The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-11
PINCHOT entry
AS CANDIDATE
BATTLE SIGNAL
Candidate for Governor to
Face Opposition of
Ware, Grundy.
DRY STAND EXPECTED
Public Utility MonopoIies
Opposition Is to Be
Platform Plank.

BIZ ScriDDs-HoVGrd Newspaper Alliance
PHILADELPHIA. March Il.-An-
other battle royal for Republican
control of Pennsylvania became GER
tain today following formal an
nouncement by Clifford Pinchot.
United States forester under Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Governor of
Pennsylvania from 1922 to 1926, that
he would be a candidate for Gov
ernor in the May primary.
William S. Ware today withdrew
as a senate candidate and pledged
his support to the anti-Grundy-
Mellon ticket, to be headed by
Francis Skunk Brown for Governor
and James j. Davis for senator.
Wares formal announcement of
his withdrawal, due to failing
health, was made as he departed for
his winter home in st. Lucie, Fls..
Although Pinchot said he prooa-
bly, would not have his platform
completed for a week, his forcefuI
statement to newspaper men re-
vealed clearly its principal planks
will be opposition to public utility
nonopolieS and adjustment of the
Pennsylvania public service COM
mission. 1t is a foregone conclusion
also that he will not straddle the
wet and dry issue, but come out
squarely for prohibition.
II am a candidate for Governor
in the coming Republican primary.
I want to help break the StrangIe-
hold of electric, gas, water, trolley,
bus, and other monopolies on the
cost Of living and government of
this state" Pinchot said.
Leaders Worried
PinchOtS entrance into the gov
ernorship fight is dramatic in the
extreme. At the start he will have to
combat almost single-handed two
powerful and Well-dnanced political
machines, as whatever organization
he possessed when Governor has
been scattered by the lapse of four
years since he was in Office. For
that reason his decision to run
presents one of the greatest ex-
amples of sheer courage in the
history of Pennsylvania politics.
In many respects it will be par
allel Of the famous struggle of 1926
which resulted in the long drawn
out senate battle finally resulting in
denial Of a seat to Ware, Philadel-
phia's political boss, who was count.
ed out of actual participation in
this years struggle by DR.. Elwod
Kirby on Saturday.
Leaders of the two machines OBJ
viouSly were much worried by Pin
chot's announcement. Both factions
are wondering from which machine
he will take the most votes.
Claim Farm Vote
Although the Ware Brown-D Davis
forces have been quick to claim
they, instead of Pinchot, will have
the farm vote it is believed that
in the final analysis the rural dis
tricts will go strongly for Pinchot.
BY a strange quirk of fate one of
the men who now will be Pinchot's
bittereSt foe, Senator Joseph r.
Grundy is credited with turning
the 1922 election in favor of the
former federal forester, not because
Grundy liked Pinchot, but because
he knew that if George Alter, the
man Pinchot defeated, obtained the
nomination, his power would suffer.
So a month before the primary,
Grundy withdrew his support from
John S. Fisher, the third candidate
in 1922, and supported Pinchot to
defeat Alter, the Sproul-backed can
didate.
By another strange set of cir
cunstances, the Mellon and Ware
forces at that time were fighting
to put over Alter.
Refused to Accede
But Grundy quickly broke with
Pinchot when the latter refused to
acceQe 10 MS demands 10 OucLaCe
cabinet appointments or to take off
the 10 per cent difTerential favor
ing the state workmen's insurance
fund over private insurance COM
panies.
In the three-cornered 1926 senate
fight, Ware polled about $4,000
votes to $4,000 by former Senator
Pepper and 10000 by Pinchot.
Pinchot is relying on the tremen-
dous dissatisfaction among workers
in the cities over increased electric
and gas rates, higher street car
fares and increased bus fares to give
him far larger vote in the ap-
primary battle.
HHrAH0nIAU