,L, Four Rs in Philadelphia alq By David S. Broder publican—the first Republican mayor • Faced with the party split and the since 1951. "Can a good Democrat sup- liberal defection symbolized by the Washirston Post Staff Writer port Arlen Specter?" the brochure rival headquarters on Walnut Street, HILADELPHIA — The political asks. "Can a good Philadelphian do Tate is a definite underdog despite P scene here would baffle not only anything else?" it answers. the mythical visitor from Mars but the Democrats' 3-to-2 registration lead. The Smith Fortress even the everyday commuter from The Philadelphia Bulletin poll last Upper Darby. xrEXT DOOR, FINISHED in chaste week gave Specter a 47-to-41 per cent In the 1400 block of Walnut Street, 11 marble and with only a discreet lead over Tate, with 5 per cent split;.. in the heart of downtown, stand three bronze plaque identifying it, is the among three minor candidates and 7 campaign headquarters all manned headquarters of the Philadelphia City per cent undecided. by Democrats but all pursuing sep- Democratic Committee, the last fort- Private Republican polls show a arate goals. ress of Francis Raphael Smith, the similar spread, and John Bucci, the On the corner, in what was once a would-be Democratic boss. No posters GOP pollster, has told Specter's man- bank building, is the Tate for Mayor are in view in Its windows. agers the lead appears to be solid. Committee. Joe McLaughlin, whose Smith tried to beat Tate with for- brother Pat has a big job at City Hall, mer City Controller Alexander Hemp- The Four Its peers out over rimless glasses at hill in last May's primary, but failed. THAT, THERE Is some teller cages filled by middle-aged In September, Tate lined up two-thirds .1.1D nervousness in the Specter camp. Irish politicians and rugged-looking of the 66 ward leaders to dump Smith It Is caused by the apparent failure of union leaders working for the re-elec- as chairman, but the Common Pleas his campaign to ignite any great en- tion of Mayor James H. J. Tate. Court ruled. Wednesday that the recall thusiasm, and by the uncertain inter- Down the block is the second-floor meeting was illegal. play of the "four Rs" that shape this walkup office of the Democrats for So Smith will control the Demo- election—reform, religion, race and Specter. Inside, curly-haired Norval cratic poll-watchers' certificates and Rizzo. The last R is Frank Rizzo, the Reese, executive secretary of the local one-third of the ward organizations on controversial Police Commissioner. chapter of Americans for Democratic Nov. 7, when Philadelphia votes, and Specter, 37, tall, dark and brooding, gi Action, bosses a youthful band of ' will use his shreds of power, most is best-known nationally as the War- workers addressing 100,000 leaflets Philadelphia politicians suspect, to ren Commission invesllgator who de- .A urging independent Democrats and settle his score with the Mayor and veloped the "single bullet" theory of Negroes to make District Attorney salvage what crurObs he can from the assassination of President Ken- ro Arlen Specter—a Democrat-turned-Re- Specter's table. nedy and the wounding of Texas Gov. John Connally. "As an ambition& as- sistant district attorney, he was picked by victory-hungry Republicans as•their candidate for district attorney in 1965 and coolly waited until after he won by 35,000 votes to switch his party sl registration. ?.• Once in office, Specter grabbed 'the label of "reform" that had been in Democratic hands since two aristocrats, Joseph S. Clark Jr. (now United States Senator) and Richardson Dilworth, used it to break the Republicans' 67-year hold on City Hall in the early 1950s. In Tate, a white-haired,. 57-year-old career politician who still clings to his original power base as 43d Ward Demo- zratic committeeman, Specter found a perfect target for his attack. The Mayor is a cautious, sometimes cranky opera- • tor who pronounces speechwriters' Phrases like "urban renaissance" as if he distrusted his diction or his dentures. ,• In contrast to Clark, and to Dilworth whom he succeeded as Mayor In 1962 when Dilworth resigned to run for gov- ernor, Tate looks like a throwback to the bad old days of machine politics in Philadelphia. Elected in his own right in 1963, • Tate encountered increasing criticism for favors to cronies, delays in renewal I projects, the racial disturbance in 1964 4 and a "snafu" in the poverty program Philadelphia's fatuous City Hall towers 500 feet. See MOLLY, Page B2, Column 1
so fast it would make your head spin." spin." head your make would it fast so
some Negro and liberal groups but a a but groups liberal and Negro some
hero to most of Philadelphia's white white Philadelphia's of most to hero
householders. householders.
Republican, "he'd whip Specter and Tate Tate and Specter whip "he'd Republican,
is the object of intense dislike among among dislike intense of object the is
commissioner. A roughneck giant, Rizzo Rizzo giant, roughneck A commissioner.
