Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-04-27
THE MOVING FINGER WRITES,
AND. HAVING WRIT, MOVES ON
Not All the wiz Of Penrose Can Cancel
ta!t Line Of the Fatefui Record
on the Books in Harrisburg

on the BOOKS IN harrisburg
1NHE significance of the 1are-up in the
l. House Of Representatives in Harrisburg
goes far deeper than the fate of the public
welfare and other bills on Governor Sprouts
program. 1t presagcs change in the man
agcment Of the Republican party in this
state.
Trouble has been brewing beneath thc
surfar" for year aud half. II was
agreed last year tu arrange a truce because
II was the year of presidential election
While the truce was still on the speaker.
ship Of the House was privately promised
TO Robert S Spangler by Senator Pcnrose
Ma ior Whitaker announced his candidacy in
good faith. He was backed by Governos
Sproul and by Senator Crow. the chairman
Of the Republican state committee. Major
Whitaker. however. was induced TO with
draw in the interest OF harmony and on the
assurance that Mr.. Spangler would be fair.
As the Legislative session progressed it
became evident that Spangler was using his
power TO obstrurt the legislative plans of
the Governor. The men who trained with
him rrsortcd 10 tricks to prevent the House
from voting on bills to which ma iority of
members were committed. The logical con
sequence was the ouSting Of Spanglcr and
.the election Of Whitaker as the regular pre-
siding officer.
The truce has ended The attempt of the
Pcnrose- Grundy faction. who controlled
only minority Of the members of the House,
to dictate what should be done has been
frustrated and the control of Governor
Sprou over the Legislature is now unds-
puted.
All this should moan that the days Of the
supremacy 0f Senator Pcnro$c as master Of
the party organization in Pennsylvania are
numbered
The power which hr exercised in Wash
ngton is slipping away from him. Al.
though he is chairman Of the powerful
finance committee. there is said TO be only
one Republican member Of that committee
who absolutely follows his lead.
The patronage which has been given 20
this state by President Harding has been to
mrn picked by Senator Knox. Not a single
| nlarc has been filed at the request of Sen
| ator pcurosc. 7" date he has had no
intcrv,vs with the President save as a
| member OF q committee. The President has
! not sent for him. Whether he has asked
| for an interview is not known.
Eut it is known that thc indiscrcet re
mark Of tho senator last December. that
! it did not matter who was secretary OF
state. as tho foreign policy Of the admins
! tratru would be fixed bv the foreign rela-
tons committee Of the Senate was not
/ ueFPPHDIN 10 AE. fldTulnE luutFu' 'ut
! President took particular pains to tell the
Senate when he appeared bcfor" it on his
return from Florida that. while he intended
/ to respect the preroSatyeS Of the Senate,
! h. also intended TO insist on the prcroga
tiveS Of tho Executive.
Senator Pcnroses snoers at Herbert
Hoover a, an assistant Democrat also are
said to have told against him at the White
House.
The ,cnior senator has maintained his
! marhin" by patronage. The state patron
age has boon controlled for moro than two
ycars bv Governor Sproul. an experienced
politician with ambitions The federal
patronage has thus far been distributed by
senator Knox. who has lately displaced an
| unusual interest in tho matter. He wishes
10 b. sent back 10 the Senate when hi.
present term cxpircS in 1923. Hc has been
observant enough TO discern the weakening
of tho hand Of PcnrOSe and shrewd enough
10 de"id" that If he is TO be neglected he
must not trust his political future entirely
TO the man who in the past he has al
lowed 10 attend to the political relations Of
the federal government with Pennsylvania,
The Harrisburg fare up has brought into
the op-n the fight for control which has
been going on under the surface for many
months II has proved that all tn" talb
about the PcnTose control Of the House
which has been heard this winter was base
Ioss and that Sp0nglrr was elected speaker
/ not because he was the choice of the ma
iority. but because III" Sproul- Crow leader
vcro not yet ready ~ force the issue.
The Spangler people played int" the Gov
crnor'S hands br their INSCRIPTIONS method
- supprcSoinG meritoriouS bills. There i
NOT single Yald argument against tn
u,an 20 create Department Of Publ
Wc!faro to supervise appropriations 70
charitable institutions and to assume tn
duties Of three independent departments
BUT because Il nterf"red with the distrbu
tior ~ money to institutions favored b.
certain politicians il was opposed and tn
bill was sent to a committee to be killed,
Aside from the political phases Of the in
cidenr. every believer in popular government
should b. gratifcd at the determination q
rhc Governor to Illustrate the plot of
minority Of the House to prevent the ma
io,ty from having their WILL 1t is bi
arnicrcment and il has lifted the Ciorerno
into n position Of leadership from which
will be dffcult to dislodge him. \ ma
who has the nerve to do what he did mus
he rcrhonod with 50 long as he cares t
interest Himself in public affairs.
Neither President Harding nor tho Re
nubliran ma i0rity Of the Federal Senate wi
! fail to understand thr meaning Of events i
IIarr sbarg, Nnd Senator Pcnrose. VIII
r long ago Scu~cd what was coming and di
his best to avert IT, knows what ii all mean
u rs we'll ns anv ono else. But as hc is nr
t = man to lie down and lot hs enemies wal
over him. thcrc is likely to bc q lively tin
-.