Evening star., 1950-05-07


,vernor and United States Senator.
'amiliar Pennsylvania and national
and Judge Fine, twice campaign
manager for former Gov. Clifford
Pinchot, are demanding that the
Pennsylvania Republicans look
forward. not backward and that
they continue the welfare pro-
gram Gov. Duff has started in
the State.
Gov. Duff, as rugged an indi-
vidual as his idol, Theodore
Roosevelt. asserts that the PIMA
looks out for itself first, last and
always. He says:
"The Old Guard has lost five
successive presidential elections
and still runs campaigns ON the
theory that there is something
wrong with the voters. This fight
is between high-button-shoe re-
dictionaries whose viewpoint
goes back to the Mckinley days
and the advocates Of progressive
government.
"If the Republican Party acts
as the party Of privilege at the
expense of human rights we will
lose the next election, too. If we
don't give, we are going to break.
"Mr. Grundy. a man reputed to
be 81 years old, is endeavoring to
fasten his will and impose his
ideas upon a generation whose
problems and attitudes he does
not understand.
I'VE have nothing to fear but
privilege"
Kunkel Leads Attack
Mr.. Grundy, as is his custom,
does not publicly participate in the
campaign, but he is at his Office
every day at the Philadelphia FL
deity Building. The public at
tack on Duff and Fine is being led
by Representative Kunkel. The
PIMA publicity director has been
lent to Mr.. Kunkel for the dura-
ton of the campaign. Mr.. Cooke,
who is trying to keep aloof of fac
tions, is running almost as an in
dependent on a platform of clean
government and courageous lead
ership."
Mr.. Kunkel, although a candi-
date for the Senate, lays down
his barrage against Judge Fine, a
candidate for the governorship,
but instead Of making detailed
follow-up charges. he merely
argues that Judge Fine was a "po-
litical judge" and o boss of Lu-
zerne County, a coal mining re-
gion.
Here are typical excerpts from
Mr.. KunkepS speeches:
Gov. Duff wears upon his brow
the tinsel crown of phony liberal
ism. But don't let that fool you.
The true emblem of the Duff Fine
boodle-boys is the black flag of
political piracy. The force which
holds this band together is the
cohesive power of public plunder.
Let me tell you that during
Fines reign racketeering in Lu-
zerne County has been turned into
big business. It has been or
ganized and systematized. There
is a take Of about a million dol
ars in a normal year, cut and dis
tributed according to plan. A per-
centage goes into boodle-chests
controlled by the political ma
chine.
"The Luzerne County machine
milkS the slot machine and lot
terry rings, the gambling dens, the
whisky and beer trade, the num-
berS games and other racketS. Ex-
ploitation and shakedown have
been reduced to a fine art. Pipe
lines into the State police and IL
quor board give ample warning
If any one outside tries to inter-
fere.
The True Issue
IF corrupt State wide machine
on the Luzerne pattern ever gets
set up at your State Capitol, you
may be powerless to tear it out
but you can do this: You can head
it off and keep the racketeers from
taking over your State govern
ment.
Pennsylvania, awake!
do you want racketeers and
boodlers running your State
government"
Gov. Duff has described Mr..
Kunkel as "a slow-witted, spoiled
rich boy" and Judge Fine has
called him "the political accident
of the generation"
Mr.. Kunkel is reputedly the
richest man in the race-richer
than Cooke. He is the son, grand
son and a great-grandson of
members Of Congress. His family
made fortune from banking and
farming and he has augmented
it by investments in Oklahoma
oil.
The spectacular charges do not
disguise the true issue back of
the campaign. which appears to
be that Grundy and Owlett WANT
a man like Cooke, although anQm:
dependent, in the executive ot
rather than a man like Fine, who
is expected to carry on with Duff s
progressive" administration.
Pennsylvania Republicans are
not accustomed to factional fights
and there is talk of mediation Of
the bitter dispute between Duff
| and Fine on the one hand and
Grundy, Owlett. Martin. Kunkel
and Cooke on the other. Former
Senator George Wharton Pepper
has appealed for moderation and
a truce on the name-calling, but
Gov. Duff has scorned these over
lures.
The Democrats. for q change,
have harmony In their ranks