Wayne," to the vacant post of police police of post vacant the to Wayne,"
off Federal grants, jetting to Tel Aviv Aviv Tel to jetting grants, Federal off
a local newsman as "an .Italian John John .Italian "an as newsman local a
back to Rome for the elevation of of elevation the for Rome to back
pointment of Frank Rizzo, described by by described Rizzo, Frank of pointment ity, flying down to Washington to to Washington to down flying ity,
Philadelphia's new Cardinal. Cardinal. new Philadelphia's raeli war broke out), then doubling doubling then out), broke war raeli
being there on the day the Arab-Is- the day the on there being
gin, then plunged into a whirl of activ- of whirl a into plunged then gin,
(where he reaped extra publicity by by publicity extra reaped he (where R
didate in the primary by a 2-to-1 mar- 2-to-1 a by primary the in didate
organized labor, he beat Smith's can- Smith's beat he labor, organized
and Polish minorities. minorities. Polish and
mer, however. With massive aid from from aid massive With however. mer,
publicans and a cosmopolitan representa- cosmopolitan a and publicans
tion of the city's Negro, Italian, Irish Irish Italian, Negro, city's the of tion
Democrats, reformers, distinguished Re- distinguished reformers, Democrats,
their usual caution and backed Specter Specter backed and caution usual their
with an all-star ticket, including liberal liberal including ticket, all-star an with
Nation's fourth largest city, abandoned abandoned city, largest fourth Nation's
Specter leading by an incredible 68-to-32 68-to-32 incredible an by leading Specter
point this spring that polls at the time time the at polls that spring this point
of the Democratic primary showed showed primary Democratic the of
per cent margin. margin. cent per
war with Smith, he sank to such a low low a such to sank he Smith, with war
eral funds early this year. year. this early funds eral
that caused a temporary cutoff of Fed- of cutoff temporary a caused that
"If he ran for mayor," says one top top one says mayor," for ran he "If
Abandoning Caution Caution Abandoning
His key move, however, was the ap- the was however, move, key His
Tate rallied sharply during the sum- the during sharply rallied Tate
Preoccupied with his intra-party civil civil intra-party his with Preoccupied
EPUBLICANS, SENSING a chance chance a SENSING EPUBLICANS,
for a real breakthrough in the the in breakthrough real a for
PHILLY, From Page B1 B1 Page From PHILLY,
grab grab
.
Specter "would not appoint Rizzo, be- be- Rizzo, appoint not "would Specter
last word, charging the Yale-educated Yale-educated the charging word, last
"phony" and "another Nixon." Nixon." "another and "phony"
of "hiding behind the broad shoulders shoulders broad the behind "hiding of
of Frank Rizzo." But Tate had the the had Tate But Rizzo." Frank of
to make the pledge and accused Tate Tate accused and pledge the make to
keep him in office. Specter refused refused Specter office. in him keep sought to make Rizzo Rizzo make to sought by demanding to know if Specter would would Specter if know to demanding by scheduled. But the Republican's man- Republican's the But scheduled.
Democrats gleefully taunt Specter as a a as Specter taunt gleefully Democrats
agers concede that his aggressive, know- aggressive, his that concede agers
it-all manner is hard to "humanize," and and "humanize," to hard is manner it-all man. Specter scored well enough in a a in enough well scored Specter man.
ately canceled four others that had been been had that others four canceled ately
televised debate so that Tate immedi- Tate that so debate televised
"violated the spirit of the reform city city reform the of spirit the "violated
ful of 'losing the public platform his his platform public the 'losing of ful
office provided, refused to budge and and budge to refused provided, office
his stand was supported by a split split a by supported was stand his
worth's example of resigning when he he when resigning of example worth's
decision of the state Supreme Court. Court. Supreme state the of decision
crime crusade. He also managed to put put to managed also He crusade. crime sought, higher office. Specter, fear- Specter, office. higher sought,
charter"
ter, who had won in 1965 on an anti- an on 1965 in won had who ter,
the self-proclaimed reform candidate on on candidate reform self-proclaimed the
subject to riots and insurrections as as insurrections and riots to subject issue away from District Attorney Spec- Attorney District from away issue
squads in breaking up any gathering gathering any up breaking in squads
other cities are." are." cities other
result, Tate brags, Philadelphia "is not not "is Philadelphia brags, Tate result, the defensive by charging Specter had had Specter charging by defensive the
that looked remotely suspicious. As a a As suspicious. remotely looked that
emergency" and Rizzo led his flying flying his led Rizzo and emergency"
delphia's ghetto this summer, Tate Tate summer, this ghetto delphia's mediately`proclahned a "state of limited limited of "state a mediately`proclahned
Little Enthusiasm Enthusiasm Little
In their lone television debate, Tate Tate debate, television lone their In
Thus, Tate took the took Tate Thus,
When trouble threatened in Phila- Phila- in threatened trouble When
HE FALL CAMPAIGN has stirred stirred has CAMPAIGN FALL HE
little apparent enthusiasm for either either for enthusiasm apparent little little
, ,
by refusing to follow Dil- follow to refusing by
a a
, ,
law-and-order law-and-order
direct issue issue direct
mayor and Specter, if if Specter, and mayor
are religion and race. race. and religion are
"has become the biggest issue of all," all," of issue biggest the become "has
the other forces shaping the election election the shaping forces other the
issue, and Rizzo, who Tate argues argues Tate who Rizzo, and issue,
cation." cation."
