Evening star., 1938-04-26
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,

putting on Kilkenny cat performance
seven days a week, the Republicans
ought to have chance to win next
November. There's always chance
that the Republicans may stub their
toes before election day. A great many
have in recent years. But when Senator
Guffey and Mayor Wilson of Phila-
delphia on one side and Gov Earle and
Democratic City Chairman Jack" Kelly
OF Philadelphia on the other get through
their brickbat throwing. the voters Of
Pennsylvania ought to know lot about
the Democratic organization and the
Democratic State leaders they didn't
know before. They have learned already
that Gov. Earle, who now wants to be
q Senator and In the future to be Presi-
dent, borrowed large sum OF money
from Matthew G. McCloskey, a con-
tractor, and McCloskey has been horning
In on lot OF P. w. A. contracts. They
have been told that Senator Guffey has
been "coercing" relief workers to vote
for the Democratic slate he wants nomi-
mated In the May primary.
~ y X
Perhaps the ordinary voter in Penn
sylVania is hardened and that kind Of
thing means little to him or her. But
the Democratic scandals Of 1938-Penn-
SylVanla Style--are getting a bit thick.
They may outweigh even the big spend
ing program which, through Federal aid,
IS to be staged in PENNSYLVANIA as we'll
as IN all the other States during the
next few months.
pennsylvania is no small political
plum and the New Deal Democrats will
be considerably crestfallen II the Re-
pupllcanS elect Governor and United
states Senator there in November. The
state government is a plum in other
ways, too. The Democratic leaders have
peen unable to agree on the way the
plum tree should be shaken. The old
Guftey-Earle combination, which won
Tour years ago, has fallen by the wayside.
Earle. McCloskey. State Chairman Law
renee and Kelly would not stand for the
nomination of Guffey for Governor.
Guf1ey would not stand for the nomina-
ton OF the choice OF the other leaders,
Charles Alvin Jones of Pittsburgh. The
Senator decided to hop on the John L.
Lewis bandwagon and support 1t. Gov.
Thomas Kennedy, secretary-treasurer of
the United Mine Workers and right
hand man of Lewis.
X 4
The Philadelphia Record, ardent New
Deal Democratic newspaper published by
J. David Stern, is violently anti
McCloskey-and-Jones. It is on the verge
OF becoming violently anti Earle, unless
the Governor takes new hitch in his
oelt and casts off his friend, Matt Nc
ClosKey A front-page editorial. en-
tltled BE Yourself, Governor" appear
in hn
Earle to insist on McCloskeys surrender
ing MS state contracts, running into
millions OF dollars, and then have new
olos submitted with McCloskey on the
OUTSIDE The editorial says by such
action only can the Governor square
mmseN. 1t insists that McCloskey has
broken his promise presumably made to
Earle) not to go after State contracts.
NOT only has McCloskey obtained Gov
srhment contracts-some of them in
washington where he has been erecting
puollc bulldings-but he has represented
tne pennsylvania Governor in dealing
WIN secretary 1ckes. P. w. A. admin
lstrator, and even with President Roose-
welt.
McCloskey has been instrumental in
the set-up Of the administration of some
$65 ,00OOO worth of projects in Penn
sylVania. The Record suggests that I'M
der all the circumstances McCloskev
might have little trouble in getting all
the contracts he goes after
So far the administration in Washing
ton has been able to do little more than
wiring its hands over the mess in Penn
sylvania. If 1t sides with Guffey. then
it must be content to see PENNSYLVANIA
taken over politically by John L. Lewis
if he can make it. On the other hand.
the administration may wish to keep
clear of the arleMcCloskey mess.
Mayor Wilson of Philadelphia, who
has been a Republican and a Democrat
whenever it pleased him to change over,
has caused a good deal Of the trouble,
spilling the beans about the loans made
by McCloskey to the Governor. Wilson
is candidate for the Democratic sena-
torial nomination against Earle. Guffey
has indorsed Wilson in his contest
against Earle
Earle. smeared by Wilson, even If he
is nominated will not be strong candi-
date for Senator next November and
Senator James J. Davis should beat him,
according to political observers in Penn
sylvania. If Kennedy is nominated for
Governor as c. I. O. candidate, he will
have not only the Republicans to fight
but also the American Federation of
Labor, which has come out against him
already. On the other hand. if Jones
wins the nomination, Lewis and Guffey
will scarcely be working for his election.
X + ~
All is not beer and skittles on the
Republican side of the fence in Pennsyl-
vania, however. Former Gov. Clifford
Pinchot is candidate for the guber-
material nomination again. Against him
is running Judge Arthur H. James of
the State Superior Court. James has
the backing Of Republican State Or
ganization which has always been anti
Pinchot. Some of the Republican
leaders would take Pinchot, much as
they dislike him. If they had not con-
vinced themselves that they can win
with James. James once was a coal
miner. The anti-Pinchot press, includ-
ing the Philadelphia Inquirer, is taking
the hide off the former Governor at
every opportunity. All this will not be
very helpful to the Republican cause
if Pinchot wins the nomination and be-
comes the G. o. P. standard bearer.
The Republicans today really think
they have good chance to win in Penn
sylvania. They may be mistaken. and
find they are, when the big spending
program gets under way in that State.
Such programs have been effective in
two earlier elections in Pennsylvania,
1894 and 1896.