The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-09-26
The State Treasuy.Y Ring.
THE ATTEMPT TO REVIVE \ CORRUPT
AND POWERFUL CONSPIRACY.

We have no Congressman to elect in
Pennsylvania this fall no members of
the State Legislature. and no State Off
GERS with theeXception of State Treasur-
er. but upon the choice of this officer
important results depend. He is by law
the custodian of all moneys in the public
treasury and responsible for their safe
keeping. In recent years, Republican
TTeaSurers have had control OF millions
of dollars Of balances, presHmable lying
idle ia the Treasury vaults, but in reality
loaned out all over the State. With the
revival of business, which viii largely in
crease the State revenues, it is almost
certain there viii be large balances un-
der the control of the State Treasurer
to be elected IN November, and who
will assume the duties of the office in
June next. succeeding Colonel Noyec,
the present Democratic Treasurer The
Democratic party hold that this system
of uneXpended treasury balances is all
wrong that they are a constant tempta-
tion and invitation to the liberality and
corruption of legislators, as well as a
means of corrupt and unlawful gain by
the State Treasurer, who is tempted to
use them, as Republican Treasurers in
yariably have done in this State for the
past twenty-five years, for purposes of
speculation. These unexpended balan-
ces, the Democratic party holds, should
be applied TO the reduction of the State
debt. and if this cannot be advantage
ously done. then the taxes should be re-
duced so that the revenues collected will
only be sufficient TO defray the expenses
of the Government, economically ad-
ministered. We hold further. and our
candidate Cor State Treasurer, Daniel
.. Barr, Esq, is pledged to this course
of administration, that the State funds,
Tema. ming upexpended in the public
treasury, shall not be used for Specula-
tive purposes, but sacredly guarded to
meet all Just and lawful demands of
public creditors. During the two years
past. that the State Treasury has been
under Democratic guardianship, there
has been no scandal as to it's manage
ment-no Treasury Ring dispensing
favOrs in the interest Of a political party
or the section of a party-nO misappro-
priatiOn OF the public funds. This con-
dition of affairs we desire to perpetuate,
and if the Democratic party is success
full in tine election of its candidate for
State Treasurer, the assurance can be
confidently given that il will be done.
How is il with the Republican party
and its candidate ? With their success
il is an admitted fact, demOnstTatable
by the controlling Influences of their
Convention and the surroundings of
their candidate, that the infamous ana
corrupt Treasury Ring which dominated
the politics and legislation of Pennsyl-
vania for years, will be rehabilitated in
all its power at Harrisburg. This can
not be gainSaid. 1t is in the air The
election of Mr.. Butler will mark a re-
vival of the old Treasury Ring, with all
its demOraliZing schemes of personal and
political gain. The adoption of the new
Constitution and the election Of Colonel
NCyes in 1877, drove the Ring from the
Treasury, but as the Republican Legis-
lature has SteadfaStly refused TO pass
the needed laws for carrying ont the re-
forms of the new Constitution, let the
Cameron Republican Ring candidate
for Treasurer be elected this fall, and
within year the old combinations will
be at their old work in the Treasury and
throughout the State.
From 1861 to 1877. with the exception
of two years, the Treasury of the State
has been controlled byringsters, some of
whom secured their elections by the Leg
iSlatuTe by the most adacious bribery.
This was the golden period of the Treas
uTy Rings power. II is reported of one
Treasurer that he paid out in one day.
from his room at Harrisburg, over sixty
thousand dollars for the legislative votes
that secured his nomination and election
as Treasurer for one year The salary
attached to the Office was but five thou
sand dollars. a year. and under the law
the Treasurer was not allowed to use a
dollar of the state funds for speculative
or personal purposes. But the Treasury
Ring cared nothing for the law or official
OathS. At times there were as high as
a III
balances in the Treasury. This was the
banking capital of The Ring the money
it loaned out in prosperous times at six,
eight and ten per cent. interest. The
fact that a candidate could pay out, for
one gear az the office. sixty thousand
dollars bribe money. shows the money
there was in the place fOT the Ring,
Treasurer Mackey lost. by the failure of
political friends with whom he had de-
posted State funds, over one hundred
and sixty thousand dollars in a single
year, yet he promptly made the defalca-
tiOn good Ola Of the profits OF his other
operations with the uneXpended bal
anceS. The Treasury Ring conducted
a banking business with the peoples
money, against which no legitimate bank
in the state could successfully compete.
Their capital was the two or three mil
lions in the State Treasury. and opeTat-
ing through the LegiSlature-Of course
corTuptly-they had no difficulty in Sc
curing laws maintaining the unexpend-
ed balance at The highest figures. They
actually collected unnecessary tdres from
the people that they might speculate tcjh
tbe money
Nor was this all While the Treasury
Tingsters amassed great wealth out of
their speculative operations in State
funds, they built up and consolidated q
political power that controlled the Re
publican party FOR wears, and through
that party controlled the State; and the
attempt is now being made. through the
election of the Ring ;ndidate for Treas
urer, to reinstate this power at the State
Capital. The ways of the Treasury
Ring in strengthening their political
supremacy were peculiar, and were felt
in every county Of the State where
needed delegate To a Convention or
desirable member of the Legislature was
to be chosen. Deposits of State funds
were allotted TO favored politicians to
place in banks for their own personal
benefit; and private banks or chartered
banks, whose influence it was important
10 secure, were made repositories and
allowed to make what profits they could
by tod1li1lq the peoples money back to the
people. 1t was by such methods, as well
as by bold, unblUshing bribery. the
Treasury Ring Of kemhle and Mackey,
they being the leading directors, was
maintained and peTpetuated Its hold
on the politics of the State was firm and
sweeping, but fearfully demOraiizng.
1t controlled the Republican party IN
Convention and Legislature nominated
fss, = .1e,e Il It.