Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-31
WHY BAKER SHOULD NOT BE
PlNcHOT'S STATE CHAIRMAN
As Representative Of the Old Machine
and Manager for seidleman, He For
feited Rights to Consideration Now
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

l. and tho candidate for Governor having
been selected in the person Of Clifford nm
chot. the paramount issue now is the or
sanization Of the Republican state Commit
tee and the selection OF its chairman ana
secretary.
There will then follow the choice OF some
distinguished Republican to represent Penn
sylvania on the National Republican Com.
mittce.
Naturally Mr. rinchot. from the powerful
position which he holds "a candidate for
Governor, is expected to WELD some in
fucncr In the selection of n State chairman
who will have charge Of the conduct of his
campaign this fall.
While IL has been asserted hy defeated
Organization leaders that the selection of
State chairman Is matter exclusively within
the control of the State Committee and that
tho candidate for Governor is only consulted
ns a matter of courtesy, the fact remains.
nevertheless. that he should be. If not the
personal selection Of or the personal friend
Of tho leading candidate at least not
political opponent.
W. Harry Baker. of Harrisburg. secretary
Of the State Committee. the most active
representative OF the old Organization. is
being pushed persstently for the position Of
State chairman by his friends. who went
| down 20 defeat in the recent primary.
1t Is urged III Mr. Bakers behalf that he
| is. by and large. the most admirably
equipped individual In the State for the
| position. He is affable. good fellow
| knows every county leader Of Importance
! and every politician of no importnnce-and
| that his experience in past campaigns has
| equipped him 10 deal with the most intri-
cate problems that may arise in the future.
Above all, il is urged, he is free from the
! taint OF graft that has marred the political
| career of so many men on Capitol Hill within
the last twelve months. and he occupies a
strategic position by virtue Of his being one
of the co-leaders of Dauphin County.
These are arguments advanced by leaders
| Of the old machine and, surprisingly. echoed
by certain Independents. men and women,
who for reasons thus far undiscosed are
lending their voices TO strengthen the chorus
of Endorsement going Pinchotward on behalf
of Mr.. Baker.
There is, however. after all is said but
one reasonable argument advanced for
making Mr. Baker chairman of the State
Committee it is that he knows the State
and the old Organization leaders.
II is not pretended that he knows all the
new men who have come into power or the
local leaders raised on the crest Of the PIN
chot wave. Il is not asserted that he is
entitled t" the chairmanshp by any con-
spicuous display Of leadership or self sacri.
tcing service.
In The past Mr.. Bakers role. aside from
bis position in the State Senate. has been
that of political superintendent for the late
Senator Penrose. Every politician in Penn
sylvania knows that Boies Penrose conducted
his own campaigns and that Mr.. Baker
merely carried out the instructions he re
ccived from the senior Senator.
II was Penrose strategy that worked Re-
| publican trumphs in the past.
1t IS no derogation of AIr. Bakers astute.
ness, based on his last performance TO say
that he IS a political opportunist. He ha.
become one since the primary campaign
which ended May 1G.
In that campaign he flung his duty 10 the
State Committee, his discretion and his
political acumen 10 the four winds of
| h'a'th' Iie H.S DTliSes DSnlnu MIN
and raised the banner Of revolt against the
traditions of his party.
Penrosc was dead. One Of the candidates
for Governor was Lieutenant Governor Bel.
dlenan, of Dauphln. Mr.. Baker is of Dau.
phin County. BeiIleman was, and Is. his
side partner and col boss in that bailiwick.
Mr.. Bakers duties as secretary of the
State rommitte" were clear-cut and explicit
He was expected 10 conduct tmpartialy the
business Of the committee. arrange for the
conduct Of the Camraig ign and otherwise direct
matters as secretary and servant of the State
body.
Bcldleman. Bakers friend and fellow boss
! Of Dauphln County. was candidate for
Governor. Instead Of maintaining an I'm
partial attitude and devoting his energies
solely 10 the affairs Of the Republican State
Committee, Baker ignored traditions. good
taste and sound judgment and plunged into
the melee.
In violation Of the paInest ethics Of fair
politics, he as secretary of the stare Com
mittee openly proclaimed himself as the
mouthpiece and manager Of Mr. Beidlenan n
and therefore, the opponent of Clifford Pin
chot anu every "'her candidate IN the field
for the nomination.
II was the most inconsistent and !nex-
cusable violation Of the duties of the secr.
tary Of a State Committee in the recent HIS.
tory Of that body.
AMI now Mr. Baker with the backing ot
Capitol Hill. the Snyders. Kophar,s and
Bcidlemans. the Lcslies, Wares and Fvres
asks that he be elected State chairman to
conduct Clifford Pnchots campaign.
That he, an opponent of the Pike Coun,v
candidate and the representative ~ . re.
jected coterie, BE- selected as Mr. p,ncbo,,s
representative
That he above all the able and efHciep,
Republicans in the State, Shall be selected
to stand before the world as Clifford Pin
chot's political manager and alter ego,