New-York tribune., 1919-01-27
Assails Pennsylvania Sena-
tors Political Record;
Sees Election at Stake
Says the West Will Decide
VIII Not Vote Republican
Ticket With Corporation
Man as Finance Leader
Nee York Tribume
Wdshington Bstreag


WASHINGTON, Jan. 26. - Senator
Boies Penrose, of Pennsylvania, was
to-day urged in an open letter written
by Clifford Pinchot to withdraw his
name from consideration rs the chair
man OF the Senate Committee on
Finance in the interests Of q Repub-
lican victory in 1920.
The Middle West will cast the de-
Gliding vote in the next Presidential
election" said Mr.. Pinchot. THE Mid
die West knows you as the most per-
feet living representative Of the worst
type Of politics in America. If you
are not q good enough Republican. are
You good enough American to with
draw Your name ~
The letter reads:
There is matter of great impor-
tance TO the Republican party to which
| would like to direct your attention
Before doing SO. | want TO recall that
! ran against you for the United States
Senate in 1914, and was beaten. | had
no complaint to make at the time, and
| have none now. l mention it merely
because there viii be tendency on
the part of~certain persons to attrib-
ute this letter TO disappointment or
spite. I can assure you honestly that
Some one, however, ought to take
the burden OF writing you this letter
In the absence Of any sign that some
one else Is going to do it. | have decided
to assume the duty and write it my
self
Penrose an Obstacle, He Says
Like millions of other Republicans.
! am ANXIOUS to see the Democrats
beaten in 1920. Like them, | see in tho
possibility of your election to the
Craftsmanship OF the Senate Committee
on Finance one Of the principal OBJ
stacles IN the way of such a victory.
1t Is we'll known tha5 the Middle
West will cast the deciding vote in
the next Presidential election Tho
Middle West knows you mainly as the
most perf2ct living representative of
me worsc syre of politics in America.
indeed. am inclined to think it is fair
10 say tha. no other man in our his
tory has ever represented to so MANY
can public life. If this is true. it ia
record and you are entitled to what
ever credit goes with it,
The people of the United States
know that the great monopolies are
your friends.
"They know that you have always
been the champion of the liquor in
terests
"The women know that you have
equal suffrage and child labor legisla-
ton.
Voted for Reciprocity Bill
"The farmers know that in 1911 you
voted for the Canadian reciprocity
BILL which left farm products unpro-
tected and put a high tariff on trust
products.
"The railroad men know that YOU
voted against a bill providing for block
signal systems on all railroads, which
would make travel much safer for en-
ployes and public alike.
The wage earners know that the
American Federation of Labor has Of
tcially declared you to have been uni
formly hostile or. negligent to labor's
interests in the United States Senate
The Progressives know that you op-
Fosed Roosevelt in the Republican ma
tional convention of 1912, when the
people of Pennsylvania lad declared
overwhelmingly for him. They know
that you were largely responsible for
the split in the Republican party in
1912 and the election of a Democratic
President.
Sees Danger to Party Harmony
The Progressive Republican Sena-
tors are fuy aware of the danger to
party harmony and success in 1920
through your candidacy and they have
been fighting it hard
"The name of the chairman of the
Committee on Finance will be INSOFAR
ably attached to the coming Republican
tariff bill, which will probably be more
widely known and discussed by our
people than any other bill before the
next Congress. 1t will be argued by
the Democrats that you could not be
chairman of so important committee
and in charge Of so crucial a bill un-
less the Old Guard were in control of
the Republican part,. This argument
is likely to be effective with great num-
bers of progressive Republicans. as
we'll as with Democrats disguised with
Wilson and anxious to vote against him
II they can.
IF you write the next tariff bill. the
people Will believe, and they are likely
to be right, that it is unduly favorable
to special privilege and monopoly.
The Payne-Aldrich tariff bill was
fatal to the Republican party in 1912.
What would Penrose tariff do to 1t in
1920?
Calls Him a liability
"You are liability. The undivided
support of all the forces YOU repre-
sent would fall far short Of carrying
the Republican party to victory II,
1920. even if the liquor interests had
not lost their stranglehold on Ameri-
can politics.
"On the other hand, the Republican
party cannot win against the Demo
Gratis unless the farmers, the women.
the progressives and some of the or,
ganized workers vote with us. Your
name as chairman Of the Committee on
Finance would 60 far to insure their
hostility to the Republican party.
"The obvious fact is that you ought
rot to be chairman Of the committee on
Finance. The mere possibility is a Re-
publican misfortune. You know, bet
ter than any other man. what burden
you have been TO the Republican party.
You cannot fail to know how much
the success of the Republican party In
1920 means for the welfare of the ma
ton, and how You are standing in the
way.
IT you are not good enough Re-
publican. are you a good enough Amer
lean 20 withdraw your name ,"
80