Evening star., 1926-06-13
'HATCHET IS BURIED
BYKEYSTONE c. 0.P.
Pennsylvania State Commit.
tee Elects Officers-Pri-
mary System Hit.
By tho Associated Press.

PHILADELPHIA, June 12.-The
Republican State committee, appar
rently burying all factional differ
ences, today elected all officers unan
imously. There was nothing on the
surface to indicate the bitterness that
was engendered in the recent primary
election.
An outstanding feature Of the meet
ing was an attack on the present
Statewide primary system in Penn
sylvania by United States Senator
Davis A. Reed, who said the Republi
can party should return to the con
Vention system.
Senator Reed said that the large
expenditures Of money in the recent
primary, which is now a subject OF
investigation by a United States Sen
ate committee, was virtually required
because Of the silly mechanism OF
primary elections that was thrust or
us in q burst of unconsidered reform
20 years ago. He referred to Penn
sylvania as no petty Western
State"
William l.. Mellon, Pittsburgh
nephew of the Secretary Of the Treas
ury, was named State chairman with
oul pppColIAOi. w Il6tI IDdhti " III
was in the field for reelection, with
drawing after last-minute harmony
plan had been arranged by the lead
ers. Mr.. Baker was elected secretary
| a position he held for years prior tC
| his election as head of the committee
| four years ago.
Team Work Praised.
1.-THE Republican party in Pennsyl
vania. whatever it may be in Other
States. is a great team" said Senator
Reed in his address. We have Oul
| rows part of the time about issue:
and people in this position and that
but when we have finished our family
fights, we pull together as a team ant
every one of US has no doubt now OF
the men for whom he will work nex'
November.
There is one lesson we have got tc
draw from this last primary, and thai
is that this beautiful, rosy reforma
ton we adopted 20 years ago, callec
the popular primary, Is an Illusion
The whole country is startled and oul
friends, the Democrats, are pretending
to be shocked, at the amount OF
money that was necessarily expended
in this last campaign. The people who
criticise it forget that they are talk
ing about n hard-fought primary ir
a nation Of 100000 of people.
Big Area to Be Covered.
This is no petty western State
with a population Of a seventh OIL
eighth that of this city Of Philadel
phia, But this is a nation, this State
Of ours-9, 900. 900 of people to whom
the lessons of the campaign and The
preachments of the candidates have
TO be carried.
This was not a contest betweer
three men, candidates for Senator
and four men, candidates for gov
ernor, but there was an infinite mum
Der OF candidates for Congress, fol
the State Legislature, for the State
Senate, for positions in our party or
ganizations and for county Offices, ant
necessarily, in all propriety. the ex
penditures of vast sums were requir
ed because of the silly mechanism O
| primary elections that was thrust OF
us in burst of unconsidered reform
| 20 years ago.
| Wants Convention System.
I'VE have got to get back to th'
| convention system. Now we haV'
| given this fancy reform a fair show
We have tried 1t for 90 years. Ant
we have seen the time arise when NJ
man of moderate means has a China
mans chance of getting nominated
| for office.
! I'VE have seen the time come whel
either q man must pour forth his en-
| tire personal fortune, or his friends
must pour forth theirs, and that Il
wrong in a republican democracy
such as ours"