The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-10-28

rr-v,r.
buy, and that it will be completed
within the time specified by law. The
governors refusal TO meet with the
present auditor general and state
treasurer, and president of the senate
and speaker of the house, who, with
the governor, now constitute the new
capitol commission, is a message to
the people, however reluctantly gwen,
OF his conviction that, if the building
Is to be constructed under the direc-
ton OF Quay commission, 1t will be
made the means of further remoise-
less raids upon the treasury, for
moneys to be divided between favor
lite contractors and machine poiti.
clans. Governor Hastings himself
admits that he is powerless to stay
the tide of corruption against the will
of machine-packed commission. A
state treasurer already self convicted
of fraud upon the treasury, and an au-
ditor general who is mere tool of
the machine, and the president of the
senate and the speaker of the house
under whose direction the late legisla-
ture INDUCED in such a saturnalia of
crime and folly, made up body that
clearly should not he intrusted by the
people with a work SO important as
that in hand And nobody can for a
moment suppose that the substitution
In its membership of Messrs. Beacon
and McCauiey for Messrs. Haywood
ard Mylin would alter its machine
character. The state capitol at AL
bany and the municipal building in
Philadelphia, constructed under SINH
lar auspices should, in the enormlty
of their cost, the long delay in their
completion and the incident disgrace
tul scandals, be accepted as a warning
by the voters of our state. The au.
thority may be taken from nnc,ean
hands and safely reposed, by the
election of Messrj Brown and Ritter,
but not otherwise. And their cleo
ton would mean definite beginning
OF the good work of retrenchment and
reform, not only in connection with
the new capitol, but in each and
every department of the state govern
ment What such a change would
imply to the taxpayers is eloquently
explained IN the fact that the cost of
the state government for four years
IoS3-S6 under Pattson was about |
S3o,oco,ooo, while the cost of the /,
four years that will end with the first !
Monday OF January, 1897, as is
shown by the amounts already ex
pended and the appropriations already |
made, cannot fall short OF $4S,-
100000.
In the facts and figures here given
there Is ample explanation of what
Messrs. Brown and Ritter, if elected.
could and would do for the advantage
OF the people and the good name of
the state.
1t is gratifying to reflect that the
$4,000 voters OF 1896, can, If they
VIII all come out to vote and stand
true to their candidates, elect Messrs.
Brown and Ritter beyond peradven-
ture, and without the help of single
convert from the other side.
And the triumph of these gentle
men this year will present strong rea-
sons for hope, either of an ending ofI
machine domination in Republican
councils, or the nomination and cleo
ton by the people next year of re
form governor and legislature, in
despite of the machine. Here GER
talnly is prize worth fighting for.
Let US briefly recapitulate. The
election of Messrs. Brown and Ritter
would result in: |,
First. The rescue of the state treas
ury and finances from machine con-
troll. |,
Second. A check to the extrava-
yanCe of machine rule in so far as
they depend upon the aid of the ac-
counting and disbursing officers of the
Third. A new capitol completed
N time for the new legislature, con-
'tructed of honest materials by honest !
workmanship, and at minimum of {
cost.
Fourth. Exposure, complete and in
detail, of the gross frauds that are so
widely and freely alleged to lie cover
I'd up in the records of the state treas
lrers and auditor generals depart
nents.
Fifth. A prompt and effectual stop
page OF illegal payments from the |
,tate treasury for services renIarad h,, | ,