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

economical suggestions upon the man.
| agement of the municipal finances. lie
| suggested to the board of revision of
! taxes the wisdom of a more correct as
sessment of the real estate. BY letter
dated October >, 1878, he advocated the
| payment Of 4 per cent. interest on the
! city warrants after January |, 1879.
! seeing that upwards of $4,000 a year
would be saved. can not see any
good reason" he wrote, why the CITY
of Philadelphia, with its warrants II
per cent. above par should continue to
! pay n greater interest than the general
| government Many of the municipal
| reforms from which Philadelphia now
| reaps advantage were the results of his
! suggestions.
His first balance sheet was the first
clear statement that Philadelphia had
! had for many years Of its financial af
| fairs. He awoke the citizens to a knowl.
! edge of the actual condition their mu.
nicipality. He exhibited the frightful
tendency toward bankruptcy and dis.
closed to them that false and mislead.
ing exhibit had been annually placed
before them by carrying along worthless
or uproI!tab!e assets as cash.
1t was these reforms which enabled
the controller to say in his last annual
report: "Ehe burdens of the tax pay
ers are being lightened, encouragement
is given for the employment Of capital
within its limits, and an auspiCious
beginning has been made i'm freeing the
second city of the Union in population,
and the first in industrial enterprise,
from taxation for Indebtedness"
APPROVED BY THE PEOPLE.
1t is no wonder, then, that his hen
orable and intelligent course disarmed
prejudice, swept away the barriers of
political feeling and evoked universal
appreciation. The common council. on
December Is, 1879, passed a resolution
of compliment TO the controller. The
taxpayers of the Twentieth ward, in
meeting assembled, adopted a resolu.
ton of thanks. Mr.. George II. Earle.
the distinguished lawyer, who for years
had labored with n single hearted pur.
pose in the cause OF political reform,
wrote him: For yourself, | meet no
honest man who does not wish to take
you by the hand and thank You" The
press of the city were unanimous and
ouispoken in their commendation. The
Eycaing Telegraph said Robert J.. Pat.
tison is a man Of the people, for the peo.
pie, and in the end they will sustain
him il they are worthy such reprrsen-
totive." The Times called on the Re
puhlcans to indorse Patiison and not
make nomination against him. The
Lcdgsr told Mr.. McMancs that if, as he
said, he really wished candidate who
was the equal of Controller Pattis0n in
ability, integrity and courage, to nomi.
nate Pattison himself
In short, alter four yoars Of expert.
ence with him a. controller the peovle
reelected HIM by 1880 maj prity,
though hc was simply the Democratic
candidate, there having been at that
time no Committee of One Hundred
organized for independent political ao.
tIon.
THE OFFICE or CONTROLLER.
Tue year and half of his second
term that has thus far passed has been
replete With similar evidences of his
comprehensive grasp of the duties OF
his position. The Philadelphia Star
(lnd.), recently referring to his official
career, thus sums up his services to
Philadelphia:
"There was time, and not vey long
since, either, when great many people
entertained the idea that the functions
of the controller were of the simplest
character-that he was, in fact, nothing
more than mere clerk, whose princi
pal duty consisted in approving war.
rants drawn against the city treasury,
which approval was given without in.
yestigation. When the present con.
troller was reuominated il was boldly
declared by some of those opposed to
him that there were.no duties connected
with the Office that could not be dis
charged by any one possessed with com.
mon intelligence, and that, therefore,
the general popular demand for Mr..
Pattison's reelection, was not warrant
ed by the facts of the case. These dec.
larations, strange as it may seem, were
made by prominent lawyers and other
citizens, supposed to be familiar with the
work of the Office, and from whom bet
ter things were expected. Since then
the people have learned how absolutely
essential TO honest and economical gov
ernment q capable and fearless control
lership is. As at present administered,
the Office Is 8 constant check, not only
to dishonesty, but upon hasty or i'll ad.
vised legislation which involves the ex-
penditures of public money. How many
dollars of the public funds have been
saved by the conscientiously careful in
vestigation Of the legal claim of every