Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-19

It does not require the powers of clair
voynnt TO discover that there - n widespread
conspiracy afoOt Rmo lg some vt the practical
county leaders 10 grab the powers of the
Executive Department and run It on the
basis "t personal profit. Practical, We'll.
that word will serve in place of Il more
stinCing adjective. There are practical safe
blowers. practical pIckpOckctS. practical
grnfters, and they are not all ont of politics.
The signs are everywhere. The most dan
gcrous Indication is the talk oI ''hurmony."
Harmony among the 'nrNctcal' leaders
means frame up against the voters against
the rank and file of the party. 1t means
q mock primary with all the cards stacked
in favor of fgurehead.
The same sort of talk was heard before
the primary at which the Hon. Martin G..
Brumbaugh was nominated. and look at uN"
result!
But n more distressing symptom is the
failure Of any Of the important lCadcrs-the
mon of State wide standing ike Senator
Pcnrose and Governor Sproul-to say the
word which would put n stop to the machi-
nations of the little tricksters.
Whatever the motive which keeps them
silent. their very silence Is now turned to
advantage in favor Of men like Bpidlcman
md Snyder. neither Of whom is the type Of
public man needed FOR the govCrnorshIp.
These men and their friends are hard at
work lining up little leaders with n block Of
comfortable votes here and block there
They are boring from within In the State
Committee. They have adherents Mt stra-
tegic points regulating the machinery of the
party. They may even be found eventually
to have the active assistance of our newest
United States Senator, who, while unable
to occupy the seat In the Senate left pain
fully vacant by the death of Mr.. Knox. Is
still not too i'll to be able to play an inside
game of political seven.up in the matter Of
the governorship nomination.
IT is time for the real Republicans Of
Pennsylvania 10 look into the situation and
nit leave it wholly TO the ''praCtiCal" men.
Great things have been started In the State
Government. and bigger things are ahead.
These are days OF reconstruction and prog
ress and evolution, and no moral or mental
pigmy can be trusted to direct the affairs Of
the State during the four years beginning In
1929.
Where are the big men" of the party,
the men Of affairs who are trott"d out as
delegates and altcrnates to the national con-
ventions; the men who furnish the backbone
and sinews of RepubliCaniSm? What are
they going to do about this nomination.
Are they going to have any say in the selec-
tlon of the right kind of man. or are they
going to leave it wholly 10 the professionals
as they have to date?
II Is not too late to save the party from
the pigmies. But It soon will be. The way
to begin is to clear the field Of all the buffers
and imitation statesmen who are now pos.
turing in the limclght. \ few forceful words
unitcdly spoken by the leaders Of business
and industry and public affairs who believe
in the Republican Party would puncture
these pretcnstons Ike toy balloons. Then
the way would be clear for the nomination
of the right kind of candidate. VIII these
words be spoken: