New-York tribune., 1901-07-08
ditions lacked-at times at least-an illumina-
tive and commanding authority
SCANDALS AT HARRISBTRG.

Public opinion is seldom stirred TO violent or
lasting Indignation by the charges Of political
corruption with which State capitals like Har-
risburg and Albany often ring. Each de-
parting legislature seems 10 leave certain trail
of scandal and suspicion behind 1t; but a
rule the easy going American public forgets
and forgives the delnquenc:es of one body Of
lawmakers long before it begins to think of
eecting another. IT, however, certain accusa-
tions made by The Philadelphia Press's' Har-
risburg correspondent can be sustained the
legislature which has just adjourned in Penn
sylyania will assuredly find its offences rising
in Judgment against il in the fight which the
Republican managers must make year hence
for Senatorship and GovernOrship. THE
Press" through its correspondent. charges that
over S1,0O0,000 was spent outright at Harris
burg last spring and winter for members votes.
The complications of the struggle 70 re-elect
Senator Quay, to pass the famous ripper"
bills for Pittsburg. Allegheny City and Scran-
ton. and 10 validate the eleventh hour street
railroad franchise grab" in Philadelphia all
offered in THE Presss' view, q field for legis-
lative corruption vaster than any hitherto
opened at Harrisburg to thrifty members sud
denly awakened TO the enhanced commercial
value of their votes. Other estimates Of the
amount spent corruptly at the last session are
likely TO vary materially from that given above;
for most of them merely guesses based on
gossip and inference, and cannot possibly be
substantated by direct evidence of the transac-
tions charged. But there seems ground to
doubt that the legislature which dispersed last
week left Harrisburg under thicker cloud of
popular obloquy than has overtaken any other
General Assembly in the last twenty or thirty
years
rha oil rIrr,ffn nd pvtr
gance of the legislature of 1901 due,
doubt, in great part, TO that breakdown of
healthful political opposition from which the
politics of our western neighbor has suffered
more and more for a decade past. With an eff
fcent and genuine minority organization to
hold it in check, even a majority aggressive
and powerful the one the Republican man
ayers could draw upon at Harrisburg would
have shrunk from many of the undertakings
it actually carried through The Democratic
party in Pennsylvania lacks, however, both
courage and leadership. and its normal politi
cal attitude is one of ready subservency to the
Republican State machine. Democratic votes
alone made possible the organization of the
House of Representatives on lines favorable 10
extravagant and misjudged legislation, and
Democratic votes We're subsequently to be had
for almost any measure against which the
We're aligned. This unnatural abandonment by
the minority of its true functions of opposition
crippled and disheartened the more moderate
Republican leaders, who saw themselves cut
off at any crisis from united or cordial Demo-
cratic support of any honest resistance 10 Re-
publican machine schemes of plunder. Hand-
capped by opposition. weakness and treach-
cry, it is perhaps surprising that the con-
servatiye forces in the legislature held its
record of recklessness and scandal within
its present bounds. Bad that record was
self-respectng Pennsylvanians can take some
comfort in the fact that 1t was made pos
sible only by an alliance between the cor
rupter elements in both political parties-an al
lance with which the great mass of voters in
each has neither patience sympathy, and
against which it will be apt TO render at the
first opportunity a verdict too plain to be mis-
understood.