Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-03-13
By the Ex-Committceman

SuCn COnulllOn ana the Dry feu
GRAFTON reports show plans to hav,
dry" candidates in every district.
Some of the Philadelphia news
papers and clergymen insist tina
Senator Sproul must be more definit,
in his declaration for prohibition
than he has been, the Public Ledge
and the Rev. DIR. c. +. Swift, of tn,
Anti-Saloon League, being among
them. On the other hand the Phila
delphia North American, which ha
been fighting liquor in politics 70
years, accepts the Senator's state
ment as satisfactory, especially tina
made on Monday, which was re
printed in the Harrisburg Telegraph
yesterday. 1t commences to look a.
though the Philadelphia Evening
Ledger has it sized up about righ
when it says editorially: Senator
Sproul has denounced j. Denny
O'Neil and ]. Denny O'Neil has de.
nounced Senator Sproul. So an anX.
ious world may be assured thai
though the chief issue at the neXt
election may be dry one, the gen.
eral discussion of it will be other
wise"
The Evening Telegraph in dis
cussing the prohibition outlook,
says: The unqualified declaration
by State Senator William G. Sproul,
candidate for the Republican NOM
ination for Governor, that he is in
favor of the amendment is bound,
these same leaders explain, not only
to greatly strengthen his candidacy,
but to have a widespread effect upon
the candidates. of prospective mem
bers of the next State Senate and
House of representatives in the ap-
preaching campaign"
The Philadelphia Bulletin came
out last night in an editorial prais-
ing Senator Sproul for his prohibition
declaration and asserting that he
was we'll qualified to be Governor.
Representative ]. A. Walker,
Ware leader in Philadelphia. is a can
didate for denomination on a dry"
platform.
The Ledger to-day prints a
story to the effect that Finn, Lewis
and other Progressives have joined
in a letter in behalf of O'Neil as a
blow at Penrose.
The Philadelphia Press and
Record to-day give prominence 10
the suggestion that has been going in
political circles for a couple of days
to the effect that eX-Commissioner
William A. Magee may become the
compromise choice for lieutenant
governor. These papers say that
the Penrose people will not accept
Congressman John r. K. Scott un-
der any circumstances and that the
Wares will not accept a Penrose man
in preference to Scott.
According the the Philadelphia
Record the Penrosealeaders are wor-
ried by O'Neil's strength up the state
and that is a reason why Senator
Sproul is going to make a tour.
O'Neil is a busy bee at all times
and has the western end of the state
in good shape, say his friends. He
is in Washington county to-day. The
Record remarks: The declaration
of Senator Sproul that he favored
national prohibition has cause
somewhat. of a shock in the wet
camp. The vets were totally up
prepared for his straightforward as
sertion. With Sproul and O'Neil
both pledged to national prohibit
ton and with the Democratic party
committed to q similar policy by A.
Mitchell Palmer, Democratic ma
tional committeeman, the vets are
left without a candidate"
Thomas L. Hicks. former state
chairman of the Washington party,
who with Colonel George L. Mapes
incurred the displeasure of A. New
in DIETRICH, state chairman of the
late Washington party, for their open
letter to Progressive voters, urging
support for Senator Sproul, replied
to DIETRICH yesterday. Hicks said he
had mo ammunition to waste on
Tom Tits and Pee Wees.'" He de-
clared that Senator Sproul would
" take care of O'Neil," and announc-
ed that Colonel Mapes and himself
had fought in the independent ranks
long before DIETRICH was heard of.
Representative Charles A. Shat
fer, of Bloomsbury, who was here
yesterday, will run again for Demo-
cratic legislative nomination in Co
lumbia county. Another member of
the last House who will run again
will be Representative Dick"
Powell, of Luzerne.
Senator Joseph Stewart, of
Greene county, is going to try for
denomination in the Washington
Greene district. 1t is reported .hat
Representative 7. B. II. Brownlee,
of Washington, will be a contender
for the Republican senatorial noui-
nation. Stewart is q Democrat and
is remembered as the author of the
bill to make the quail a song bird,
for which they called him Bob
White" at the last session.
Scranton councilmen have been
asked to consider an ordinance to
permit the city to own it's own
power plant. Connellsville is asking
the Public Service Commission for
the right to acquire the Connells-
vile water company.
Monroe county politicians ere
wondering how strong A. Mitchell
Palmer will figure against Congress-
man Steele. There will be strenu-
Gus Democratic politics in the 2Gth
district this year. with all of the
Shull faction fighting Palmer.
1t looks as though the row in
Philadelphia councils will side-track
the League Island claim and that
nothing further will be done about
it. until after the Nobre trial. The
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin in
calling for decision says: 'It may
be that Senator Ware can retrieve
himself in this League Island Park
mess as Senator Porter did after the
scandal over the Queen Lane reser-
VOlr, ana senator. McNlchOI, after
the uproar over the Torresdale filter
plant. 1t is to be hoped for. the
credit of the city that he will. Bur
in the meantime. this spring and
summer. 1t is not improbable that
there will be plenty of business for
both Councils and the courts in
threshing out the issue. while it is
certain that there will be an i'm
mense amount of the liveliest kind
of razzle-d dazzle music by the full
brass and string band on either side