Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-09
STATE COMMITTEES FATE
RESTS ON ACTION TOMORROW
The Election Of General Miner - Chair.
man VIII Put u In Harmony with the
New Movement In Republic nlsm

vTNIiE ability Of the Republican State Com.
- mittee to recognize accomplished facts
will be tested tomorroy when It meets to
elect a chairman.
Those facts have no relation to the adilia.
tlons Of the members Of the committee,
1t Is not Of the slightest Importance that
ninety Of them are prepared to vote for W.
Harry Baker for chairman II ordered to
do It.
What would become Of the committee II
1t elected Baker chairman is the matter
that should occupy the attention Of the men
who control II.
The committee is the organization through
which the party is supposed to speak. But
II 1t does not utter the will Of the voters
Its outgivings are meaningless.
The will Of the voters was ex pressed when
Clifford Pinchot was nominated for the
governorship over Mr.. Alter.
There was no contest worthy the name
over the nomination of Mr.. Pepper and Mr..
Reed. The men who voted for Pnchot voted
for Reed and Pepper.
Where the issue was clearly drawn be.
tween Pinchot and the old machine, the old
machine was condemned by an adequate
plurality OF the voters.
II the voters had been content with the
old regime they would have nominated Alter.
The machine was repudiated in the only
way known to the voters to repudiate it
that is, by rejecting the machine candidate
for the governorship.
1t cannot be argued successfully that the
election of machine members of the State
Committee was an Endorsement OF the old
regime. for only the followers of the old
regime were interested enough in this detail
of party organization to vote for the candi.
dates for the committee.
The nomination Of Pinchot was an un.
mistakable mandate to the men in charge
of the organization to follow new leader.
Mr.. Pinchot has given evidence Of his
purpose to lead. lie made his fight on the
issue Of new deal. and every move that he
has made since his victory. has proved that
he intends to keep faith with those who
voted for him.
His announcement that II the old and
abhorrent system Of assessing State Office.
holders for campaign funds IL followed he
will ignore the committee In conducting his
campaign for election was inevitable.
He could do nothing else, because Baker
and the men who have trained with him
were repudiated at the primaries. The
things Mr.. Baker stands for are the things
which the majority of the Republicans have
condemned by rejecting the candidate for the
governOrship who was committed to their
continuance.
II Baker Is elected Pinchot will have to
assume that the committee Is content to act
as rump and unrepresentative organization
Of rejected dummies for defeated county
bosses.
He cannot tie himself up with It without
betraying the men who voted for him.
He will have to conduct his own cam.
paign In his own way and raise the neces.
sary funds and handle them without any
dealings with the committee.
And when he Is elected Governor he will
have to enter into relations with the party
leaders In the various counties who SUP.
ported him In the primary and look to them
for political advice.
This will leave the old committee with
only such funds as the friends Of Pepper
and Reed can raise and with no standing
next yeur In the Governors Office in tb.
State Capitol.
II this Is what Baker and his friend,
wish they can have 1t In full measure
pressed down and running over, for Pinchot
has never shown any indication to lie down
when he had fight on his hands
II the committee Ia wise, however. II will
face the facts and recognize Mr.. Pinchot AZ
the new State leader, elected to that Io,ition
by plurality Of the regularly qualified
voters. and 1t will ratify that election BY
recognizing his right to name its chairman
to conduct the campaign this year.
Genera! Asher Miner, of Wilkes. Barre.
whom Pinchot wishes to take charge OF hi,
campaign, Is qualified for the chairms bnsbin
of the committee. lie is a man of wild. .x.
perience and demonstrated executive ability
lie IL In sympathy with the purposes Of
Pinchot. lie is fair minded and not dis.
posed to make reprisals, and he Is ready and
willing to cooperate with every one who
will work sincerely with him for accom-.
plishing the purposes that PInchot has In
mind and thnt the Republicans who voted
for Plnchot wish to have carried out.
There Is more ut stake for the committee
t"o" A"' '"'" >" '"e o''A"n u AkeS to
morrow. Pinchot's nomination Is secure
and his election Is morally certain. And he
is pledged to a course Of procedure which
will from year to year increase the power Of
that wing Of the party which has chosen
him FOR it's prophet and leader.
II the committee wishes to face the past
and march backward into obscurity IL will
| elect Baker. II 1t wishes to join the pro.
cession which Is headed toward a brosd.,
vision and higher ideals In public service.
not only in Pennsy ylvanis but In other
| States. It will unanimously elect General
Miner to the chairmanship.