cause he does not have have not does he cause
Tate is Philadelphia's first Catholic Catholic first Philadelphia's is Tate
Aside from reform, Specte reform, from Aside
Wayne-type" police commissioner, commissioner, police Wayne-type"
Mayor James Tate's job with Tate-appointed Frank Rizzo, Rizzo, Frank Tate-appointed with job Tate's James Mayor
Arlen Specter, left, a Democrat-turned-Republican, is after Democratic Democratic after is Democrat-turned-Republican, a left, Specter, Arlen
elected, elected,
a a
college edu- college
i
r's key key r's
would would
a a
major issue. issue. major
sive, said he supported the bill "in "in bill the supported he said sive,
schools. Specter, again on the defen- the on again Specter, schools.
state aid to private and parochial parochial and private to aid state
sylvania legislature, to give broad broad give to legislature, sylvania
backer of a bill, stymied in the Penn- the in stymied bill, a of backer
about 40 per cent Catholic and 16 per per 16 and Catholic cent per 40 about
cent Jewish. Jewish. cent
be the first Jewish one. The city is is city The one. Jewish first the be
Tate has campaigned as an all-out all-out an as campaigned has Tate
a a "John "John principle, so long as it does not vio- the Democratic victory process in late the traditional separation of Philadelphia," he warned, "it isn't church and state." going to help any in 1968." It was an When Specter showed an audience effective speech, but Frank Smith at Archbishop Ryan High School an and the anti-Tate ward chairmen loyal article in the diocesan newspaper ex- to him had not paid their $100 to plaining his stand, Tate pointedly come to Convention 'Hall and hear it. reminded the largely-Catholic audi- Wednesday night, 4000 Republicans ence, "I subscribe to the Catholic sat down in the same hall to the same Standard and Times; he Just buys it chicken-and-peas menu and heard now and then." Sen. Edward R. Brooke of Massachu- setts at their fund-raising'dinner. There `Backlash' Issue was 'more optimism in the air, but it ItHE NOVELTY OF NEGROES on was of the nervous variety—and no I- the Republican ticket (they have one was more uneasy than Specter, run as Democrats for years), pfus who complained privately that Specter's equivocal stand on Rizzo, Brooke's appearance might add to has been turned to "backlash" advantage the "backlash" and hurt him by rein- by Democrats in some white neighbor- forcing his identity as a Republican hoods. candidate in what is still a Demo- Old John Murphy, a 50-year veter- cratic city. an of Philadelphia politics, welcomed Brooke must have been warned, be- Tate to the 45th ward Democratic cause he began his speech with the , clubhouse, with pool tables and a bar unusual declaration that "Arlen Spec- in back, with a tub-thumping speech ter did not ask me to Philadelphia to advising his workers to "ask the Re- speak for him; I came as the guest of publican committeeman, 'where is the Republican Party of Philadelphia." this Specter team?' Let 'em show up Brooke did say, however; that a here with their candidate for sheriff Specter win, like that of John Lind- (Negro Melvin Howell) and we'll say in New York in 1965, would "bring carry this ward by 3000 votes." the Republican Party back to the big Despite race, religion and Rizzo, cities" and thus into closer touch with Specter has maintained his lead in all the problems of modern urban the autumn polls. There was, there- America. fore, an atmosphere of near-despera- Such a victory would also strength- tion Tuesday night in Convention Hall en liberal Republicans, like Sen. Hugh when Clark (whose former wife is Scott of Pennsylvania, Specter's chief supporting Specter) and Vice Presi- sponsor, in the battle over the 1968 dent Humphrey turned out at the tra- presidential nomination, and improve ditional Democratic rally for Tate.' any Republican's chances of carrying Humphrey .pleaded with the party Pennsylvania next year. But Phila- workers to "put away petty selfishness delphia being what it is, no Repub- and petty animosities" until after lican is calling Specter "Mr. Mayor" election day. "If you start to unwind yet, or counting out Jim Tate.