The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-10-10


clearly conspiracy to rob the State.
There could hardly be clearer case
of collusion and yet the Governor
takes no steps to stop the crime.
The Legislative Record job.
Reference has also been made in a
previous letter to the corrupt collu-
sion in awarding the contract to
print the Legislative Record for the
session OF 1907. On the day fixed
for letting that contract the printer
who received 1t was in the inner
Office of the officer of the Senate
who made the award and another
printer sat In the anteroom. About
q minute before the time for opening
bids the official approached the man
in the anteroom and asked II ne had
a bid to submit. He replied In the
negative, the official returned to his
Office, and soon afterward announced
that the contract had been awarded
to the only bidder.
The contract price under the
award thus made was nearly three
times what the work had been done
for the previous session. OF course
that is not in itself an evidence of
either conspiracy or collusion. But
1t is alleged that during the period
between which the official Lad spok-
en- to the man In the anteroom and
the announcement of the letting the
bid had been changed and the price
nearly doubled. In other words the
bidder having been informed that ne
was the only bidder and that the
award would be to him however ex-
orbltant his price, changed the flg-
ures to a price which was little short
of grand larceny.
The corridor gossip concerning
this conspiracy got so insistent, dur
Ing the session, that an investigation
was ordered by the House of Repre-
sentatlves. Representative Habgood
of Mexican county was made Chair
man of the Investigating committee.
He was informed of all the facts and
even had a conversation with the
man in the anteroom at the time of
the letting. But he reported that
while the price was high there was
no evidence of collusion and besides
the publisher had promised to make
a better Record" than any of its
predecessors. 1t may have been only
q ludl IldbbOOu W do
elected President of the State
League of Republican Clubs few
days ago.
All the Departments Are Putrid.
The fact Is that every Department
of the State government is rotten
with corruption. There are not only
an excessive number of employees In
every Office but there is grating
everywhere. The Highway Depart
ment makes no contracts for road
building or improvement that does
not yield bonus to somebody on
the inside. The Health Department
has become veritable asylum for
political pensioners. Not long age the
son of an influential citizen Of this
town came home from school to
spend his seven weeks vacation. He
was Immediately given employment
In the Health Department. After
standing around the Office for two
weeks he was given vacation" of
three weeks on full pay. Then he
returned, worked two weeks and
went back to school. He enjoyed q
lucrative rest at the expense OF the
State. But 1t looks As II that Is what
the Health Department Is for.
Meantime we hear much about
prosecuting the capitol Erafters and
nothing concerning these other loot
ers who are working like rats in a
cheese cellar. They tell us that Gov
ernor Stuart is q model Of official
integrity and that he will purge not
only the State but the party, OF
crooks and corruptionists. But
what merit Is there In promises in
the absence Of performances. The
talk of the prosecution OF the capitol
grafters Is defamation to the gal
leries. A year ago the boast was
that the Insurance grafters would be
ftly punished. They made US almost
imagine Durham In prison stripes.
But there has been no prosecution OF
the Insurance grafters. Durham Is
still the Party leader Of Philadelphia
and the Republican committee Of
Chester county, the other day. set
Auditor General Snyder up a. an
exemplar Of political morals and
civic virtue.
The Machine Can't Reform.
You might as we'll try to bleach
linen by plunging It Into pitch bath.
as to reform the ofhcial life OF Penn
sylvania while the Republican ma
chine II in control. The managers
Of that organisation are compelled to
continue their iniQuities. With them
It Is graft or gravel. II they can't
remain in once they must go to
prison and they have debauched the
electorate to such an extent that
most OF their voters have to be
bought. Vast sums of money are
necessary to buy their majorities.
Ballot box stufflng Is hazardous
enterprise now and boodlers demand
compensation according to the hax-
ard. The remedy Is In the election Of
John G. Hartman to the oflce of State
Treasurer. Berry began the work
Of political regeneration and Har-
man will complete 1t.
G. d. H.
John o. Sheatx was never a re-
former either in the Legislature or
out In the Legislature he voted