Evening star., 1922-05-28
P|NcHOT THRUST
| INTO PARTY FIGHT
May Succeed Penrose in Con-
troll of Pennsylvania
Party Machine.

HARRISBURG. Pa. May 27.-Gh-
ford Pinchot's capture of the repub-
lican nomination for Governor OF
Pennsylvania in the spectacular cam
paign which ended ten days ago has
precipitated him into struggle Tor
control of the republican state or
ganization, dominated for SO many
years by the Camerohs, Matthew
Stanley Quay and Boies Penrose. The
former forester would prefer party
politics be fought out without him. SO
that he could be in a position TO ask
all groups in the party to support his
legislative program, but not only mas
the old organization crowd, composed
of state administration ana city or
ganization leaders. started out 10 re-
tain control of the state committee
but manufacturing and other ele-
rnents which supported Plnchot nave
headed in the same direction and con-
trary to the desires of some OF the
old progressive cohorts who were the
backb bone of the Pinchot candidacy
Mr. Pinchot hoped to be able TO
work out comprehensive plans for re-
form of the state finances. Launching
of budget and reorganization OF
the state government ana haa sum
moned men with intimate knowledge
of the troubles in the governmental
3
of the state committee broke OUT;
The committee does not meet untii
the middle of June. and there is more
or less of a play for place ana 10 nave
some hold on the nominee pehlliu ti.e
whole business. The people support
ing Pinchot have naturally wished
state chairman friendly to the forest
er, but differ on the man
Old Guard Line-Up-
When this situation began to de-
yelop the old organization group,
whicn had backed Attorney Geherd'
George T.. Alter for the gnnerna
toriaI nomination against Mr.. Plnchot,
got behind w Harry Baker. secretary
of the state committee for years ana
a right hand man of Boies Penrose
This group has the most to lose. IN
its ranks are men antagonlstlc TO tne
forester for years and wnom II
believed he would not have arouhu
Capitol Hill. 1t is powerfui, re
sourceful clique with knowledge OF
the state and grasp or poitlcdi
matters that are essential TO noliii- :
nee. Furthermore, there are signs
that Senator George Wharton Pepper.
Mai. David A. Reed, candidate for SEN
ator to succeed William +. crow
and two state ticket nominees IN ad-
dition are favorable to Baker 1t mas
always been customary to nave tne
gubernatorial nominee. who bears the
chairman. But this year. the fact that
there are TWO senatorial candidates
is taken as an unusual conoitloh
which justifies the gubernatorial can
ddate yielding. A strong drive VIII
be made for Baker.
John S Fisher, former state bank
Ing commissioner, who broke with
Sproul when Alter was brought out
and who swung in with the manulac-
turing interests for Pinchot, Is pelnS
.t,, I,y-p a nv
old Penrose stalwarts opposed to Ba-
ker.
Added TribulatiOns.
Disclosures of surprising methods
of handling state funds and charges
that the commonwealth did not get
the interest it should on money al
legged to have been kept in war
chest for emergency use during the
closing days of the war have added
to the tribulations. Pinchot has ask
ed that the matter be probed to the
bottom and be cleaned up. 1ntima-
tions that the sections of the treas
ury audit report made public are
only the beginning have added to
the unusual features of a post
primary season already out of the
ordinary.
Late returns have shown the de-
feat of the candidate for lieutenant
governor backed by the harmony
committee of the democrats, Robert
f. Pattison, jr, son of the last demo-
cratic governor, having won out over
Charles D. McAvoy. former United
States attorney for the Philadelphia
district and Palmer adherent. Pat
tison made little campaign and spent
less than $50; his name carrying him
through.
Pinchots nomination dimmed dem
ocratic chances of making the cam
paign hoped for and will force a
framing of new issues Practically
everything democrats had set for
their campaign was on Pinchot's list
and his pledge to clean up the finan
cial muddle and go through with the
treasury probe have been discourage
ing to democrats, who saw oppor-
tunity in the division among repub-
licans.