The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-02
IS ON FOR
MANTLE Of
PENROSE
Memorial Ceremony for Boss
Is Stage for One Scene in
Pinchot- Pepper Clash.
BY WILLIAM HARD.

monies were held in the State capitol
in honor of the memory of the late
great national boss" Senator Pen
rose, while simultaneously, in the
environs of these ceremonies, the
struggle between Governor Pinchot
and Senator Pepper and the Pennsyl-
vania State legislature over the
mantle OF leadership left by Senator
Penrose went rushing on toward
climax.
Governor Pinchot sat in a. chair
facing joint session of both houses
of the legislature and heard reso-
luton passed declaring that Penn
sylvania may for many years look
In vain for counterpart of that
great public servant, Boies Penrose."
To show lower estimate of Pin
chot, the house of representatives
OF the legislature had just eliminated
four or five of Pinchot's pet projects
from its schedules of appropriations.
Pepper Is Absent.
Meanwhile Senator Pepper, Pin
chot's running mate in public and
party national fame was conspicu-
ously not in Harrisburg. 1t was sug.
gested today that these local facts
have their large national conse-
quences.
Some Republicans see Presidential
timber in Pepper. Others see it in
Pinchot. The Pennsylvania de1ega-
ton, according to present plans,
will go to the next Republican Ma
tional Convention without instruc-
tons for Pinchot and without in
structions for Pepper, but also
Without instructions for Harding.
The Pennsylvania politicians are
dissatisfied with the Federal offices
granted to Pennsylvanians by
Harding Patronage is not what it
used to be under Penrose.
The Republican party OF Pennsyl-
vania Is pulling itself back in order
to pull itself together under new
leadership before it again attacks
the problem of Federal offices and
of Presidential commitments.
Ready for Call.
The new leadership is not yet ar
ranged, Senator Pepper today was
in Washington ready to respond to
a call from Governor Pinchot. He
did not get 1t.
In Harrisburg recently he told
Pinchot that he would gladly help
him quell the storms in the legis-
lature. He would come back to
Harrisburg. he said. whenever
iPinchot summoned him.
1t seemed likely today that II
Pepper never come back till Pinchot
summons him he will stay in Wash
ington until death.
The two new leaders are at least
as far apart as the Capitol OF the
Nation and the Capitol OF the state.
Political observers are noting to.
day the following vital national
political fact:
Old Leadership Dead.
In Pennsylvania and in New
York, as well as in Iowa, and in
Minnesota, and in the whole 'radi-
cal" Northwest. the old Republican
leadership is dead, or shattered, or
shaken, and the new Republican
leadership is not yet firmly found.
The Democratic party Is a party or
settled chiefs. The Republican party
is by comparison a party of passing
chiefs and of prospective new
chiefs.
In Pennsylvania today, Governor
Pinchot proceeded from the cere-
monies over the memory of Senator
Penrose and laid SOME claim to be-
ing a prospective new chief. He
and drew blood twice.
The lower house, after having
killed four or five of his ideas in
its appropria ton schedules, restored
I"two or three of them to sudden life.
The upper house delivered him a
promise that his State-government
| departmental reorganization bill
would be reported out of committee
and put on it's passage.
Bill a Heavyweight.
This bill weighs one pound and
eleven ounces. This writer studied
it today with the help Of scales
It's general purport is to take the
one hundred and seven spending
agencies of the State of Pennsyl-
Vania and consolidate them into
fifteen or sixteen.
1t is stage two in Pinchots leg
islative program. Stage one is al
ready passed. 1t was the Pinchot
prohibition enforcement law. Stage
two now looks promising. The
Pinchot method looks fairly sue.
cessful.
This method seems to consist of
stamping a foot with determination
within the hearing of the general
public, but also using a political
device which perhaps Penrose would
not have regarded as being without
merit.
Keeps Jobs in Storage.
PinchOt, as governor. has 5000
jobs to hand out to deserving per.
sons. but he is keeping virtually all
of these jobs preserved in cold
storage and undistributed until the
legislature gets through with its
work and until he can know just
who the deserving persons really
are and who they are not.
An Italian was naturalized today
in Harrisburg. When asked the
question "who makes the laws Of
Pennsylvania" he filled the cor
ridors of the Capitol with loud
laughter by instantly and happily
replying, Mr.. Pinchot."
Pinchot, the historic opponent of
all BOSSES" is now obliged, on be-
half OF his legislative program,
himself to become, in his own way
boss"
Today saw the final farewell to
Penrose, the aristocratic and learned
self made "roughneck." and the final
emergence of the problem of ulti-
mate combination or ultimate conflict
between Pepper, the aristocratic and
learned lawyer and theologian, and
Pinchot, the aristocratic and learned
forester and uplifter. All that re-
fha ma ia the artist OoT.lrV