The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-07-18
HARRISBURG LETTER.
Harrisburg, Pa, July IS, 1907.


The palpable purpose of the Repub-
lican machine is to make n campaign
of false pretense and bluff Sheath
through as a reformer. The Philadel-
phia N0yih AmGticaH has undertaken
to manage this mendacious enterprise
and will probably spare neither pains
nor price in comprising the result.
Fortunately, however, the public is
finding out the true character of that
newspaper. Under the claim of striv-
ing for civic improvement it has pros
tituted its opportunities, perverted
facts and mutiated communications.
The news sent 10y correspondents is al
tered in the Office to misrepresent the
facts and deceive the public. A publi-
cation which thus outrages the ethics
Of Journalism is unworthy of public
confidence,
In pursuance Of this plan Of false rep
resentation the NotH .4mcyicaA in a
recent issue editorially declares that
Mr.. John O. Sheatz, the machine Re
publican candidate for State Treasurer,
"did more real, intelligent work than
any other man to make the pension
bill effective" AS a matter of fact
when the pension bill came to the
House Committee of which he was
Chairman, he took copy Of 10 to Phil
adelphia and employed every possible
expedient TO crystalize public senti-
ment against it. passage. He even in
duced machine Republicans to make
absurdly large estimates of the amount
of money that would be required to
carry its provisions into effect and sue
ceeded in getting ,ataneuts as high as
fifteen million dollars,
The claim that Mr.. Sheatz was inhu-
enced to increase the amount of the
appropriation from one to six million
dollars by .nc instinct that Nie lesser
sum would be inadequate .- preposter-
Gus in view Of the record %. ,4e Appro-
priations committee. 1t made appro-
priations aggregating about $4,000
600 when the revenues under the most
favorable conditions would hardly
reach 5000 600. In other words in
the work of the Committee Of which
he was Chairman and IN which he was
the potent force, there was an entire
absence Of business intelligence and
not even a symptom Of bpjness in
stinct. The committee was simply
used as an electioneering agency to
promote the nomination of John o,
Sheath for State Treasurer
MIR. sHEATz AND THE PENSION BILL.
. The history OF the Soldiers pension
bill and the relations Of Mr. Sheath to
that measure may be easily and briefly
summarized. 1t was introduced into
5he Senate by J. Henry Cochra /, who
may have underestimate the amount
Of the appropriation necessary. 1t pass
ed the Senate without amendment or
alteration and went to the House Com
mittee on Appropriations of which Mr..
Sheath was chairman, Mr.. Sheath
made no public protest against It. He
probably thought that the amount
named was too small for it was his pol
icy to make all appropriations as big
rs possible. But privately he talked
against it and proposed the increase,
rot to compel the Governor to veto it
Exactly, but in the expectation that
the Senate would not concur and it
would thus be defeated,
The bill was from the beginning
thorn in the Republican machine flesh.
1T puts the party in hole" those
srafters lamented, "but we can't afford
to defeat it," If it passes, they con-
,inued, additional revenues or cutting
other appropriations will be necessary.
The corporations didn't want addition
al taxes and nobody wanted to cut the
other appropriations. The alternative
was to "load down" the pension bill
20 as to force disagreement between the
Houses or compel an executive veto.
Mr.. Sheatz managed the processes. He
would have preferred the disagreement
method of strangling the bill but was
compelled to be content with the veto
fnrm of execution. Both processes were