaration as strong for the prohi-
bition amendment as that of Senator
William c. Sproul or Highway Com
missioner ]. Denny O'Neil, and if
he does that, the liquor Democrats
Will go on the warpath. 1t is not
to be expected that Ex-State Treas
urer William II. Berry, will view
| Guffeys boom with any degree of
equanimity, and it is said that Ex-
Judge W. E. Porter, of New Castle,
will not withdraw.
The Democratic bosses have been
I in most unpleasant position. They
! wanted Mccormick. because of
wealth and pull with the president,
] 70 onI fv,o 70 aIa
with his prohibition views and when
he refused, as he seems to have done
definitely, they looked for him to
pick the candidate for obvious reas-
| ons. And now here is Guffey in
sisting upon being the nominee.
While Philadelphia newspapers
| to-day give prominence to Commits
| sioner O'Neirs attack upon Senator
! Sprouts announcement, only one
! newspaper makes reference to it ed
J itorially, and that is the Philadel-
phia Ledger which calls Sproul
items admirable" and then adds:
The Senator must not be surprised
| If they are subjected to close and
| critical study and even If some of
/ them are received with skepticism.
1 His long experience in Organization
| politics must have taught him that
! a candidates best intentions and the
/ intentions and actions of his party
| organization are very different
/ things. but that in considering can
| didacies conscientious voters cannot
| always separate the two"
/ The North American to-day con-
| tains a two column editorial attack
! upon Congressman John r. X. Scott
! and Secretary of Internal Affairs
/ Paul w. Houck and says any ticket
! containing these two names will de
serve overwhelming reputation" 1t
| also attacks the Wares for pushing
Scott. The Philadelphia Record says
| that harmony talk has disappear
| ed while the Inquirer says that
State Chairman Crow has not made
| any progress" regarding harmony on
! second place.
! The Pittsburgh newspapers ex-
/ pect some lively developments in the
! fight between Mayor Babcock and
l the members of council opposed to
| him over c. Elmer Bown. a special
solicitor. The whole thing revolves
around whether Bown has been do
! ing what the Magee men claim he
| has been doing or whether G. X.
Robinson, who frequently appears
here. has been doing it.
The first county endorsement
given Robert p. Habgood. was given
at Bedford. on Saturday. by the Nc
Kean County Republican Committee
which also endorsed +. J. Jones. of
Bradford. for Congress; John a. F'itz-
gibbon, of Bradford. and c. W. Cat
lin, of Port Allegheny. for the Leg
islature. and II. S. Redfield. of
Smethport. for state committeeman.
| The committee also endorsed the
ratification of the national amend
ment for prohibition.
The Philadelphia Press rises to
remark that the Republican political
situation is quite in keeping with the
reputation of the month of March.
Secretary of the Commonwealth
/ Cyrus +. Woods. who has Just re-
turned from a trip to Florida for his
health, has gone TO Greensburg, after