Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-04-15
wANAMAKER's DEcLINATIoN.

! and speaks Of the present management
of the State treasury as follows;
/ To the National Republican League OF
Business Mem Howard h. French, Rudolph
Rlankenburg, Thomas ilolan. William T.
/ Iilden. Major 4 a. h4ncock, ffthci> IS
] Reeves, James Pollock, Executive Commit
| tee:
/ Gentlemen. I have duly considered
/ the proposition contained in your COM
I plimentary letter, and have deferred
Z reply. as requested, in order to listen 10
1 the arguments OF citizens and commit
/ tees from various parts Of the state.
/ In consultation with these gentlemen,
among whom have been prominent
/ members Of the state senate and house
/ Of representative, the conclusion has
( been reached, after full inquiry, that
| the present legislature viii enact a law
/ providing for the payment of interest
upon state deposits. II this is done
! the most vicious evils in the conduct
Of the state treasury viii be corrected.
Had the situation been different l
might have concluded to comply with
your request to become a candidate for
/ the Office in question. Under existing
| conditions. however, / am constrained
to say that I cannot see my way clear
| to change my decision from what |
gave out in January last, when 1 stated
| that I did not wish to be candidate
| for office. When ! entered into the
contest for the vacancy arising in the
United States senate it was as much
in the soldier spirit as from any
| personal motives. There seemed to be
then no other way to fight on the side
| Of the people. and the opportunity at
tracted me to try to render kind OF
service TO the state and nation that the
| hard times in business had been loudly
calling for.
VIII March In the Ranks.
While you are good enough to invite
me again to be your standard bearer.
and while ! appreciate the honor OF
such a call from an organization as
important as the National League Of
| Business Men I prefer TO march in the
ranks and make my best endeavor to
| assist the growing movement towards
lettering the government Of our state
| l believe / can do this best without
seeking for or holding public office. 1
concede the Importance of reorganizing
the system and methods of the state
| treasury, and you have done well in
cultivating public sentiment against
existing evils eliminating in the pend
ing reform measure originating with
and pressed by the Hon. c. c. Kauf-
man in the senate and the Hon. W. f.
Stewart in the house.
This legislation should be promptly
enacted, though | believe higher rate
of interest might be safely fxed-at
least there should be no harm in per-
mitting the state treasurer to charge
90 per cent when farmers and trades
men are compelled TO pay and per
cent and secure the same by mortgage
or other collateral. In August, 1893,
the state treasurer had over nine mil
ions Of dollars Of the peoples money
on deposit in the banks of the state,
which were lending the same to their
customers and charging therefor as
high as per cent, while the state got
nothing but the groans Of the counties
and charitable institutions suffering for
school moneys and unpaid appropria-
tions.
1t is seldom that the state treasurer
carries a balance OF less than from
three TO five millions. On all this vast
sum the state has never received
penny of interest, in spite of the fact
that every other state in the Union for
years has been receiving interest on
state moneys If Pennsylvania had re-
could have built broad national high
way across the state, north and south,
east and west. or opened up. by modern
roads, large sections of the state. The
interest alone during the next few
years will pay all the cost of a cap
itol building in every way worthy and
adequate for the necessities OF the
state.
An EVIL SYST EN-.
The present system of electing a state
treasurer to conduct the state treasury
as an adjunct to the state committee
of the Republican party is fraught with
incalculable evil. Favorite banks and
trust companies, sometimes specially
organized and officered. receive de-
posts and control state moneys far out
Of proportion to capital paid in, and
are not subject to any supervision of
Investments, except under the same
power that elects the state treasurer.
Does any one really belive that the
recipients OF these extraordinary favors
pay nothing for the use of all this
money year in and year out? Could
anything but powerful political ma
| chine, holding the treasurer under con-
troll deprive the public schools and suf-
fering charities of the state for months
which are lying idly for somebody's
benefit in the favored repositories?
II the moneys due the various coun-
ties were promptly refunded to the
| county treasurers, who sadly need them
| to pay out what the people. consented
to be taxed for, the political machine
would be crippled, and therefore as the
local interests have no power except to
49,,
so unjustly laid upon them. From all
| over the state there comes q revolt
against this practice. 1t is high time
| to call halt and change front on the
reprehensible manipulation of state
| treasury funds and at the same time
It will be well to inquire into the details
Of receipts and publish a statement of
sources of revenue, giving amounts
| paid by each corporation and times Of
payment.
If the state treasury be conducted In
| the open sight of all the people 1t may
| be possible to lower the taxation.
Any movement that will select men
| for state treasurer and auditor gem
| eral who will own themselves and act
| for the good Of the state by getting
| into the treasury all the money rightly
| due the state under the laws, and get
ting III out again WITHIN ~ days from
| fits receipt to those to whom ii belongs
| by law, and securing the largest inter
est commensurate with safety on un-
| used balances, will have all the support
| and cooperation l can command.
In this connection ! cannot refrain
| from congratulating your organization
| upon the very excellent work it has ac
complished during the few months it
| has been in existence. Though 1t and
| the business men Of Pennsylvania have
| been viciousy maligned and assailed
| by political bosses, who look with dread
upon organizations Of plain, unset
| fish men. deeming their personal power
| to be thereby menaced, yet the Ma
tional League of Business Men has gone
on in the even tenor Of its way, unde-
TERED by threats, insults or blandish-
ments. AS the result of it's efforts, the
public have been at least advised as 10
| the plans and purpose Of the state ma
chine, particularly with reference to
the matter Of legislation, vicious and
| otherwise, at Harrisburg.
Affairs Mt Harrisburg.
l cannot refrain from saying a word
just here concerning the situation as
/ understand IL, at the state capitol. A
very large number of the members of
the house are disposed. so far as legis-
lation Is concerned, To intelligently rep
resent and reflect the wishes of their
constituents rather than obey the win
or follow the whim of self constituted