Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-22

| as circumstances require.
There is considerable talk of in
dependent nominations in county
and municipal affairs. Some may
| talk furnishes q vehicle for relief
of feelings.
With the Republican party in
Pennsylvania stronger and more
militant than in years. defeated
leaders turning in for the victors
| and the bitterness of a week ago
already being forgotten, the disap-
pearance of the Dem cratic
strength in the primary is all the
more cause for comment. The
Democratic in Pennsylvania has as
its titular rulers, Attorney General
A. Mitchell Palmer, candidate foo
Presidential honors and Vance e.
Mccormick. former Democratic ma
tional chairman. The fact that
these men and those aligned with
them in the struggle for control of
the party machinery, Ambassador
Roland S. Morris, Joseph +. GufIey,
of the alien property office; James
l. Blakslee. of the post office de-
partment. were the recipients of
such marked favor from President
Wilson and not only failed to give
Pennsylvania which they promised,
but allowed the party organization
to go to smash is being much dis
cussed.
The editorial view is well sum
ned up in the Philadelphia Evening
I Bulletin which in discussing the re-
suits of the primary says in part:
THE number of citizens who en-
rolled themselves as Democrats or
who appeared at the polls as such
was so small as to be almost sug-
| gestive of the virtual extinction of
that party in Philadelphia. The
oldest Democrat now living here
can hardly remember the time
when so few Democrats made their
appearance at an election as those
who voted on Tuesday last. Such
veterans as John. Cadwalader and
Henry Budd, for example. must be
confounded when they contrast the
| Democratic party in Philadelphia
as it was in the time of their youth
with what 1t is to-day"
In regard to the disclosures rel
otive to the election cou1ts Il seems
apparent that many Members of
| election boards felt like those in
Berks county who refused to go
/ through the labor of counting the
ballots of the high cost OF living.
| holding that the gay was too small.
! In some Philadelphia districts the
! boards, as in Harrisburg and ether
! places. were what might be called
! dumb" In others there wece eNi-
| dences of crookedness, tamrering
with ballots and other things which
cal. for punishment in opinion of
many men.
1t seems probable thai as a Ie-
suit of the count before judges
Audenreid and Ferguson in Phila-
de.phia that many wholesome steps
will be taken and that presence in
court of ex-Judge James Gay
Gordon and other eminent men will
assist in Strengthening out situa-
| tioI. that has caused blistcrlng
words in years gone by ard which
may involve a change in Pennsyl-
vania State politics thnt VIII he re-
tiected next year.
Progress of the official count
of the primary election vote in the
various counties is being followed
with the closest attention by Off
GERS of the State department be-
cause of questions which may arise
in the construction of the election
law amendments of 1919 and be-
cause of reports of returns tangled
up and regulations not complied
with. The State authorities have
to certify judicial nominations and
it Is hoped to get everything hand.
] led without necessity of going to
courts. Reports that judicial can
didates in Allegheny county would
waive any sole nominee" benefits
because of size of vote created
some surprise here as the position
on Capitol Hill Is that they can do
so and the State authorities will
not certify as candidates men whom
figures show to have been elimina
ted in the voting.
The first nomination paper
blanks were issued Saturday to men
who had requested copies in Phila-
delphia. These can be used only
for county or municipal nomina-
tions and not for judges.
AN interesting slant in regard
TO judicial elections is given in the
Pittsburgh GaZette-Times in discus
sing the judicial primary in Allie
gheny county where there were
seven candidates and five places to
be filled. This primary being un-
der the nonpartisan act may have
some elimination results. The Ga
zette-Times says: Lawyers in Pitts
burgh yesterday were in doubt
whether Judge Henry G. Wasson
had been eliminated as a nominee
under the provisions of q new ACT
and only the names of Judges
Kline, Stone, Evans. Haymaker and
Drew appear on the ballot without
opposition for Common Pleas Court
A recent amendment provides that
where there are more places to fiji
in particular office, and where
more candidates than enough to All
the number of places receive more
than so per cent. of the vote. only
the necessary number to fiji ths
places shall appear on the ballot ir
November, and these shall be those
who received the highest number OF
votes. This would eliminate Judge
wasson, some lawyers say"
/ The Socialists do not seem Il
have been active this year. whil,
in some divisions in Jefferson ant
other up State counties, not |
Democratic vote was cast.