New-York tribune., 1907-06-24
PHILOSOPHER IN ACTION.


Ex-Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker Of Penn
syIvania had an embarrassing three hours on the
witness stand at Harrisburg last Friday He ap-
peared TO explain the part he had played in al
lowing the new state Capitol to he furnished
with profit to the "furnlshers' ranging on yarl-
Gus schedules from 900 to 1000 per cent. While
still in office Mr.. Pennypacker stoutly defended
the integrity Of the work done on the build
ing commended the artistic achievements OF
Huston and Sanderson as cheap at the price
and intimated that only penuriOus and philistine
souls could grieve at the expenditure Of $1,000
600 or S10OO0000 on interior decorations since
the states treasury was full and large share
of the contributions made to 1t came from
"aliens living in New York and Europe" On
leaving Harrisburg last January he wrote a pal
pitating prose poem in celebration Of the Pan
theon which he had been SO instrumental in
bequeathing to the state
Many things have happened since that liter
ary masterpiece was produced. A prosac and
ruthless body Of accountants and investigators
has been at work, and the sad discovery has
been made that the architectural and decorative
| splendors which so dazzled the Governors i'm
aginatiOn were q good deal like the glories Of
some popular shore resort dream cities"-un-
able TO bear the cruel light of day. Padded
work was done on padded contract basis and
thetic strvings OF the Board Of Public Grounds
and Buildings proved monumental" only in
commemoratng the genius Of the architect and
the contractors for doing the Jobs allotted to them
at minimum Of efficiency and a maximum of
cost 1t was the ex-Governor's painful task to
reconcile his former soulful appreciation of the
great masterpiece which grew up under his eyes
with the dOeful conviction that that mas
terpiece was only phenomenal as a piece of
skimped, fraudulent and overcharged work Yet
it must be admitted that in readjusting his point
Of view Mr.. Pennypacker acquitted himself with
characteristic fortitude He made no meek and
humble excuses for his rapt and absent minded
confidence in the integrity, capacity and unset
fshness Of every participant in the furnishing
enterprise. The Ex-Governor is both an optimist
and fatallst. Being himself non-mercenary
and incapable OF corruption, he could not bear to
thlnk that any one else would stoop to deceit or
plunder His equanimity seems to have been
| immovable. When another member OF the Board
Of Public Grounds and Buildings came to him
and told him that 100000 had been paid out
| on work which 1t had been understood would
| cost only SSOO.UOO he refused to allow himself
to become the victim of unworthy suspicions.
Should he hold up the great work of "decora-
| tlon" and throw cloud on the reputations of
the contractorsf thousand times no. As he
quantity and picturesqueiy described his mental
| operations
/ surprised because had the figures ~
| the architect in mind. Now IL may be said .'TP
you were surprised about 1t, what did Won do ."
Ihere are various ways OF treating situation
suppose could have gone out and established
wonderful reputation, personal reputation by
SAVING: why here, these gentlemen have beer
robbing the state That might have been "a
interest TO me. but what of the state? What
would have been the outcome of it? Suppose we
mad not paid those bills which came in? If theI
had furnished the work or materials and we diG
not pay the bills, that would have been a breacT
/ OF contract on our part and my training has
always been that whether your contract be 9
good contract or a bad one honesty reouires Icr-
10 nve up 10 II; and that is tue of a state. as
well as of an 4adyidual. "
Qather than make q commot,on extend,no