Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-10-10
Exposure of Capital Building
Graft Likely To Put Re
former in Office
FATAL TO PENRosE MACHINE
The State, Politically, Is Now Waiver.
ing Between the Opposing Guberna:.
torial candidates-Anti-G Graft Man
Put in a. Result Of Weaver Rebel
lion-Weaver Guided by Anger.

Z
present time the good people of Penn
sylvania, who are in a rather dazed
condition politically, are wavering al
most aimlessly between the reform
they shouted for so enthusiastically
last fall and the reactionary move
ment which would land them safely
back in the arms of the worst political
ring. every known in this or any other
state.
Last wsk the tendency was all to-
ward theS.egular republican machine,
which has put up a thoroughly re-
spectacle decoy ticket, and which, until
within a few days, had every chance
Of winning. Now. owing to astounding
revelations Of graft in connection with
the statehouse at Harrisburg, there is
q rising tide OF public opinion which
seems likely to sweep the Lincoln tick
ct into power, thus completing the
downfall of the Penrose machine.
There never was more peculiar sft-
uation in politics anywhere, and lead
ers on both sides have been INDUCING
in political Nightmares, resulting in the
most fantastic combinations, not the
least Of which has been the apparent
backsliding Of John Weaver the re-
form mayor Of Philadelphia, but who
now seems to have deserted the reform
movement on the mere question OF
local patronage.
ANGER Guided Weaver.
No one denies the tremendous effec!
Of the revelations Of astounding steal
ing in the capitol at Harrisburg. The
people Of Pennsylvania are not easily
aroused by stories Of graft. Philadel-
phia was honeycombed with 1t. The
st.te-was MIXED by the Quay machine
w a thorouglhness not equaled by the
robbers OF any other commonwealth.
Civic thieves in Philadelphia became
SO bold that they attempted to dispose
Of the city gasworks, and probably
would have granted v monopoly for the
use Of the Delaware river had they not
been arrested.
Mr.. Weaver at the time was mayor
of Philadelphia. He was put in posi-
ton by the old gang. For the first year
or two Of his term he obeyed orders,
as he had been accustomed to, and
then went. out to conduct his Sunday
school, In which he has been interested
since his early manhood.
The Philadelphia gang desl- ed Wea-
yer for his obedience to Its demands,
and Penrose, Durham and other repub-
licans fiouted the mayor to his face.
1t was no excess of certain virtue
which started Weaver on a new path,
but downright anger.
AS result of the Weaver rebellion
there followed the organization of the
city party which represented large
percentage of independent republicans
assisted by democrats. The practice
ally took hold Of control Of the city
after hard fight, and similar revolt
landed Berry, fusion independent, in
| the office OF state treasurer.
Just at a juncture. when everything
| looked blacklist for the reform move
ment there came the thunderbolt from
Harrisburg. Treasurer Berry, who
found nothing wrong with the actua
state finances themselves, dug into the
books, however, sufficiently to disclose
| that the state house, which the archi-
| tect himself swore had been completed
| last August at cost Of less than $4,-
600, 900, for the building actually has
cost the people not less than s13.Q00,-
600.
More than twice the certified cost Of
| the building has been spent in fur.
nishing" it. There are stories of 81
| 100000 worth Of bronze electroliers
fancy fagstaffs, extravagant furniture
costly rugs, gorgeous desks and per-
feet wealth of decoration, some Of
which has not even arrived here. Tho
figures have been gone into enough te
show q shocking scandal, as all the adj
ditional expenditure seems to have
been without direct authority of law.
No one was prepared for the as
| founding revelations just made by
Treasurer Berry. It is evident that the
republican ring has run riot This
fact alone seems likely to result in
the election of Emery.