Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-15
SUPPORT
sDEPENDS ON BELL
Lsslis.Magee to Back Former
j: Tor. Governor " Banker
Gets Crows Seat
MINT DEAL TO AID SPR0UL

.X Mage. Mayor Of Pittsburgh, will
4Eow their support to Harry ~
Mickey. Of this city, for the governor
4htp should Governor Sproul pick John
a. Bell, Pittsburgh banker. to succeed
senator William +. Grow. according
to reports in the best Informed politi-
cal circles in the Western city today.
Senator Crows resisnnti1n IN from the
Senate H. expected in n day to two,
and politicians here say the Governor
plans to name Mr.. Bell as his sue
cessor. :,
The Magee Leslie forces say that II
Mr.. Bell does not land in the Senate
they will be for him for Governor, but
Il Bell gets the appointment they VIII
declare for Mr.. Mackcy for Governor.
I Mr.. Mackey was in Pittsburgh yester.
day md indorsed Mr.. Bell for the sem
atorship. o..
In the meantime Mr.. Bell is main
tanning strict silence as TO bis scna.
torial aspit tations, and his friends III
Pittsburgh say no announcement VIII
be Forthcoming for several days. This
Is taken to mean that Bell will not
enter the race until Mr., Crow an
nounccs his withdrawal.
81 Awaits Convenient TINE
1t Is said that the activity in be-
haff of the future Of Mr.. Crow is
about at an end md that the formal
announcement of his withdrawal from
the Senate now awaits only the con-
venicnce Of friends.
1t is considered possible that the an
nounccment Of Mr.. Crows withdrawal
will come through Governor Sproul at
Harrisburg when it Is made, who may at
the same time announce his successor.
Everything else politically is said to be
awaiting the outcome Of the Crow bel.
question concerning the scnatorship.
That Senator Crow had finally de-
cided to withdraw from the Senate be.
came known last night at Harrisburg
following a series Of conferences be-
tween the Governor and men and wo.
men, political leaders.
The Crow withdrawal, il is said, did
not lead to an immediate settlement of
the gubernatorial question. 1t did.
however, say those on the inside
clarity the senatorial atmosphere. As
far as possible il was arranged that
Senator Crow would resign and that
Bell would be named mt once a. his
successor. 50 that Senator Pepper could
have an active colleague in handling the
pressing problems at Washington.
Bell will then be q candidate in the
May primaries for the uneXpircd and
full terms to succeed the late Senator
Knox.
Kelly Threat Brings Action
The Crow withdrawal and the agree
ment on Bell as his successor came with
lightning swiftness. For days there
have been rumors that Grew would an.
snouncc he Is too Ill to enter a cam
paign. Since the first Of the year he
( had been confined in Mercy Hospital.
Pittsburgh. and has only been in
( Washington two or three times since he
was appointed last October. Us the Sic
eessor to Senator Knox.
Then came rumors that financial con.
ditions were such that Crows with"
drawsl was imperative. Finally came
! lressmnn NJ. Clyde Kelly, Of Allegheny
2 County. against Grow.
kelly,sa vigorous campaigner. tying
up with the gubernatOrial candidacy Of
Clifford Pirchot. II was feared. might
get the regular organization leaders ION
the run Something like n panic seized
the State leaders. who saw that some
thing must be done ut once If 'all was
mot to be lost
:. Hence Senator Ware lett here yes
terday afternoon for Harrisburg to con-
fer with the Governor while Senator
Leslie left Pittsburgh. Last night the
Governor and the two State Senators
dined and conferred In the Executive
Mansion. There they received word from
o. Ray Shelby, Public Service COMMITS
oioner and law associate Of Crow, that
tho latter would get out of the fight
1t once. Thereupon the semi official
announcement was, made that every
: y fnunraI ta ipt 1f
Ueil, who wns one Of the chief financial
hackers Of Mayor Ma2ee and Senator
leslie in the late Pittsburgh mayora.ty
lcontest.
4 Deal Seen In Linc,Ip
The conferees say nothing was done
about the gOvernorship. 1t Is inter =
ierting to note. however. that Bell is
personally friendly to the candidacy of
John s. Fisher. State Banking COM
missioner. who is being doomed by the
lGrundy forces and the Oliver wing of
the Allegheny County organization.
One thing Is certain. Ware leaders feel
that the withdrawal Of Grow makes good
the plans TO form Ware Magee alliance
In State politics which would Include
such county leaders ns Senator Eyre in
Chester, John Mcclure IN Delaware.
CONGRESSMAN Griest in Lancaster. State
Treasurer Snyder in Schuylkill and 9th :
YRS. The principal Ware suggestion for
GOyernor ut this time is Mack"y and
the Ware leaders feel that Mackey :
stock il higher today than it was yes
terday. The Governor is friendly to
Mackey.r
However, there arc other considera
ti0ns..: Tbs Governor. by reason of his
power Of Appointment Of successor
to Crow: holds a big key in the situa :
tion.. He can say that he will appoint
Bell II some one satisfactory 10 him il
agreed on for Governor.
This may or may not diSplaCc Mackoy
) and may help Fisher. On the other
hand, the Wares hold the threat Of tho
4 candidacy Of Congressman at Iarg,
Burke against Senator Pepper. Burke
with labor following is runnu,
against Pepper and making as one o.
the issues Peppcr's opposition to thu
soldier bonus. Burke Is n close frcnC
4 Of Congressman Ware. Governor Sprou
a. working for the election of Senator
\ Pepper and SO politicians point out tAa
he Burke threat will have to be con.
9dered by the Governor.
National Aspect Looms
4 4 new feature Is likely to be brough
&nto the situation now. and that Is tn
attitude of. the National Administra
don, Friends of John =. Fisher Sa