Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-04
DEMOCRATS PLAN
TO RUN THE STATE
Republicans Urged to Stop Fac
tionalism and Nominate a Big
Man for Governor

To TIC Editor Of the Ercning Public LcdJcE
Sir--The election of Il Governor Lieutenant
Governor, Secretary of Internal Affairs.
thrty.six Congressman and a Legislature
next November while important is but the
skirm sh for Il commanding position in the
far greater contest-the presidency of l92O--
and therefore this campaign for Governor
will be fought 10y the Democratic party with
q degree of skill and determination such as
was never before witnessed in Pennsylvania
The history of American politics shows
that from the inauguration of Washington
April 80, 1889, until March 4, l9l7--a period
Of 12S yearS--there were only. two successive
Democratic admmistrat Ons, the first in 1882
when Andrew Jackson succeeded himself, and
again in 1916. when Woodrow Wilson be-
came his own successor But beginning with
Abraham Lincoln and ending with james A.
Garfield there were six successive Rcpub-
lican administrations of twenty.four years
and. again. from William Mckinley. in 1896
until W. VI. Taft. in 1912, there were four
more successive Republican administrations
Of sixteen years, max nG total of forty
years Of successive Republican Administra-
tionS within Il period of flfty-siX years
against twenty years Of such successive terms
by Demaratic administrators during the
eghty.four years of the presidency from
jackson to Wilson.
TO record that for the second time in his
tory there were three successive terms
from 1912 to 192i--is one of the all-abSorbinE
reasons why President Wilson IL giving such
an unprecedented interest TO the pennsyl.
vania campaign of 1913, and two very i'm.
rortant questions that confront Republicans
| Of PENNSYLVANIA are:
First. Shall that history be written as
| President W lson would have 1t recorded p
! Andrew Jackson and Woodrow Wilson were
| the only Presidents who secured to TN. conn.
| try three successive terms of the presidency.
Second How are Pennsylvania Republi-
/ cans to prevent the writing of history i'm that
| way?
/ At eighty-one years of age a, man has
/ passed the period when he is Influenced nv
| selfish ambition. sordid pursuits or y'ndic-
| tive purposes. therefore it must be granted
! that my aim is to restore the Renublican
/ party OF Lincoln, Mckinley and Roosevelt IA
| that degree of confidence which led tho Amer.
| lean people to give 1t their earnest continual
| and successful support The first step is to
elect the Republican state ticket and thereby
| tlwart the scheme of the Big -Four 10 carry
pennsylvania for the Democratic candidates
! next November, preliminary to the election
| Of IA Democratic President in 1920
To do that is the most serious problem tha,
has ever confronted the Republican nartv az
| TennsylVania Immediately following the
death of Senator Quay in 1904 Marty or
| ganizat'on was created which. owing TO It's
selfish purposes, sordid aims narrow.n,inded
| prejudices and vindictive practices led n
large portion of the membership of the nar,y
| to turn against the party organIzation Tba n,
| opposition began in 1905-the first yeor fol
| lowing the death OF Quay--and stilI ex,ats a,
| a menacing influence which If ignored 90 te
| court defeat Senator Quay had hro,,ght r,s
| Republican party to such high state nf IN
| cheney in Pennsylvania that IL pa,n ~ 80
| iority of 505229 for Roosevelt for pras,dn,',
| i'm November, 190i-the largest evor oao, o.,
any candidate by any party N anv Stata n,
| the Union That majority was excentinn. II,
large. but the leadership Of QUAY ana pnoss
| Welt was exceptionally capable '''o''
| At the election for State Troo. 4,
| November. 1905--ony one year Iatn, az, ~
rarty organization candidate for stata l,,.en
urer was defeated by Democrat,o 70. .N.,..
of Ss.l9i. cast for William II Ro.n,' a'oii.' ny,
brought to light glaring frauds mo, VIZ, ,r''
| state Treasury, for which a numbar 90 ~
| most efficient supporters of the partv ou,,..,'
| zation were arrested, tried cony,o, -, ~ san' D
| sentenced to Imprisonment ant
The same party organization intueroo L.,
| TO the defeat OF four Republican Sor,se 20.
men in 1916 all Of them runninr ssress rs
election In strong Republican distriotS tt,
Twenty-third, Twenty-eghth, Tbirtis,h i' ,i'
Thlrty-second Had these Republicans hn, gu,
reelected 1t would have enabled the pa,,,es, uee,
cans to organize Congress- The aIarmtna - -
ditions that would have been made n,,h,,' sy'' ~
investigating committees would have has,, - y
such startling character that Rep,,by,cs