Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-19
GOOD, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

~
GOOD, BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Sound political sentiment through
out the country IL rejoicing over the !
unexpected defeat OF the Republican !
state machine of Pennsylvania at the
party primaries held In that State |
on Tuesday, in the nomination of Gif- !
ford Pinchot for governor over the
machine candidate, Attorney General
Alter II was supposed tho machine
was so strongly intrenched I'm power
that It's grip on the State could not
be broken. but Pinchot's nomination
for governor shattered II severely.
II is yet IN position of power, with
not be completely defeated unless the
people of Pennsylvania. now clearly
stirred 10 the necessity of political
righteousness, deal It death blow at
the election In November.
While he has freed himself from
the influences OF the machine by de-
feating its candidate for the nominal
ton for governor, the people of Penn
sylvania Will not be able TO release
themselves from the evil Of machine
administration merely by electing
1 Pinchot governor. The machine
nominated all the other candidates
on the Republican ticket. and also. Of
( far more importance. seems 20 have
succeeded I'm having its henchmen
named for nearly all the legislative
nominations on the Republican
ticket. Pinchot as governor could ac-
complish little real reform with the
handicap of a machine Legislature.
In view of the extreme probability
Of Pinchot's election. owing to the al
most moribund condition Of the Demo-
cratic party in Pennsylvania. It should
be the main purpose of all those in
terested In real reform TO avert the
selection Of a Legislature controlled
by the checked, but not absolutely
beaten, State machine. The latter.
on Tuesday, nominated forty of the
forty-one members of the Legislature
that will represent Philadelphia, and
, in Pittsburg and elsewhere machine
| candidates also were selected. If i,
! is possible Cor the people. at the cleo
ton in November. to choose a Legis-
, lature controlled by Democrats AND
, independent Republicans. there would
; be promise of reform.
: Better still. far more assuring. would
) it be for the people TO not only choose
such a Legislature. but 10 cleo
Z the admirable State ticket nomi
2 mated by the Democrats, headed b,
John A. McSparran of Lancas
$ ter county for governor. The,
\ the Republican machine would b.
= annihilated. root and branch. Ever
e Pinchot is not entirely an as
e surance of complete reform. He wa
= part Of the Republican State admin
g istration-State Forestry Commits
: sioner-which was repudiated by tn
J. defeat of the machine candidate 70
Il nomination for governor, and wa
L guilty of aiding in somewhat con
d temptible subterfuge-by resignatio
D and immediate reappointment-in or
o der 10 avail himself of an increase I
the salary of the Office from $4,000 I
% IS. 600 a year. which he could not hav
II done without breaking his official ter
n ure. And Pinchot is a very wealth
10 man. How far ne might yield, as gov
Dr ernor, TO his former State machir
affiliations. is a problem that give
rise TO doubts. But there is no reaso
TO doubt he would be a vast improve
=, ment over an out-and-out machir
n governor.
rs HEARST SEEMS WILLING.