The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-06-06


the result of careful nurture and slow
development. Quay had a good deal
to do with it but wasn't the "whole
cheese" Magee was the Blucher of
the combination and steel the calcula-
tor When Quay and Magee came to
the parting of the ways" Steel ad-
hered to Magee because "blOOd is thick
er than water.u But he didn't hire n
brass band TO lead the march. On the
contrary he moved in the quietest way
to the head of the Magee bank and
made sentiment for his principal. 1t is
small wonder that Penrose thought of
him in the present emergency. He Is
precisely the type of man that is need
ed. "Be understands addition, division
and silence"
Mr.. Steeps declinatlon may or may
not have been final You can't always
tell whether an cpossum is dead or
only pretending and unless Penrose is
able to find candidate equally rs
good" Steel may decide to take the
chances. He loves the intrigue of poll
tics and the manipulation of big affairs.
Nothing would suit him better than
dispensing the vast treasury surplus
"where it would do the most good
He enjoys helping his friends and
knows how to "scrape the edges of the
law" without incurring the penalty.
If he were elected State Treasurer
every dollar of the surplus would be
| put to work making votes for Penrose's
reelection.
AN oMINoUS RUMOR.
There is a suspicion current that af-
ter all the capital probers are to be
used to help the machine in its effort
to recover the State Treasury. That is
to say it is intimated that the most
damaging evidence against the politi-
clans is to be withheld from the pub
lie under the pretense that publication
would impair the chances Of punish
ment in the criminal courts. Before
the legislature adjourned it authorized
the investigating commission to report
to the Governor who is under pledge
to prosecute if the commission recom-
mends that course. But the commits
sion is dilly-dallying, apparently, for
one reason or another, and the chances
are that its work will not be completed
until late in the fall.
In that event, of course, the report of
the commission will be unavailable for
use in the campaign. That is the re-
suit for which the machine is striving.
A complete exposure of the looting
operations would admonish the people
of the Importance of continuing the
treasury under the control of the min
ority party. 1t not only serves as n
check upon the partisan impulses of
the other departments but creates
minority representation in all the fis-
cal boards. If Berry had been elected
two years sooner, the looting would
have stopped that much earlier and
the State would have saved at least
three million dollars. The election of
the machine candidate for Treasurer
will restore the old methods beyond
question.
There is very little political advan-
tage to the minority party in having
the Treasurer. His patronage is limit
ed to a few clerks and Mr.. Berry APP
pointed Republicans to some of those
places. The repositories are chosen by
the Revenue Commissioners and the
Banking Commissioner a majority of
whom are Republicans. If the Treasur-
er is of that political faith, no doubt
his recommendation would govern, as
it did before Berry's election. Under
present conditions, however the State
Treasurer has little to do in the matter.
But there is vast advantage to the
public in having a restraint upon the
majority party. Majorities are always
inclined to eXcesses.
NO OCCASION FOR DELAY.
/ wouldn't be understood as casting
aspersions upon the commission en-
gagged in the investigation of the capi-
tai. Men have ambitions. however,
| and before the work was well under
way gossip attributed to the chairman
of the body an ambition for party favor.
1t might not have influenced his action
as president of the commission in the
least. But it is absolutely certain that
party favors in that party in this State
are in the form of recompense and no
member of the commission will be fa-
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