Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-22
The Political Mill

Secretary James ]. Davis Of the De-
partnent Of Labor has the Republican
senatorial nomination in Pennsylvania
instead of It's going to Senator Joseph
8. Grundy, who for many years was
president Of the Pennsylvanis Manu-
In his youth was an iron puddler In
Pennsylvania mills. Mr.. Grundy In
herited o prosperous manufacturing
business, which he has built up until
he Is many times q millionaire. Mr.,
Davis may typify O new element In
Pennsylvania politics. But he Is not
inimical TO the business interests of
the great State which he will represent
in part In the Senate II he Is elected
next November, rs he undoubtedly will
be. Furthermore, although Mr.. Davis
does not hold the same ideas Of the
tariff as Mr.. Grundy possesses, he is still
O strong believer in protective tariff
and the benefits Of the tariff to Ameri-
can labor.
Mr.. Davis victory in the senatorial
primary was impressive. He II likely to
wind UP with o ESQ, 900 lead over Sena-
tor 0ruAdy. His margin of victory IN
Philadelphia was l03,605 votes. His
lead outside Of Philadelphia viii be be-
tween 10000 and 10000 votes, It ID
believed.
While his victory on Tuesday demon
strated that Secretary Davis had 9
large personal element Of strength. II
in Pennsylvania ct this particular time
worked greatly to his advantage. And
this set-up was brought about by the
struggle between Senator drundy
backed by the Melons, on the one
hand, and the Philadelphia organisa-
ton, headed by Ware, on the other.
After "Bill" Ware had been turned down
by the Senate and Grundy had beer
appointed to I'LL the vacancy, IT locked
as though nothing codld prevent the
nomination and election Of Grundy t.
the Senate this year. But Mr.: Vars
figured that he still held chips in this
game Of Pennsylvania politics. He and
his lieutenants in the Philadelphia or
1anization were willing to do business
with Mr.. Grundy provided he was will.
ing also. They offered Grundy support
for the Senate If he would take their
candidate for governor. But Mr.
Grundy baked. He wanted the Senate
and he wanted the governor. Right
there he stubbed his toe. II he had
gone along with the Philadelphia or
ganization he would In all probability
have had the vote in Philadelphia for
the senatorial nomination that was
given to Mr.. Davis on Tuesday ana ne
would have won hands down.
It was the war between the two big
political bosses of Pennsylvania that
gave Mr.. Davis his chance. He must
be credited with having seized the OPP
portunity and with having shown a lot
Of personal strength In the campaign,
however.
Clifford Pinchot, former governor.
and ardent dry, has come
through the guerling race for the
nomination winner, 1t
now appears. Mr.. Pinchot, like Secre-
tary Davis, prof1ted by the political
set-up this year. II Grundy had gone
along with Ware, he would not have had
o look-in. When the heads Of political
fall out, dark-horse candt-
dates frequently are victorious.
Ware and his organization have sue
ceeded I'm nominating their candidates
for Senator and for all the State Of
Grundy has lost everything, but has
prevented the nomination Of Francis
Skunk Brown, the Ware candidate, for
governor. This In itself is o consid-
cradle victory for Mr.. Grundy. The
Philadelphia organization has desired
the governorship and all its power and
political patronage now these many
years. But Mr.. Grundy has been able
TO halt them. In 1922 Mr.. drundy
turned his support to Pinchot and
him then. rather than per-
NIT the Ware candidate, Alder, to win.
In 1924 Qrundy was more successful
and put Gov. Fisher, his own candi-
date, In ONCE ut Harrisburg. And now
he has adopted the came expedient he
adopted In 1922 and placed Pinchot In
power again, rather than allow the Phil
adelphia organization to have the gov
efnorship.
The Melons oficially backed Grundy
for the Senate and Brown for governor.
Neither Of their candidates won. How
ever, there has been more than q sus-
picion that the Melons, the Secretary
Of the Treasury, his nephew, w. L.
Mellon, former State chairman, and
the other members Of the family, re-
Gently have been entirely willing that
Mr.. Pinchot should ride into the gov
ernorship instead Of Mr.. Brown, not
the severe attacks which
Gov. Pinchot, Is . dry, has made in
the past upon Secretary Mellon as head
Of the prohibition enforcement OF the
The vets, who campaigned 30 vigor-
ousiy in the Keystone state, have sue
ceeded In nominating for governor the
dry Mr.. Pinchot. Not much Of an
from the wet standpoint,
perhaps. II Mr.. Phillips, the wet can
didate for governor, had kept out Of the
race, Mr.. Brown might well have been
over Pinchot. Mr.. Brown
had declared for State referendum
on the liquor question. Phillips re-
ceived about 100000 votes. It Is not
that these dyed In the wool
anti-prohibitionists would have voted In
large numbers for Mr.. Pinchot.
The anti-prohibitionists are talking
now about putting an independent can
didate In the Held to run against
Pinchot In November. They are talking
about making this straightout test In
the State between the vets and the
drys. But Republicans In Pennsylvania
are not accustomed to such proceed.
lnss. They vote the Republican ticket.
once the nominations have been made.
The vets, under such circumstances.
might make rather sorry showing.
Secretary Davis Is running for the
Senate short term, which ends two
years from next March. In 1882 he
must determine whether he viii be o
again. Furthermore, no one
can say today just what the Republic
can organization in the State viii be
doing at that time. The Philadelphia
Is not ut all pleased with
the failure of the organisation In Al
iegheny County to give the big vote 10
Brown which 1t gave 10 Davis. Had
County come through for
Brown, he would have been nominated,
they say. On the other hand. the fall
IRE of Pittsburgh to roll up big vote
for Brown has led further to the sus-
picion that the Melons were not As
earnest In their support of Brown IS
thew might have been. In 1894 Senator
David a, Reed must stand for re-elec-
tion. ne kept out Of the campaign Just
closed. although he Is from Pittsburgh
"a recevdad m the spokesman of Mr..