Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-04
AN ALL-BOOZE TICKET
: philadelphia Press)

In selecting the name of Fair Play
party for the top of his exclusive
booze ticket, Judge Bonniwell airs mis-
well-known feelings that the manaS-
ers of the Democratic organization IN
this city and the state do not intend
to play fair with the regular ticket.
Perhaps ne has reason for suspicion.
Politics is good deal of cateh-as-
catch-can sport, and an attitude OF
hostility has been maintained toward
each other by the candidate and the
organization leaders ever since the
nomination was made.
Judge Bonniwell is altogether in
earnest in his old-fashioned Jeffer-
sonian notion that nobody ought to
have authority to interfere with a
mans right TO take a drink whenever
he wants it and wherever ii can be
had. Leaders of the party organiZa-
ton took the other view and set up
a candidate declared for the prohlDl-
ton amendment to the Constitution.
This was not done as part of the
real fight against booze. 1t was just
a guess that the declaration woul1
be popular with a majority of the
party. But those managers didn't
know their party. Their guess was
wrong. Judge Bonniwell on wet
platform, and with practically no Or
ganization behind him, defeated the
dry candidate. No matter what sort
of platform the organization chiefs
may now cook up, the party by ma
jority vote is committed to booze.
The real fight inside the Demo-
cratic party is not on the booze is
sue, however. The present situation
is such that those in present control
of the party machinery could not of-
ford to have Judge Bonniwell
elected, il his election were possible.
The party organization, even N this
great Republican state, has some
value while there is Democratic
administration at Washington to con-
fer patronage privileges, and 1t can
make a parade and something OF d
noise at national conventions. Mucn
or all of this would be taken out OF
| the hands Of the present manage
ment if judge Bonniwell were elected
Governor. With the vast state pat
ronage ut his disposal, he would DC
able to create an organization or MS
own in which there would be no
room for the leaders who nave oeen
| thwarting him since his nomlnatloh'
| Understanding very well the nope
| lessness of his case as Democratic
candidate merely, and with knoWl-
edge that he will not be voted for by
| thousands of his own party, Judge
| Bonniwell makes the issue, as far as
/ he is concerned, distinctly one OF
| LIQUOR. lie fishes for votes from
| other than the Democratic party on
| that issue, and he provides a ticket
for those who may be willing to vote
| for booze, but who have scruples
about voting the Democratic ticket
Perhaps there are some such; the
| Dem ocratic candidate must believe
| there are, since he has gone 20 SO
much trouble to catch them.
But the Fair Play ticket will fool
nobody. The change of name does
not make 1t a ticket of anything nut
Democratic candidates with booze
for the rallying note. Dropping 4
few minor candidates who are pro-
hibitionists only emphasizes the IS
/ sue. The chief gonfalonier of the
new party is Eugene c. Bonniwell
| and only those who want to elect
him Governor will vote for 1t.