Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-06

w. kephart to the Supreme Court.
and the house chairman ship OF the
committee on Appropriations.
Superior Court Talk
superior Court discussion was con-
lined to the possibility that Governor
Brumbaugh some time to-day may
name successor to Judge Kephart
to-day being specifically named
because. following the opening of
the Legislative session tomorrow
noon. the Governor, If he names n
Superior Court judge, must have that
appointment approved by the Senate.
This Is provision CT the state Con-
stitution- Section s of Article 4. As
| told elsewhere in the Telegraph to-
day, the name of Deputy Attorney
General w. II. Keller has been sug-
gested as a possible choice of the
Governor: and il was said to-day
that Deputy Attorney General Joseph
Kun is also being considered. Those
who advanced the name of Mr.. Kun
tell the following incident:
Following the selection of William
l. Schaffer, of Chester, as attorney
genera several weeks ago by Gov
ernor-elect Sproul. Charles Seger, Il
Philadelphia ward leader, wrote Mr..
Schaffer asking for the appointment
of Mr.. Kun under the new admins
tration, in the same position he now
holds. 4 few days later Mr.. Seger
withdrew the request-and this is
said to be confirmatory evidence that
Governor Brumbaugh has Kun in
mind and that Seger had inside
information.
No Excitement
While scores of members of the
Legislature were on hand to-day,
there was absolutely no excitement.
The organization of both branches
will be along lines indicated for
weeks past. The Republicans will
hauve caucus te-night at 9. The
House Republicans will name Robert
S. Spangler. of York, as their choice
for speaker of the House. The Sem
ate Republicans will select Clarence
J. Buckman, of Bucks county. as
their choice for president pro tenl.
Both will be elected when the Legis-
lature convenes tomorrow at noon,
because the Democrats are in a
hopeless minority. There are six
Democrats in the Senate and twenty
three in the House. OF the twenty
three Democratic Assem- blymen,
eighteen are "wets" and five dry.
The Democratic mapority, therefore,
is anti-McCormick and Palmer: and
the state organization will be notice.
able for its absence when the Demo-
Gratis caucus tonight. For the Denl-
ocrats fully intend to hold caucus.
II is one of the few features the ses-
sion holds for them. Peter Murphy
of Ashley, LuZerne county, Will likely
be the Democratic choice for speaker
OF the House-and this selection will
make him floor leader for the ses-
sion. over in the Senate the half
dozen Democrats have not expressed
a choice for president pro tenn and
the honor, as the Democrats term it,
of being defeated by eSnator Buck
man will very likely fall to Senator
Sones, Of Williamsport.
Pittsburgh Council
When they were not discussing the
House Appropriations Committee,
chairmanship to-day, Pittsburgh
legislators and politicians were talk
ing of prospective legislation dealing
with the change in the Pittsburgh
council. Considerable pposition
seems to have developed to the small
council idea among western states
men. 1t is declared that the small
council is not truly representative,
it's members being elected at large;
and that the individual members are
responsible to no one. 1t is proposed
by opponents of the present system
that a one-body council with district
representation be created; but opin-
ion is divided as to whether the dis
tricts to be represented should be
wards or legislative districts.
1t seemed to-day that Pittsburgh,
while carrying on the discussion rel
ative to the change, will wait to see
what Philadelphia does in the matter
of a change of government. Phila-
delphia's lead may perhaps be fol-
lowed.
Few Philadelphians had arrived at