Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-05

moval of the obnoxious candidate as
the central figure in the play.
So the situation resolves itself
down to this-Bonniwel won't play
with Palmer, so Palmer repudiates
Bonniwell, seconded by meek me
too" from the national chairman. NO
body doubts the unfitness OF Bonni-
we'll for the Governorship. Nobody
has imagined-not even Palmer or
McCormick--that a Democrat ever
had any show of election as Gov
ernor of Pennsylvania this year. The
present row, therefore, is not in the
interests of the people, but is for the
control of the Democratic party ma
chinery. If Bonniwell polls more
votes on the Fair Play ticket than
on the Democratic ticket, the Demo-
Gratis would be in bad way, unless
they had repudiated his candidacy
and they are playing safe. That is all.
AS to the allegations that Senator
Sproul is not a sincerely dry can
didate, why should the liquor inter-
ests put a wet" man like Bonniwell
in the field if the Chester Senator Is
not favorable to the enactment of the
prohibition amendment? And as 10
his not daring to make any declara-
tions on the temperance Question
following the primaries, he has dis
proved that allegation before 1t was
uttered, having repeatedly made MS
position clear on prohibition since ne
was nominated and has freely eH-
pressed the hope that the Republican
platform will contain a dry" plank
The Palmer incident has had the
intended effect. 1t has eliminated
the Bonniwell candidacy utterly
from the race and has added thou-
sands of votes to the majority py
which Senator Sproul will be elected.
But it has done more than that. IL
has so split up the Democratic party
as to insure the election OF an almost
solid Republican Congressional deie-
CATION from Pennsylvania this fall.
This despite the plea of National
Chairman Mccormick for Democratic
congressman to support the Presi-
dent" in his speech before the COM
mittee yesterday.
Republicans of Pennsylvania know
that the President has looked to the
Republican side of Congress on every
critical occasion since the declara-
ton of war and that many of his
most important war policies would
have gone by the board but for Re-
publican votes. Instead, then' OF
choosing doubtful Democrats, PENN
sylvania Republicans will send TO
Congress to support the President In
his war aims sturdy Republicans,
who, while giving the administration
every assistance within their power
in the prosecution of the war, Will
also have minds and convictions OF
their own when Republican princi-
pies are at stake. The kindest thing
PENNSYLVANIA can do this Fall for the
President is to send him solid Re-
publican delegation, and the pros
poets are bright for just such an
event.
The happenings of yesterday
prove beyond question that the Dem
ocratic leadership is virtuous only
when it suits its purpose, and since
it has long been known that Bonni-
we'll and his pals are interested only
in obtaining the reins Of Democratic
power in Pennsylvania, there remains
only one hope for decent admins
tration of public affairs in Pennsyl-
vania the next four years, and that
lies within the Republican party and
with its candidate for Governor, Sem
ator Sproul.