Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-20
'Poe;Ec~ CT
Pe~~e4eSa"ia
~ .E committeeman
BY the 'Ex-Committceman


In the language of one of the
keenest and most experienced OBJ
servers of politics in the state the
situation in the Republican party in
Pennsylvania may be pretty well
summed to-day by the phrase Scott
or fight" In the last half dozen
years the Wares have managed to so
work things about that they have
held the key to the Republican sit
uation in the Keystone state on al
most every occasion worth while.
They have it to-day in the shape of
the endorsement which the Republi-
can city committee of Philadelphia
can give to any candidate. This en-
dorsement has been widely advertis
ed, although as a matter of fact, it
may not be as valuable as people
think because the war on Vare'S con-
tracts may be resumed at any minute
and the close call of the Republi-
can organization in Philadelphia last
fall is remembered generally. Still,
up the state, there are many who Oe
lieve that the moral effect of the en-
uOIStIll6ll OI inc ware OTSdDlZdllOil
would be great.
The Wares insist upon Congress
man John r. X. Scott being accepted
by the Penrose organization as the
main condition of endorsement of
Senator William G. Sproul for gov
ernor. The city committee may be
called at any time to act in the mat
ter.
The state administration forces
which are backing Highway Com
missioner O'Neil, stake much on this
proposition. 1t is believed that the
Scott candidacy. which is most re-
pugnant to Senator Penrose, was en-
girieered by men back of O'Neil, who
saw a chance to fish up something
from troubled waters. They have
even started O'Neil and Scott papers
around together. Scott is strong,
but whether his strength would
stand up under the fire which would
come at a general election, a vastly
different thing from a primary, as
the above mentioned observer point !
ed out, is question.
Meanwhile. the talk that the
Republican ''wets," angered hy
Sprouts declaration for prohibition,
may have a candidate of their own
" Bib against Aopi Ouls ~ ANCll anu |
Habgood is going around with much |
advertiseme 1t is even declared !
by some of the noisy ''wets' that it |
will not be Weimer but a man of
greater state prominence.
In the language of the Philadel- |
phia Evening Ledger the Pennsylva- !
mia Democratic leaders, like the Boil
shevik, continue to be "entranced by !
Auditor General Charles A. Sny- |
der's drastic action in issuing a letter
of warning to heads of departments |
that continued absence of state en-
ployes from their posts on other than
state business will result in holdup
of their pay, has attracted much at |
tention. 1t has been foreshadowed !
for some time and the Auditor GEN !
eral says he has heard some reports
of glaring absence from posts. The
state administration people denounce
the action, but the Auditor Generals
friends say the course of the admin
istration warrants such curbing.
The O'Neil headquarters last
night came out with a claim that the
enrolment in the boroughs and
townships was progressing rapidly
and that O'Neil was making gains.
Joseph N. Mackrell secretary of the
committee, said:
1--WE have received a great many
long distance telephone calls and
kilograms to-day from various parts
of the state, all dealing with the
question of registration and enroll
ment. Reports that I have gotten
from the counties that have been in
touch with the headquarters to-day
show that the campaign we have
made for increased registration and
enrolment, is already a success, and
we still have to-day on which the
boroughs and t. wnships will have an
opportunity to egister and enroll,
or if necessary, to change their en-
rollment. We had inquiries from
several parts of the state from par
ties who wanted to know if they
could vote for Mr.. O'Neil at the
primaries on the Republican ticket
and still enroll in the column of
some other party, and we told them
no. and the answer that came back
was well, then l will enroll in the
Republican party
The Philadelphia Ledger to-day
editorially makes a sharp attack on
the factional fighting in the Repub-
lican party. 1t passes up the Demo-
CIdlS apparently, dS llOl WOTln DOIn-
ering about, but calls for some har-
mony in the majority party saying:
What is needed is an awakening
among real Republicans to the SER
iousness of the situation and to the
need of candidates who will of their
own intrinsic worth command re-
spect and support irrespective of
Vareism or of Penroseism, candi-
dates who can be themselves and not
the puppets of a power that cares
nothing for Pennsylvania and it's
honor but only for political power or
for personal profit"
The "Insider' writing in the
Philadelphia Press, says of the state
situation:
THE week just past has witnessed
the start of the state campaign and
has exceeded in political activity any
seven days since the coming guber-
material struggle first took shape. Its
two big events were the disturbance
of the status quo which Governor
Brumbaugh brought about by open
ing his expected attack on Senator
Sproul, and the translation into fact
of the possibility considered in this
column two weeks ago, that prohi-
bition would be taken out of politics
n 4 -