Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-08
Peeitca IL
Pe~~e4Gso~ia
By the Ex-Committeeman

county, is said to take his guberna-
torial aspirations seriously and his
partisans in Western Pennsylvania
are insisting that the eastern bosses
show their hand. At the same time
friends of Acting State Chairman
and Fuel Administrator Joseph F.
Guffey, general manager of public
utilities in the Pittsburgh district,
are declaring loudly for him as the
man of the half hour in Pennsylva-
MIA Democratic affairs. And the
bosses appear to have gotten out of
| bed, shut off the alarm and then
gone back to bed and pulled the
covers over their heads because
they do not want to indicate any
preferences now.
Humes' friends have gotten on the
wires to Washington and are also
getting in touch with county leaders
| in various parts of the state. These
men are declaring that Humes rep
resents the driest part of the dry
| wing of the Democracy and that If
he is not taken it will be a sign that
the bosses do not want a real dry
candidate. They point to Humes
record as an objector in the Legis-
lature and to his activity against the
brewers after he landed a federal
job and ask what Guffey has done.
Mr.. Guffey is likeable man, suave
and able and has a large following
from a personal, corporation, fac
tional and prospective standpoint
There are many men for him because
they think he is practical and the
master General Blakslee are said to
practical man has many friends in
Democratic politics.
National Chairman Mccormick
likes Humes personally and his way
of doing things. National Commit
teeman Palmer and Assistant Post
be friendly to Guffey. But the Presi-
dent will decide.
The Pittsburgh Gazette-Times
says of the situation created by the
HumeS announcements: Indications
point to a contest among the Demo-
Gratis to determine the gubernatorial
nominee of their party. Last night
United States District Attorney e.
Lowry Humes issued a statement
making himself a tentative candidate
for the office. Almost simultaneously
Congressman Guy e. Campbell an
nounced that the seven Democrats
in Congress from Pennsylvania were
behind the candidacy of Joseph F.
Guffey, acting chairman of the DEM !
ocratic state committee, and added: |
Our movement starts right now"
philadelphia councils appear to
be a storm center again, just as the
Pittsburgh body was week ago. |
Yesterday one branch of council, |
controlled by the Wares, jeered a |
resolution for woman suffrage. In
the other the Ware League Island
claim came up again. The city ad-
ministration is keeping up it's
firing" of men suspected of Penrose
tendencies.
Senator Penroses attack on the
Wilson war bill, which he says gives
the President more power than he
can use, was much discussed to-day
as the opening of a general Repub-
lican move to demand efficiency in
the war machine.
Uncle Dave Lane, sage of Phil
adelphia city politics, has made some
significant statements the last few
days. One of them is to this effect:
80 far as the impending guberna-
torial campaign is concerned it is my
hope that there will be no factional
contest at the primaries. But, if "a
fight between factions does ensue-l
and factional contests are not alto
gether bad for the public good-then
il is my hope and advice that all Re-
publicans get together behind the
successful candidate at the May
primaries"
Mr.. Lane took numerous and
sundry further filings at what he
termed the 'vagaries of Philadelphia
reformers," says the Evening Led
ger, but fought shy of announcing
the man he would support as cam
didate for governor at the impending
May primaries. The Republican
philosopher of Philadelphia is en-
joying unusually good health and isl
lOOlKinE more VignrOnS than ha has
for years.
Republican leaders of the Twen-
| ty-fourth Congressional district are
| arranging for a banquet at Pitts
| burgh on the night of February 20.
! Congressman Henry w. Temple, Of
| the district, has accepted as one of
| the speakers. Effort is being made
to have former Senator Elihu Root,
of New York, deliver an address.
Large delegations from Washington,
| Beaver and Lawrence counties are
| expected to attend the dinner.
Republican leaders in Lacka-
wanna county are trying to induce
DIR. William Lynch to withdraw as
a candidate for reelection as state
senator and instead be satisfied as
superintendent of the State Hospital
For the Criminal Insane at Far
view. 1t is the belief of the Re-
| publican leaders that DIR. Lynch
! through his dual officeholding tao
tics will prove a weak standard
| bearer, says a dispatch to the Phil
| adelphia Record.
Relative to the Montgomery
| toga a Norristown dispatch to the
Philadelphia Press says that the
Amber boom is believed to be "only
a feeler' to pave the way for Ker-
baugh or some other Lower Merton
or First legislative district man to
make the fight for the anti-organi-
zation wing of the party. These
knowing ones cannot see Amber
giving up his State job, which pays
about $500, for the senatorship.
The appointment which Amber had
made to fill the vacancy in the Of
flee of County Treasurer did not
push much grist on his mill in the
naming of eX-Assemblyman John II.
Rex"
Reading city council is in row
over confirmation of appointments.
There are others.
State policemen prevented a
seat in the Old Forge council and
State interference in local self-gov-
ernment will be the next wall from
that direction.
Mayor Kosek, of Wilkes-Barre,
has lost his grip in that city's coun-
Gil, says a Wilkes1B Barre dispatch
which intimates that the Loveland-