Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-08-31

the office merely clerical, but invcstiga.
ted claims and enraged partisans by re.
fusing to be mere machine to deplete
the city treasury. In this inheXible
purpose he recognized no claimant as
Democrat or Republican. How the
whole atmosphere of that office chang
ed under his vigorous, vigiIant and
healthy administration and what com.
plimentary enmity he won from many
whose schemes have been rendered
hopeless by his relentless scrutiny and
determination, is matter OF public no.
toriety.
He unsealed records. opened doors
that had been closed, ferreted out
abuses, checked fraud and stopped rob.
berry. lie determined to do the one
thing that nobody else seemed able or
to do-to see that the city OF Philadel
phia got fair consideration for every
dollar of the money which he spent.
ln the courageous, impartial and infleX-
ible execution of that purpose he rec.
ognized neither political friend or foe,
and he was daunted by no responsibility
which confronted him. lie left unused
no privilege, he failed to exert no au-
thority that could contribute to the re.
suit which he kept steadily in view. lie
discovered thet money was being paid
to persons for work not done, and he
stopped it. He found that work actual
ly done and materials really furnished
were grossly overcharged and he ended
the robbery and made the robbers dis.
gorge. He put stop to the Illegal pay.
ment of bills and the unlawful issue of
warrants, lie exposed and put and end
to the petty pilfecings and unblushing
larcenies under the guise of " "contin
gents and incidentals.n He found
favorites given the privilege OF furnish
ing supplies at exorbitant figures, and
he insisted upon legal advertisements
for competitive bids. lie called public
attention 70 the fact that appropriations
to~public institutions were exhausted
long before the year for which they
were made, had ended lie found that
that had not served. He unearthed
frauds committed by means of bogus
Jury lists. and compelled a detected of
ficer of the court to fee the jurisdiction.
lie ascertained that large Sums Of mon.
ey had been paid for work never per.
formed and materials never furnished.
BY stern and timely measures he was
instrumental in destroying the evils OF
the custom of collecting claims against
the city by mandamus-a system, which
by its abuses had grown to be a mighty
evil, fruitful of corruption and loss. In
one one instance he refused credit TO
the city treasurer for over $4,000, not
certified by the city solicitor.
He exposed the iniquities and enor.
mites OF the delinquent tax Office, bY
which the honest collection of the city's
revenues Was purposely ohstructod and
taxpayers were reInGrselessly plundered
to make gain for the city iiug. who car
ried OF 100000 annually to divide |
among themselves, to debaueh the eiec
tions and to let their party friends
escape entirely from the payment OF
their taxes. He strenuously sought to
reduce the number of the city officials
and to lop off all Eppernumerarles, to
abolish sinecures and cut down extrav.
agant salaries. lie exposed abuses o
the almshouss management and called
its managers to rigid accountability.
His innumerable and manly efforts to
stand between the peoples money and
those who sought to take it illegally are
part of the history of the times. His
controversies with the guardians of the
poor, the building commission, and
the water department and the benefi
cial results emanating therefrom are
freshly and gratefully remembered by |
the people of Philadelphia. 1t is Patti. |
uAY,ta vNoa,,lsau ,Inr,, L. 4
to offend members of his own party in
the fulfllment of what he believed to |
be his duty"
Wherever he discovered irregularities
he exposed them wherever he found |
extravagances and unlawful expendi. |
lures he refused to allow them. That |
conservative journal, the Ledger, declar. |
ed "He has been attentive, vigilant |
and faithful. and since his installation |
in the Office the ORGANIZED PLUMBER BY |
THE DEPARTMENTS, ghich formerly passed |
there, and in some instances was carried |
on by collusion, has wholly ceased 90 far |
as his power extends
BROAD VIEW OF HIS DUTIES.
Had he done no more than thus
guard the treasury, had be been simply |
the passive obstruction to greed and |
he would yet have been en-.
titled to the regard of all honest men.
But he was much more than this. His
conduct discloses broad and compre.
hensive view of his duties. lie did not
content himself with keeping vigilant
watch over the money. He strove to
lower the high salaries of the city's EN-.
ployees. He was full of intelligent and |