Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-10-31
Peeiico i~
Pe~~aqeSa~ia
BY the Ex-Committeeman

the Democratic State windmill as to
what may happen to the party in
its claim to minority representation
in counties where there have been
flank movements engineered to elect
county officers. The Democratic
leaders have always attempted to
assert something like constitutional
rights to minority county commits
slonershipS. This county is an in
stance and there are others where
thought of electing any one as a
minority commissioner who was not
a Democrat has been occasion for
shrill speaking.
Now the Democrats have trouble
IN philadelphia where the Charter
party, instead of damaging the Re-
Ipublicans as was hoped, is likely to
be the cause of the Democrats los
ing place. In other counties labor
and other movements which have
been coddled by Democratic leaders
have been the cause of similar heart
burnings. The Democrats are now
appealing to their people to stand
fast and vote the straight ticket
everywhere.
| Another cause of Democratic
wakefulness is the situation in Read
ing where it looks as though the
fight for the mayoralty was between
John Keim Stouffer, the Republican
nominee, and ]. Henry Stump, run
! ming mate of Representative James
H. Maurer on socialistic legislative
tickets. William Abbott Whitman,
/ after a noisy start, seems to be in
danger of being a bad third, which
will not help the troubled Demo-
cratic situation in the capital of that
a n c e mt Democratic stronghold,
Berks county.
Apparently the Democratic ring
masters have been so busy getting
things in shape for the delegate and
State committee elections next year
that they have either gotten out of
| touch with local affairs in certain
| counties or else have been shown the
| door.
Just as an instance of the way
! the Democrats and some of the inde-
pendents have gotten tangled up this
fall, this extract from the Philadel-
phia Press may be cited. The Press
! has been making a close study of
! the unusual political situation in
| Philadelphia and is of the opinion
| that the Democrats have some fight
on their hands to hold minority
places. 1t says editorially:
1--WE are not concerned in the
contest for minority offices be-
tween the Democratic party and
the so-called Charter party, but
when the Democratic city chair
man, who is also a candidate for
county commissioner, says that
the law was specifically framed
for the purpose of alloting the
minority places to the Demo-
Gratis exceptions are to be taken.
I,x tol1 t.
of the Constitution-had been
specifically intended to allot the
minority places to the Demo-
Gratis it would have been differ
emily worded. In the case of
county commissioners it is pro-
vided that three shall be elected,
but no citizen shall vote for
more than two, the three high
est to be declared elected. AS
matter of fact, in several coun-
ties, where one party or the
other has preponderating vote,
that party has been frequently
able to elect all three commits
sioners. The law has generally
worked to give the Democrats a
commissioner in counties where
they have been able to maintain
a fairly good organization, but
recently in Philadelphia they
have had bad luck, or bad man
agement. They cannot claim
anything under the law unless
they have the votes"
Some attention has been at
tracted to the local issues involved
in Sunbury's election this year as
the question of adopting the COM
mission form of government for the
| borough, instead of following the
general provisions of the borough
| code, is to come up, and q S1S0,000
school loanjS also before the peo-
| pie. The Sunbury Daily gives this
account of an important, endorse
ment given to the plan: "The COM
mission form of government which
will be voted on at the general cleo
ton in Sunbury on Tuesday of next
| week, November 3, was endorsed at
regular meeting of the Central La
Dor Union, last evening in the p. o.
S. of A. hall. There was good turn
out of delegates and individual MEM
! bers. The endorsement by the Cen
tral Labor Union, made only after
wide inquiry by its leaders from
other Pennsylvania cities, which
adopted it, to find out how it is
working in their communities, will
go far toward carrying the PROPOSE
/ IlOH III DuHDuIy, DIS ltS lIleHlDeTS Will
be guided largely by the unpreju-
diced Investigate nof its officers. The
endorsement is the biggest boom the
plan has received during the cam
paign, as it is from the largest body
of electors in Sunbury."
| Soldier candidates are keeping
folks busy in Cumberland, Franklin
and Adams counties. They are on
both of the principal tickets and are
hustling as they were doing just
about a year ago.
The new Lebanon campaign
committee last night arranged to
make a vigorous close to the cam
paign. There was large attendance
of party workers.
The Altoona Tribune is out for
the election of John w. Blake for
mayor. 1t has been making daily
references to the noted blacksmith
candidate.
The Johnstown Tribune is out
with a suggestion that the Demo-
Gratis of Cambria call upon their
finance committee" to pull them
out of the hole into which they have
fallen.
-Scranton's campaign has gotten
to the full-page advertising stage.
The Republican takes it's rival to
task, saying "The Scranton Times,
while loudly proclaiming its non
partisanship' in the judicial CAM
paign, making a vicious partisan and
personal attack on District Attorney
Maxey, in the interest of it's own