Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-12

Just what effect Wilson's with
drawal would have on the Demo-
cratic national committeeman fight
in this State is q matter of specu-
lation. He would be for Palmer
for president but between Guffey,
Sterling and Dewalt there are some
who have doubts.
Some of the Constitutional Com
missioners take the position that
If a large number of amendments
are submitted to the electors, the
voter will find it difficult to under
stand what is before him and the
amendments either will be defeated
or enacted by a minority of the
voting power of the State. In 1909
the Legislature submitted IL ques-
tions to the voters. The highest
vote cast on any OF the amend
ments was $4,000, while in the
same election the candidates for
State Treasurer received S11, 900
votes. 1t meant that almost 500,-
600 Pennsylvanians did not vote
either for or against the amend
ments.
| There are some members of the
Commission who want the question
settled as to whether or not there
is to be n complete revision of the
Constitution. They argue that this
should be done at once and there
is prospect that the matter will be
brought before the body next
week. If this is done the answer
will be made that a decision cannot
be reached until the committees
have determined what sections of
the Constitution need reconstruct
ing. There is an element in the
Commission that will fight for a
total revision.
The Lancaster Examiner, one
of the representative dailies in the
eastern counties, takes the Cover
nors address as the theme of an
: editorial which says frankly that
the Republicans have made mis-
takes in the past and that IL they
heed the word of the Governor
they will make no more. The Ex-
aminer says that it recommends for
careful consideration" inasmuch
as he has not made any announce
ment, the Governor of PennsyIva-
mia. adding He is on the right
track to victory"
The Pittsburgh Post is not
pleased with the work of the Con-
stitutional Revision Commission and
devotes considerable editorial space
to saying so. 1t is like a good many
other newspapers of the State ap-
pear to be, opposed to a constitu-
tional convention.
Senator Penrose will probably
remain at his home in Philadelphia
or in the vicinity until after the
Christmas holidays. He is not ,enam-
ored of the idea of going south,
but wants to return to his work in
the Senate.
In the course of a discussion of
the 100000 spent in the Philadel-
phia mayoralty campaign the Even
ing Bulletin sets forth these cogent
facts: Yet, there is no good rea-
son why a campaign for the mayor
atty, the city council and a few
: other offices should not have been
thoroughly and efficiently conduct
ed and the voters fully enlightened
on one-half or even one-fourtn of
that amount. So far as enIighten-
ment is concerned, the newspapers
of the city furnish more of it to the
voters in a single week than the
politicians and stumpers are ordi-
narily likely to do in a month. OF
course, there was an extraordinary
turnout of voters, both in registra-
tion and as electors, but a rate of
about s1.25 as the cost for each
man is altogether too much, even if
, it was all paid out legitimately."
Many of the State newspapers
are telling of various changes
about to be made in county onices.
7 In Norristown newspapers it is in
! timated that some house cleaning is
possible, while the Scranton Times
prints stories of shakeups in that
city's government and in the coun-
) ty offices as well. Johnstown, Clear
/ field, Erie and Greensburg newspa-
pers also intimate that changes will
be in order.
York County Commissioners
will elect Mclean Stock, well-known
, here, as county solicitor.
Governor Sproul is expected to
name one of the water commission
: ers soon after he comes here next
week.
Judge Clinton A. Groman, of
, the Lehigh county court, reappoint-
, ed Thomas J. Fretz and Peter w.
Frantz prison inspectors, and named
David NJ. Garrahan, lawyer, auditor
: of the accounts of the fee-drawing
courthouse officials. John H. Sieger,
Frederick C. Schlechter, Herbert
Stauffer, George F. Kuhl, Allen H.
t Focht, Charles Webb, John H.
l Beidler and Frank H. Frederick
!, were appointed members of the
| Oh TOtu sNle"eTS.
The Philadelphia Press makes
1 this comment on the Sproul speech
I at Washington: "On the whole, the
! Governor has done very we'll in this.
shall we say, preliminary heat.
I Whether or not he has yet deter
1 mined to be a candidate for the
Republican Presidential nomination,
he has certainly put himself in the
/, front row of Governors who are
i ! likely to figure in the Republican
= National Convention as favorite
I sons"
Writing in the PHILADELPHIA In
quirer. George ]. Brennan thus clas-
= sites the Pennsylvania congressman
4 "Of the Pennsylvania Congressman
Thomas S. Butler, of the Chester
Delaware district. the dean of the
delegation has served twelve con-