The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-17
HARRISBURG LETTER.
December 13, 100

December 13, 1903.
1t is likely that the next Legisla-
ture will be asked to amend the law
as it applies to the filing of expense
accounts by political parties and can
didates. Some Democratic papers
have directed attention to the.
amount expended by the Republican
State Committee, something less
than seventy thousand dollars, which
is not an unusual sum, as state ex-
penses go. The purpose in thus
commenting in a public way on this
matter was undoubtedly to draw at
tention from the fact that the state
ment of expenses filed by the Demo-
cratic State Committee was not a
compliance with the requirements OF
the act,-not by long way. Their
statement is evasive and only partly
true. They did not comply with the
law, either in spirit or In the letter.
The only reason the papers were Ill
ed by the official in charge was be-
cause the law does not provide
remedy or clothe the official with
discretionary powers.
Compared with the amount dis
bursed by the Republican State Com
mittee, the sum paid out by Mr..
Munson, the Democratic candidate
for the Supreme Court, seems ex-
traordinary large. Mr.. Munson
spent upward of $4,000 while maxi
ing his campaign. This unusual ex-
pense moved some of the real in
dependent papers to remark that 1t
probably was a good thing that Mr..
Munson was defeated, limiting that
he had not risen to a proper concep-
tion of the dignity of the office for
which he was candidate. His op-
ponent, Judge Won Moschzisker,
spent less than one-tenth of this
amount, and was elected. Defeat,
in this case, came high. And yet
our Democratic friends seem to have
overlooked this millionaire's con-
tribution, while pointing to what the
opposite party paid out.
Governor Stuart has given no in
dication of his purpose in naming a
successor to Judge Won Moschzisker,
who will leave the Philadelphia
bench in January to take his place
among the justices of the Supreme
Court. The name of Attorney Gen.
eral M. Hampton Todd had been
mentioned for the place, but Mr.
Todd declined to permit his name to
be used. If there is one thing more
than another concerning which the
Governor exercises great care,, It is
in the appointment of judges to fill
vacancies. He cannot be criticised
for this. The bench ought always to
be above adverse criticism.
The Pennsylvania State Railroad
Commission is looking around for
good man to serve as Secretary to
that body, in place of Harry S. Cal
vert, who resigned to serve as re-
ceiver of the Mercantile Trust Com
pany of Pittsburg. The place pays
$4,000 a year. That salary ought to
attract some poor fellow to go after
the job.
State Treasurer Sheath announced
last Saturday that he would draw
on the banks having state money on
deposit, for one million dollars, in
order to have sufficient available
funds to meet the current expenses
of the state government. The fund
is carried in more institutions than
ever before, and this has reduced
the amount usually carried in the
active repositories, so that he can
not secure enough by drawing on
them. The amount in the general
fund will drop to less than $5,OOO,-
900, which is the lowest it has been
for several years. At one time dur
ing the administration of Auditor
General Hardenbergh it came within
a few dollars of reaching $14, 4,OOO,-
900, which was probably high water
mark.
Hundreds of people, from all parts
of the United States, as we'll as
from abroad, visit the beauti-
full Capitol every week. The Abb
hey pictures come in for large
share of the admiration, though the
Senate and House chambers, the Su-
preme Court room, the reception
rooms of the Governor and of the
Lieutenant Governor, are sources OF
surprise and delight. The Barnard
statuary groups are expected to ar
rive in the spring, and these will
add much to the beauty and attrac-
tiveness of the building.
N. e. HAUSE.