Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-20
"Posstscs IT,
Ps~'seYesa~Sa
BY the Ex-Committccman

The desperate efforts of local
Democrats at the eleventh hour last
evening to find candidates with
which TO ill their local tickets dem
oHstrates better than anything that
might be written the frighttul
wreck of the once well-oiled Demo,
cratic machine. 1t is on the rocks
and about the only thing the faith
tui ones have been able to salvage
is the name. The captain has BEEN
convicted of gross carelessness, If
net worse, and the survivors are in
q mutinous mood. If only an eitict-
ent first mate were at hand the
erstwhile commander would find
himself denoted to the ranks of
common sailor. Indeed there is
e"ery likelihood that this will nap
zen at all events.
I'VE want a new leader" de-
clared one of the disgruntled menl-
bers of the Central Democratic
Club last evening"" a man who will
give us his best all the time; II
man who will do something mere
than offer unfa"orable criticism fer
u .5e who are really trying to do
something and who will be inter-
ested in the welfare of the party all
the time; not only when his own
future is at stake but when the fate
of the ticket depends upon wise
leadership and good judgment"
That seems to be the attitude OF
Democrats everywhere to-day. The
spectacle of their gallant old ship
being smashed to bits on a rocky
coast with no help at hand and only
a rev sturdy survivors on the shore
has aroused anger in the hearts of
those who are true followers of JEFF
ferSon and who sincerely believe
, that the best interests of the coun-
try demand a militant Democracy.
Strange to say the same sentl-
ment Is to be heard among Repub-
ilcans, who are ordinarily gleeful
over any discontinue that may
'ome to the Democratic organiza-
tlon. They cannot understand how
boss with all the Federal patron
age at. his disposal that the Dau-
phin county Democratic dictator is
supposed to have been able to WELD
should have let slip the chance to
demonstrate his political ability in
his home district by building up a
really strong Democratic organiZa-
ton here. The thing was possibic.
The groundwork was we'll laid.
There are many ardent Democrats
in Harrisburg always ready to. fol-
low real leader and who will stick
to even losing cause to the bitter
end. But instead of announcement
these men have met nothing bat
carelessness of consequences, neg
lect of opportunity and criticism of
those who have dared to try to save
something from the wreck.
Republicans viewing the situa-
lOGG n do n,,
the eve of a Presidential election the
minority party is allowed to go -
pot and control to drift from those
who will want a big place in the
national counsels of the party into
the hands of men who were favor
able either to the old Fritchey or
Meyers wings of the party and have
been openly opposed to the McCor-
mick control ever since the former
Mayor assumed the bosship here.
The whole thing is a puzzle to local
political observers who see in it op-
portunity for a strong young Demo-
crat to come to the front and take
away the reins of power from those
who have misused them for the past
fifteen years.
The Scranton Republican in the
following editorial commends Con-
gresham Keiss' new printing bill:
For years there has been criticism,
generally of humorous character,
of the waste connected with the pub
lie printing office in Washington.
Congressman themselves have joined
in pointing out some of the evils
connected with this Office but have
not shown themselves specially inter-
ested in checking them. Represen-
tative Kiess, of Pennsylvania, has
decided to take the lead in reform
ing public printing. He has intro
duced a bill at Washington which
aims to restrict the quantity of Gov
ernment printing, and also provides
for other economies which he be-
lieves will total a half billion dollars
year. Mr.. Kiess points out that
in the past seven years the accumu-
lation of unused public documents
has reached the enormous total of
100000 publications, most of which
has been disposed of as waste paper.
There have been bulky volumes of
reports of no real interest to anyone
and there has been promiscuous
scattering of small volumes and
pamphlets. If Mr.. Kiess's efforts re-
suits in a checking of the gross
abuse of the franking privilege he
will have rendered a real service to
the country"