Debut of a Wallflower

During his four years as Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor, Raymond Shafer stayed so dutifully on the sidelines that he was virtually a new face when he decided to run for outgoing Governor William Scranton's job. Buoyed by his heady victory last year, Republican Shafer lost no time rushing in where angels--and Scranton--had trod to their regret. As his administration's first major project, he chose revision of the state's antiquated constitution. Since the voters had already nixed six previous attempts (including one by Scranton) to change the 93-year-old constitution, old political pros gave Shafer's ambitious scheme less chance than a wallflower at a garden party. Last week Pennsylvanians rewarded the Governor's bold effort, approving a constitutional convention by a margin of nearly 400,000 votes.

"It was a big gamble," said Deputy Democratic State Chairman John Lynch. "Shafer laid his administration on the line and he came through." Said Republican Senator Hugh Scott: "It shows he'll take a big risk for an important result."

Fort Courage. For the husky Shafer, 50, a small-town attorney, there was never any question that the advantages of a modernized constitution were worth the risks. "I was advised by a great many people not to do this," he says. "I don't think I ever hesitated." Indeed, from the day of his inauguration, Shafer began plotting and plugging for reform. With his aides, he set up a special office wryly dubbed "Fort Courage" in the Penn-Harris Motor Inn near the capitol building in Harrisburg. He enlisted Scranton's help, as well as that of former Democratic Governor George M. Leader; he raised $50,000 to finance the campaign and began a fatiguing round of personal appearances. He especially emphasized constitutional reforms that would: 1) upgrade Pennsylvania's outmoded judicial system; 2) periodically reapportion the state legislature to give city dwellers a fair share of representation; and 3) eliminate the 19th century prohibition against state indebtedness of more than $1,000,000.

Dismal Disunity. The successful campaign represented more than personal victory for Shafer. Along with the 50,000 patronage jobs he controls as Governor, it added up to strengthened leadership over Pennsylvania's resurgent Republican Party. Both John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson carried Pennsylvania and its bagful of electoral votes largely because of Democratic strength in Philadelphia. But in the same election last week that showed Shafer's strength, Philadelphia Democrats displayed dismal disunity: the regular party's nominee for mayor, Alexander Hemphill, was beaten nearly 2 to 1 by Mayor Jim Tate for the Democratic nomination. Republican Arlen Specter now is the favorite to become the first G.O.P. mayor in Philadelphia in 16 years. If that happens, said Senator Scott, "I don't see how the President can carry Pennsylvania next year."

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