The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-10-24
Especial Correspondence.l }


Posing as morally better than nis
party John o. Sheath, the machine
Republican candidate for state
Treasurer, stands to-day, convicted
OF falsiiying his record in the Leg.s-
lature, in order to support an alb
surd claim. Dragooned into voting
for 'io SUscuoL5Hua c0Lal b'n. ne
declared, over his own signature, and
with manifest deliberation, the other
day, that hn had voted against that
iniQuity. There could have hecH no
misunderstanding in the promises.
He knew how ne had voted and yh"
he voted as he did Hia purpose in
cl.mirs to have votc3 tic other
way was obviously to deceive the
public.
4 brag@art running from az tm-
ogtrary danger Is not an attractive
figure. A professor of morality be-
comes dcspicgOle when he IS cau5hc
il the uerpetrGtion Of crime. Lying
t. not % characteristic of honesty.
False pretense is not a habit os a
protesting constantly that he is an
honest man has convicted himself
OF Justification and is entitled only
to popular contempt. Moreover his
falsehood was malicious as well as
deliberate. He aspersed this reputa-
tion of others in order to create a
false reputation for himself Every
body despises a malicious liar.
The PenIose machine controls the
Republican party in Pennsylvania.
1t nominated Sheath because It's man
ayers believed that he will serve 1t
II the event Of his election. The
Penrose machine wants the State
-rUasury in order to farm" the
ccnage of the office. 1t was one
.he most productive of the assets
the machine before Berry was
ted Bankers who are involved
pay anything for funds to tide
aam over Frequently If they
can't get funds they commit suicide
ers in that equivocal position. He
can get money to burn" under such
conditions.
Sheath Under Obligations to the Ma
chine.
No man who is under obligations
To such a political combination has
strength to resist its opportunities.
A man with the courage and probity
to maintain opposition will not put
himself under obligations to that
kind of a machine. Sheath has al
ways been under obligations to "the
gang" When he was given the place
honored by j. Claude Bedford he
mortgaged his manhood. That
Lightning doesn't strike twice in the
same spot, is proverbial. That a
political machine doesn't make two
mistakes In the same Legislative dis
trlct, is equally certain. In select
ing a man to humiliate Bedford the
Bedford. They make certain to get
the opposite sort.
1t was because of this obligation
to the machine that Sheath voted for
the Susquehanna canal bill. He
knew that was a vicious measure.
He had even declared his intention
TO vote against 1t. while in Phila-
delphia the day before the bill came
up" says the editor of the North
American, "he inquired Of The
North American when 1t was TO be
called. Upon learning that the vote
would be taken the following day,
he Cancelled an important business
engagement and went to Harrisburg
specially to do his duty and vote
against the measure" Yet when he
voted the next day he voted for the
bill. The machine managers forced
him to throw conscience to the
dogs" and serve, not his party, but
the machine.
What absolute folly 1t is to talk
OF resisting the machine In a matter
in which cupidity has stirred the
managers to an acute stage by a
man who couldn't withstand 1t in a
trifiing affair like the Susquehanna
canal bill? An organization which
drove Hopkins. Blake, Walters,
Clark of the Enterprise bank and
Others to suicide, worried Norris,
Hart and Haywood into premature
graves and sent Livesy into exile as
d fugitive, is not likely to abandon
its most cherished hope because OF
fear of a man who hadn't the wit to
keep his legislative record right or
the wisdom to remain silent when
his faults were revealed. 1t would
be as safe to hand the treasury over
to Huston or Sanderson
Judged by the Company lie Keeps,
If Sheath had the courage and con.
science which is claimed for him
moreover, he wouldn't have the sup
port Of the element which Is doing
most for his success. Every one OF
the indicted conspirators Is working
TO the full measure of his power tc