Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-04-07
YET 10 MONEY FOR OUR SCHOOLS

He Tells Plain Facts, and the Peo'
pie Are Waking Up to the True Sit.
uation-wanamaker Vigorous AR.
raignment of the Quay Gang.
From Our Own Correspondent.)
Harrisburg, April 5.-Everywhere that
ex-Postmaster General John Wanamak-
er speaks in his tour of the state he is
greeted by immense crowds. The peo-
pie are eager TO know the full measure
of opprobrium that should be heaped
upon the tricksters and ringsters who
have held the state by the throat for
so long with one hand while they pill
fered the treasury with the other.
The recent failure of the People s
bank and of the Guarantors' Trust
company, also the Chestnut Street Ma
tional bank. have tied UP nearly ST.
000 900 of the peoples money, and this
fact has aroused indignation all over
the state. While it is claimed by state
officials that there is not money enough
to pay the demands of the public
school districts there is yet almost 81,
000.00o Of state treasury funds living
in unsafe banks. which break, and the
people are the sufferers.
Hundreds of people gathered al a
great public meeting in Montgomery
county, at ConshohOcken, On Saturday
night last to hear Mr.. Wanamaker. He
dealt with this phase Of official crook
edness with unsDaring hand. 1t was
n fearless and convincing arraignment
of the gang" In the course of his
address, lasting almost two hours. Mr..
Wanamaker said:
THE BANK CRASHES.
The banks must supply a large part
of the capital with which business is
carried on in our city. Often when
credit is Jared by unworthiness and
bad management of affairs wages
cease, because the banks lose faith and
decline to lend their moneys to assist
enterprise. At the present time the
whole citv is aGhast with the revela-
tions of the four bankrupt corporations
that have struck two men dead and
buried in confusion hosts Of others.
The taxes paid by you and others for
your schools, charities and state main
tenance have to nearly a million gone
down in the wreck, only to be recovered
by the assessment of derelict directors
and trustful stockholders. One of the
officers of the Peoples bank. Presi-
dent McManes, steps forward manful!y
and bravely to make good the state
deposits. Why should he do that? Why
he alone. as if he were at fault more
than others and the only one able to
pay for his own faults and others?
But for him where would YOU look
tonight for your state money deposited
In the Peoples bank?
In referring to the conditions of peril
for our state moneys when l spoke at
Lancaster week before the bank fall
ed, l have been blamed by some for
precipitating this failure. Is it not
high time we should be looking for the
money that you paid in taxes that is
scattered around in the favored de-
positories throughout the state, which
by rights should not be there at all, but
in the hands where it rightfully be-
longs, doing the good for which 1t was
appropriated?
CAUSE OF THE COLLAPSE.
The cause of the collapse of these
four banks and trust companies may
be put down to scrofulouS politics.
Even the same political pull to drag
In millions of taxpayers money for the
benefit OF We, Us 81 Co, the favored
of the state machine politics. was suf-
ficient. Nobody can make an empty
bag stand up, is an old and true prov
erb.
The Guarantors' Finance company,
though much younger in years, SEEM
ingly possessed Of the progressive
spirit of the day, has accomplished in
five years what II took the People S
bank more than a score of wears to
do-namely, to empty it's treasury and
close its doors with more than half a
million of dollars deficit. The intimate
relations existing between these two
institutions, as shown by the disclos-
ures that have followed their failure,
should surprise no one, as the same po-
litical friendship, the same dangerous
relations the same baneful influences
and the same daring men were the
controlling power around and within
both institutions. How closely the in
terests of the Guarantors' and the
state political machine are allied is
shown by recalling a single incident
that occurred at the last session Of the
Legislature, when, during one of the
most critical periods in the nation s
history a United States senator left his
post at Washington and went to Har-
risburg, where, for a night and a day,
he lobbied to pass what was known as
the Infamous Guarantors' insurance
bill. which was intended to give this
insolvent company the right to amend
it's own charter by a vote of it's direct
ors; to change its plan and classes of
insurance without authority of the
tnf fn Inc IarNa ~ nbt
placing it beyond the Jurisdiction OF the
state insurance officials. and making
this particular company unanswerable
10 the protective insurance laws Of the
state.
SUPPORT IN THE SENATE.
From the speakers room this United
States senator directed the fight for the
Guarantors' bill. While the house was
In session he sumrconed members "a
him, and on political and personal
grounds urged them to vote for the
tniquitous measure. Every branch OF
the state political machine, under his
direction, was put in motion-requests
promises and threats were freely used
But, notwithstanding all these. the
Guarantors bill, as IL then was, that
would have rendered II next to impos-
sible to terminate the reckless business
OF this concern; that would have
shielded the friends of the senator whC
are now in peril. was defeated by the
efforts OF the anti-Quay forces In the
house. known as the SeVenty-six.
The wreclllng OF the Peoples bank
ana the Guarantors company elimi'
mates but two Of the many political
PLANETS which reVolve around the state
treasury. as their solar center, in q
constellation of dangerous agencies
controlled to furnish the sinews OF po-
litical warfare that aid to perpetuate
the Quay machine. Could the veil of
secrecy that has concealed the inner
workings OF the state treasury for 20
years be torn aside; could the people
see piled before them the millions OF
dollars OF interest money that has been
lost to them; could they know the facts
OF the alleged reckless speculations un-
lawfully carried on by politicians with
their money, could they realize that the
political slavery In Pennsylvania today
has It's headwaters In a political and
boss manipulated state treasury, they
would then realize what has been the
fountain head Of Quayism and OF the
streams OF corrupt politics that have
spread over our state.
MACHINE METHODS UNEARTHED.
The oft repeated attempts TO honestly
Investigate the conduct OF the state