New-York tribune., 1874-12-26
THE DEMOCRATS IN PENNSYLVANIA

THE DEMOCRATS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
THEIR POWER IN THE LEGISLATURE TO INITIATE
REFORMs-AN INVESTIGATION OF THE STATE
TREAsURER's ACCOUNTS DEMANDED--wAIlACE
SUPPORTED FOR SENATOR BY THE RING.
,rRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 22.-The Legislature
which meets Harrisburg Jan. &, 1875, Will occupy
about the same position in relation to the Government
and politics OF the state will bo occupied by the next
Congress IN relation to National affairs. The House viii
be Democratic while the Senate and the Executive Will
be Republican. The ability of tho victorious patty 70
carry new legislation will therefore lie only In ITS p0"er
to defeat originating In the Senate, ana thus
compel that body TO pay sono attention to It's Wishes
Fortunately the Constitution has at single stroke
mpshed work of reform greater than could have
been effected by years OF honest legislation directed 10
remedynG the abuses Of the past The work when the
Democratic party demand that their representatives
should address themselves to ls, on this account
not 90 much that Of legislation as ln'cs'
tisation. Here the parallel between the
newly chosen Legislature and the XLIVth Congress
is perfect. The people believe that many departments
OF the State GoVernm ept have been wasefuy and cor
ruptly administered and demand searching inquiry.
Especially s 1t thought that the State Treasury has been
and Is still managed il the interest OF ring o Po
ticians who manipulate the peoples money l"r tneir
own profit. This notion, generally current III oo'h P
ties not based alone OH vague sspciohs Or Oh lnc
character OF the who have recently filled the once
n, stste Treasurer SprciHc charges have often been
made but the Ring always been able to stic inVes
ucatton One or two instances will show how this has
! been effected.
DEFICIT IN THE STATE TREASURY CHARGED.
On the sth day OF April, 1919 John ii. Orvis OF Cen
tre member of the House, made an elaborate arSu
mcnt accompanied with figures taken from SUMMARIES
prepared by the State Treasury's own shlui account
ants Interested to cover up all Discrepancies and eV
dences Of defataton lie asserted tnat these h-"fes
established cOnclusively that there bad Uech dauh 'Hc
six years immediately preceding total oe1cou' y.
seaiing as he termed it, OF s!9SSl6l 40 or nearly hn
a million Il year. lie also declared that though thc sta'e
Treasurer's report exhibited balance of nearly 'hf"e
and n half mlious IN the Sinking Fund at the END OF
each OF tho years 1871 and 1872, that this amount was
really not the Treasury but that the actual amounts
in the treasury including the Sinking Fund.- at tue eh
OF each OF those was about ono million ana ah"
that tho difference In amounts had been in open won"
ton OF law and Of the ofial Oans OF tho financial
orents OF the State applied current expenses; and
that s this balance of Sl50OGOJ was lcfi Idly lying III
the Treasury year after year earning DotAlng diaWih%
DO interest for the benefit nf the Taxpayers Instead OF
beng applied 10 ttc reduction Of the pnr rb rs me
CONSTITUTION OF 1851 required MI Orv5 duinrr 80
Colid we penetrate the secrets OF i1o Treasury De-
partIuent aud subject th iteInizd accounts ad 'oncl
ers 10 thoroughly competent ard honest accountants
have no doubt nts would be made which would
sink my exhibits into comparative lnsignilcance Hs
| nj and successfully con-
fradieted. Alter tho adjournnient in 1873 he applied
himself further to the t on ts hsI dn s
| cient to conyluce every impartial man oi ~.
m%in prepared Containing the aadonal proof he had
discovered hut it was never q, hvered Whcn ~: l. =
uon isTga nubsr or new iiCal districts were
formed and Mr. Ovs was in violation OF section g. trt
IL. wnlch says, No senator or H;pre rniaiiyr sGa
duraa tie time for whch he SadA hare bfta eee'cd D.
appolDcd to any civil "ice undtrihs t"':AIhNtdi',
appointed President judge Of H." district rIuo3fh OF
! CeArfeld Centre, aud Cnton Counties. He WA ne
only Democrat amoug fifteen judges appointed ny tac
Governor. TO all appearances the oirc WAS tJo pric,
paid to induce him to cease his attacks on tho Ring a
tee was appointed by the ssnate - inves;,Ruo I,e
Treasurers accounts. Upon IL waSa leading u '!ocrat
Washing report made, ana for signing Il tGi ID INC
crat is alleged to have recc'ed iUah Vi s'oVo iI"h
| the Treasury without interest
| WHAT IT Is EXPECTED THE NEW HOUSE WILL Do
To investigate all reports OF the improper usr o.
the funds of the Common wealth. and to sc-utnzo rigid
y of the Treasurer Tor the past six yeaf
will be most important duty Of the new House. 1t
will also be expected to send coIurittce to IEiade
phia smuke out the plunGerers in tiat cIty B'ih
citv and State rings can he broken NJ IL they sob
mittrd TO thorough and honest investigation. ILr
meIlJcrS Of the rings perfectly aware Uf hi daGcr
when menaccs them. Irtrrnca ii with thctn are pow
erfui ralroad, banking, and other l2tcrc't~, winch VIII
cu0pcratc head oil vCti i!ttIOn or cap ure me
| Investigators. All tDcso c"lni'it1i iIu1Cncs winch
have heretofore operlted Ttnin t1e E,ruhcan p"riy
because 1t tie party power, Will now b. thrown
about the D. nOcrGtic oIse I" prev Mt from making
an attack upon tacu. pr1%IIlnrie mas already h'c
arrausod Tno chief obj .c.vo poI 0! coir'" -
trn inc 0rgnizlti OF th3 nU3S and ci'rt Spcl,ec
who will BE- susceptible to manipulation. and VIII pax
| any investigating committees whicn NAV he Ias ii
with who Will be certain to iiAd on nohrg. -
strong are the political and iecuni3ty Dic'Cs:s CON
blned accomplish this pul 1ic t1lt t"!r ""ctsS ~
fear, more than prUbdUc. TaJ u!drc rlCor,, vi iht
| Democratic party IN PcDn>Svana depends u'on
| the result. If the Democratic L"cislaure se.!i
itself the In.s aud becomes their tool a. lis
Republican predecessors have beci, the party Will have
To drop prctcUsiOns OF reforming lie STATE Gu!crD-
men, and Will inevitably he beaten in the Gubcrna orlI
contest next Fail Tne same interests wil"h h"ck 10
capture the Speaker and control the Committees nr" ~
work To secure the election OF WllI \. llacc 10 the
T. :. Senate IL is fair to suppose that ms active ant
skful Democratic politician Is paying for Ills sIpiJrt
Inv using his iuueuce 10 further lie rings designs.
There is no other way TO account for tic pref renee
shown him in quarters whClc honest Democrat would
much rather 1nd cnmty than friendship. senator Cam
reported to desire the election or W'iico; IL:
| officers OF the Pennsyvana railroads. support him; tue
| ring newspapers praise hn the whole vilo crew OF
Phladp phia politicians air alous Iii his b3h'li; The
Pittsburgh Sd-only lilile less vlle-3rc hs p,ri
saus in short, every ulau wac has Niger ~ JD. nr
vans O get In, who is uddcr the tbuInD OF tho
dominant railroad corporation, Is champion Of Wal
lace II bo is defeated and the combination to control
the Legislature Is broken viii De because the hon
esty aud patriotism OF tue new 'morratlc IN nDt5 is
OF al unuslaliy sturdy ald unhcndi1g dos;rip:.oI.