The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-09-09
ANOTHER SENSATION.
Schemers at Work in Connection
With the New Capitol.
ATTEMPTS TO FIX UP A DEAL.

vorable the Ring-Why Should the
Machine Be So Anxiousf-AnOther
Scandal In Prospective.
Harrisburg, Sept. 1T begins to look
a. II the sensation created by the dis
closures concerning that $4,000 indem-
nifty bond would shortly be followed
by another sensation equally as grave.
In this instance, as in the former all
Of the parties involved are party lead
ers or managers. The kernel Of this
latest threatened scandal is the build
ing Of the new state capitol. 1t now
looks as though a state capitol would
not be built for some years to come.
unless n different course Is pursued.
The present week Is likely to see fresh
sensations In connection with the bond
scandal. Additional facts have been
gathered concerning this which mark
1t one of the strangest pieces Of polit-
ical work on record. Suits against high
officials. designations and legal pro-
ceedings of various kinds may be look
ed for almost any moment now. 1t Is
understood that a firm Of leading Phil
adelphia lawyers has been engaged
during the past week in looking up the
law to see If any of the parties to this
transaction can be reached. The peo-
pie OF the state have only seen the
beginning of the impending political
revolution.
A Capitol Building Scandal.
The capitol building scheme will in
volve a danger to the commonwealth
If 1t is pushed to the end. The readers
of these letters are more or less famil-
lar with the attempts made in the
fate legislature to turn the building
sf the capitol into a gigantic job. This
was to be done by putting a great num-
ber Of useless individuals on the COM
mission. AT length bill was passed
fixing the commission at five persons.
consisting OF the governor. the auditor
general, the state treasurer. the speak
er Of the house and the president pro
TEN. OF the senate. IL was also decided
that. inasmuch as none OF the members
of this commission had more than ordi-
nary knowledge OF architecture. a
board OF experts be selected. whose
duty 1t should be to choose eight plans.
the best OF all those submitted accord
fng to their trained and unbiased judg-
ment The eight plans thus chosen
were to then be submitted to the board
Of commissioners. and out Of this lot
one plan would he selected for the new
capitol.
The names Of all architect competi-
tors were to be kept secret from the
board OF experts as well as from the
board of commissioners selected by the
legislature. The names Of all archi-
tects selecting plans were sealed up
and placed in the possession Of judge
of n court of Dauphin county. Now 1t
is known that the names of some Of the
architects have been given to the COM
mission, and there Is fight in the COM
mission as result. The secret OF this
contest Is another story.
A Favorite Contractor.
It has been known all along that Sem
ator Quay and his friends desired to
have the new capitol built by a well
known contractor Of Philadelphia. This
contractor Is also well known poll
tician, but It must he said that he is an
excellent workman and has had very
extensive experience in constructing
large buildings. This contractor has
his own architects, or firm of archi-
tects. The whole struggle. therefore,
since the new capitol commission or
ganized. has been to throw the work
into the hands of this contractor and
his architects When n board Of eN-
r,erts was chosen II was expected that
the plans of this firm which does the
work for this particular and favored
Philadelphia contractor would of course
No aiUht calapfn nI fnr
choice by the commission itself. But
they were not How members OF this
commission, composed Of Governor
Daniel II. Hastings, Auditor General
Mylin. State Treasurer Haywood.
Speaker Harry X. Boyer and s. j.
McCarreiI. president pro TEN. Of the
senate and candidate for lieutenant
governor, came to know that n certain
architects plans were not among the
final eight can be answered by them
selves.
As soon as this was discovered. that
the Philadelphia contractor and his ia
vorite architects had been left out in
the cold. certain members of the COM
mission brazenly suggested that all Of
the plans be thrown out and a new set
vi BidIlS 'l'l'lfNl. vi, lIdt thlS dlNHi-
'tect whose contractor Is favored by
Senator Quay and his friends should be
engaged to superintend the construc-
tion Of the new capitol. AS result
Of this there has been a continual fight
lin the commission. Senator Quay has
given orders to certain men of the COM
mission. and they are trying to carry
chem out.
The Attorney Geucral's Opinion.
No such favOritism and scheming has
been known for years. To protect the
state and save the people from addi-
tional burdens and expense Governor
Hastings requested the attorney gen.
eral to give an opinion upon the sub
Iect. Attorney General Mccormick sub
mitted the following:
"There Is no limitation upon the pow
ers of the commission found in the act
Of assembly in the selection Of an
arct,tect. They could have selected one,
81 they had SO chosen, to do the work
without competition. They chose, how
ever. to exercise their discretion for
what they believed to be the best in
terests OF the commonwealth. and in
.vited architects to exhibit their skill.
1.-THE commissioners all being lay
men and architecture being q science