Evening star., 1922-05-21
ORGANIZATION TASK
FACED BY P|NCHOT
New Situation Created by
Republican Primaries in
Pennsylvania.
Special Dispat tch to The Star.

special Dispatch to The Star.
HARRISBURG, Pa. May, 20.-Gifford
Pinchot. nominated for governor at
the Pennsylvania republican primaries
on Tuesday in a straight-out fight
against the most powerful factors of
the organization dominated for years
may haye to build up his own party
organization. While the forester
smashed his way to victory through
the lines of great coalition. it re-
mains to be seen just how far he will
be able to impose his will upon the
republican state committee, the Off
cial organization of the party. The
group in control of the party ma
take over Pinchot. Mr.. Pinchot may
have to fight to take over them.
Already there are signs Of raising
questions of who shall officer the
committee.
The defeat of Attorney General
George E Alter by Mr.. Pinchot was
due to the fact that the group headed
by Gov. William C. Sproul. Sera-
tor Edwin H. Ware and others who
engineered the candidacy of Mr.. Alter
failed to recognize three things: The
extent of the dissatisfaction with the
Sldtc auIIliIilStTdtlOIl. tHe strength OF
the leaders antagonized by the gov
ernor and his friends and the appeal
made by Pinchot to the woman voters
as romantic figure in politics, in
which they were new participants.
Mr.. Alter is an exceptionally well
qualified man and, entering a fight
under any other auspices than he did.
would have commanded support
which gravitated or fiocked to Pin
chot, according to conditions. The
fight for control of the party organ
ization has been brewing for half a
dozen years.
Precipltated by Death.
The death of Penrose precipitated
it, but the men who sought to domi-
nate million voters did not display
the essential leadership and clung to
friendships; sought extinction of men
who had been potential factors in the
days of Penrose's supremacy and
made light of rising public sentiment
and the enthusiasm of the newly en-
franchised women, as Gov. Sproul term
ed it in 4 post-priniary statement.
Crude campaign methods also helped
him win.
While the forester had personal
organization, he was immensely helped
by the. well directed forces Of the
manufacturing groups and by or
ganzations led by men who were
W
legiance could always be depended
upon by him. Mistakes of two legis-
lative sessions bore fruit. and results
of an audit of the state treasury, the
first to be made in years. showing
deviations from the spirit if not
the letter of the law. famed the re-
sentiment against those in power.
People with the attorney general
erred in their appraisement of the
audit reports. and while some sought
.1rl% DE-
nounced their publication as politi--
cal trick. Pinchot promptly promised
to clean house, and the fact that the
disclosures are to continue as the
audit develops seems to have been
welcomed by him as chance to do
something.
Failures of Organizations.
Analysis of the returns shows the
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh organi-
cations failed to deliver. but that
county leaders opposing the governor
and his allies shrewdly got in front
ot their people and marched to victory
with big majorities. The attorney
general was sent into the anthracite
regions while a strike was under way.
against the old Quay maxim. and there
is growing suspicion he was drafted
for that service to help local leaders
who were in hot water. while in the
cities the Willingness of the women
to go to the trouble OF voting was
discounted too much. and the inde-
pendent element in Philadelphia re-
publican affairs for once went to a
primary. Dauphin county was one of
the six counties carried by Alter by
majority just about equaling the
number of residents of that county
employed by the state. Pinchot swept
1912.
The republican state committee will
meet the middle. of next month, and 1t
will then develop whether Pinchot will
take it over or build his own organiza-
ton. A state chairman and national
committeeman will be chosen.
Senator George Wharton Pepper won
handsomely, as did Mai. David A. Reed.
The latter will succeed Senator William
E. Crow before the end of the year.
The revolt was not all within the re-
publican party. While the democratic
ticket favored by the party organiza-
ton went through, there were thou
sands of votes for Robert E. Pattison,
jr, son Of the last democratic governor.
for the nomination for lieutenant gov
ernor, a place denied him by "a high
party council. while rumblings of a
contest over national delegates in 1924
were heard.
Pennsylvania is normally republican
by a big majority. Pinchot says he will
carry it by the usual plurality.
CAD ACES