Evening star., 1938-02-22
THE POLITICAL
MILL
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

|
The Democratic bosses of the great
State Of Pennsylvania are having q
terrible time these days. 1t is all due
to the fact that John L. Lewis-who is
not Pennsylvania, but votes in 1lli-
nois-is unwilling to have the Demo-
Gratis OF Pennsylvania sidetrack Thomas
Kennedy, Lieutenant Governor, and at
the same time secretary-treasurer of the
United Mine Workers of America. Lewis
insists that Kennedy must be given the
Democratic nomination for Governor
this year-or else!
| The result has been anything but
pleasing to the Democrats who do not
want to place Mr.. Kennedy and the C.
I. o. In the gubernatorial chair in Penn
sylvania. They are afraid that If Ken
nedy becomes Governor. they will cease
to be the party leaders of the State
that Kennedy will build up an organiza-
ton OF his own, which. acting in con-
| junction with the United Mine Workers
and other members of the C. I. O., will
dominate the State politically. That
would be decidedly unfortunate, for ex-
ample. for Senator Guf1ey, at present
the only Democratic Senator from
Pennsylvania and regarded as the Dem
ocratic leader Of the State. Mr.. Ken
nedy and his allies might even have the
say as to whether Senator Guffey should
be candidate to succeed himself in
1910.
! Gov. Earle, who leaped into the lime
light in 1884 along with Senator Gufey-
they were both elected to office that
years. ambitious to become Senator
and, 1t is whispered, to be presidential
nominee In 1910. At any rate. Gov Earle,
seeing the Lewis handwriting on the
wall and unwilling to give up any chance
of being candidate for the Senate next
fall. on Saturday tossed his hat into the
ring formally. Had he remained silent,
the Democrats might have traded him
out OF the senatorial race-by compro-
missing with Lewis and making Kennedy
their senatorial candidate
This action by Gov. Earle has left Sen
ator Guffey more or less holding the bag.
The Democratic State Committee is to
meet later this week to recommend a
primary slate, including a gubernatorial
candidate, to be voted for May 1.-THE
date Of the primary. John Lewis has
issued an ultimatum that if Kennedy
is not given a place-the Governors
place-the Democrats need not look to
MIN Tor support in the coming elec-
tion. To lose Lewis and his mine work.
ers and other C.. I. o. followers would
be a sad blow to the Democratic candi-
dates. Particularly would this be true
II Lewis should determine to hook up
with that old-time Progressive, Clifford
f1nchot, twice Governor of the State in
tne past. Plnchot has already an
nounced himself as candidate for the
republican nomination for Governor.
The Democratic State Committee
might, it Is true. decide not to recon-
mend any slate of candidates to be voted
for in the primary and throw the race
wide open to any candidates who wished
to run Senator Guffey has repeatedly
said, when questioned about who would
be the Democratic nominee for Governor.
the people will decide" They will, in
| deed. If no slate is put forward by the
State Committee. That might be a saw
| ing grace for Guffey, at that. For il
| there is free e-for-all primary. Lewis
could put up his candidate. Kennedy,
and II he was beaten, could scarcely
blame the Democratic organization
small group of the Democratic
leaders OF Pennsylvania decided to put
forward Charles Alvin Jones, a Pitts
burgh attorney, for Governor. But Mr..
Lewis would not stand for that. He said
so emphatically. Gov. Earle and Sena-
| tor Guney SHE'D off. when Lewis had
| spoken, from the Jones boom. But they
still do not want Kennedy. The problem
| is to flnd a compromise candidate for
| Governor, satisfactory to Lewis. This is
| likely to be all the more difficult, now
| that Earle has sought to preempt the
| Democratic senatorial nomination for
himself, which might have gone to
Kennedy as consolation prize. Earle,
| under the State law. cannot be candi-
date to succeed himself as Governor.
| Guffey might run for Governor-and he
should be satisfactory to Lewis, since he,
Guffey. was the author of the act cre-
sting the Bituminous Coal Commission.
much desired by Lewis and the coal
miners union, whose president Lewis is.
| But there has been certain lack of en-
thusiasm for Guf1ey for Governor in
| Pennsylvania.
In the meantime, Attorney General
Charles J. Margiotti has announced he
will run in the primary for the Demo-
| cratic nomination for Governor no mat
| ter what the State Committee may do.
| Margiotti once was Republican. But
| when the @. O. P. would not give him
what he wanted he shifted four years
| ago over to the New Deal Democrats
and got himself elected attorney general.
| He has quite following among the
| voters Of Italian blood in the State, OF
whom there are a considerable number.
| Also. Luther Harr. city treasurer OF
Philadelphia, is considering entering the
eubernatorial primary on the Democratic
| side. The Philadelphia Record, the
strongest New Deal paper in the State,
| Is backing Harr for the nomination.
| There has been talk, too, of nominating
State Chairman Lawrence for Governor.
Under all the circumstances, the Dem
ocratic State Committee of Pennsylvania
will certainly be on the spot when it
meets Friday in Harrisburg to consider
the question Of recommending a slate
for the primary. The whole trouble is
| 0Ver fhA ouhArp foria1 porpip n tiop-o1.