Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-08
1.-THE ORGANIZATION" OBJECTS
TO CHANGE IN HARRISBURG
This 10 Why the Contractor Combination
Draoooned Alter In the Race
for the GovernorshIp

| = We nave entered on tne laSt week OI
"A the primary campaign 1t is worth while
reminding ourselves of what is involved in
the contest.
| Stripped to the bones. the question is
whether there is to be housecleaning in
Harrisburg, with new men in charge, or
whether the same old gang is to remain in
control Of the executive departments and
| continue to do business in the same old way.
Clifford Pinchot pledges himself ito clean
| up the ness If he is nominated and elected
George +. Alter does not admit there is
any mess to be cleaned up. lie cannot admit
it without damning the men who got him in
back room on the night before the last day
for filing nomination papers and forced him
to consent to become a candidate.
He did not want to run. He had said so
many times. He told his friends and
they believed him. But he could not resist
the pressure that was brought to bear.
And who were the men who selected him?
They were Senator Ware, who had been
sending Harry Mackey about the State to
boom his own candidacy. And Senator
Eyre. one Of the shining lights Of the State
machine, and Senator Leslie who repre-
sents the machine in Pittsburgh.
These men, who are contractors every day
In the year and politicians on the side de-
sired to have as candidate a man on whom
they could depend. They thought that Alter,
personally irreproachable, would serve their
purposes better than any one else in sight.
for If elected they assumed that loyalty to
the men who had boosted him to the high
Office would prevent him from making trouble
Co. A. Sc
tics with them in the same old way
Governor Sproul himself was for Alter
because Alter was one of his own appointees,
and because he would rather have for n sue
cessor man under obligation to him than
some one under obligation only to Senator
Ware, for example.
But when it was announced that Alter
had been selected as the candidate of THE
Organization" no one was pleased save the
men who had selected him.
There were quiet grumblings wherever
two or three politicians gathered together.
But the men said little in public. They
were too we'll disciplined for that. They
knew they would have to swallow their dis.
gust and support him.
-hiSs I1uEuOIl, Io"eNeT. NOT YET accuse
toned to the lash of the big leaders, pro.
tested She was quoted as saying that no
woman leader had been consulted and that
she could not approve the selection for that
reason.
But she has been whipped into line. She
was allowed TO preside at the Alter meet
ing in the Metropolitan Opera House on
Friday, night when both Pepper and Reed
bowed their necks beneath the yoke and
hitched themselves to the Ware. Eyre. Leslie
chariot.
That meeting was great demonstra.
ton" Adherents of the Ware machine were
carried to it in provided automobiles.
Street car tickets were given to hundreds of
little fellows in order to insure their at.
tendance. And the Office holders were or
dercd to turn out. Brother Bill" Ware
was SO confident that the preparations made
would attract thousands more than the
Opera House would hold that In his speech
he talked Of the crowded hall and the thou
sands outside who could not get in, when
there were hundreds of vacant seats inside
and no one outside save the usual small
handful Of loiterers who always hang around
Il public hall when meeting Is In progress.
OF course there was applause. The Office
holders had to applaud II they wanted to
keep their jobs. Those who went there on
free trolley tickets had to applaud to pay for
their free ride. But the applause meant
nothing.
1t was Senator Ware saying to himself
Good boy, Ed. You did good job when
l.. Ill
And 1t was nothing else.
And when Senator Pepper and Major
Reed protested against criticism of the
ganization candidate on the ground that IL
might supply ammunition to the Democrats
they spoke in the language of the orga MIA
ton. They seemed to regard the triumph
| of Alter as of more Importance than the
| cleansing of the State capital.
Hush! Don't say anything about the
Harrisburg scandals, for if you do the
Democrats will benefit by it," was what
| their words meant.
They we're willing that the State should
suffer so long as the organization could re.
! main in control.
They did not have to do this. They couId
have kept out OF the contest for the nomi.
nation for the governorshlp just as President
Harding kept out of it by announcing after
Mr.. Alter had called on him in Washington
that he was not interfering in any primary
contest in any State and he wanted it un /.
derstood by every one.
But Pepper and Reed want votes, Pepper
especially. who has heard the report that
the organization is planning to trade Pepper
votes for Burke for the senatorship in re.
turn for Burke votes for Alter for the gov
ernorship.
Every device and trick that long experi
ence in the game has taught them will be
used BY the organization leaders this week
to get votes for Alter and to belittle the
candidacy OF Pinchot. But most of the
| ,,.in ko hoN