Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-10-20
THE SONG OF THE SIREN

Wv expert analyst of political con-
ditions in Pennsylvania in the
newspaper field, has written for the
esteemed Philadelphia Evening Bull
letin an interesting summary of GER
tain phases of the temptations which
come to men in public station and il
illustrates his observations by reminis-
cences of certain State administrations
from the time of Governor Hoyt. Mr..
Perrine is no dreamer and his conclu-
siohs regarding the political maneu-
vering that has covered the period
from Hoyt to the present time are
based upon facts which stand out like
bristles on the fretful porcupine.
It was manifest upon the in
auguration of Governor Brumbaugh
that scheming politicians in all parts
of the State proposed to achieve their
own purposes so far as possible with
out regard to the effects upon the new
administration. They believed it was
going to be an easy matter to take
advantage of Governor Brumbaugh' s
devotion to Pennsylvania and his en-
thusiasm for those things which most
appealed to him. but learned in a short
time that the experienced schoolmas-
ter had also absorbed considerable
knowledge of men and things.
For a time the Governor was not
pestered so much as he had been at
the opening of his administration, but
recently there seems to have been a
revival of the scheming and plotting
and maneuvering, not with any view
of promoting the best interests of the
Governors administration, but wholly
and solely to achieve personal ambi-
tions and factional success.
The Telegraph has an abiding faith
in Governor Brumbaugh's good inten-
tions. It believes that his greatest
ambition is to give Pennsylvania its
proper place in the galaxy of common
wealths; that he cares little for the
pifhe of politics and that his real poll
cies have to do with the constructive
activities of the State rather than the
political phases that are so often made
prominent.
AS has been suggested by the keen
analytical and accurate Perrine, more
than one governor has succumbed to
the Establishments of ambitious politi-
clans only to discover at the end how
empty were the promises and how
sterile the prophecies held out by
those whose motives were selfish and
who had no interest whatever in the
man whose power was used for their
own ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
1t will always be a matter of regret
that the Governor is compelled to
plunge into the intricacies of legisla-
'tion Immediately upon his Inaugural
ltion. 1t were better for the State that
upon assuming office he should have
at least one year to cast about and
study the problems with which he
must deal. Governor Brumbaugh-
like all his predecessors-wa forced
to take up at the very hour of his in
duction into office the myriad questions
which are puzzling at best and are in
finitely more disturbing when compli-
Gated with the quadrennial readjust-
ment of the State government.
However, with his eyes upon the
future of the State, with definite and
fixed policies of public improvement
with a thorough and intimate knowl-
edge of the moving principles of gov
iernment and high appreciation OF
the dignity and importance of his
efice, Governor Brumbaugh may be
trusted to avoid the pitfalls of politica
maneuvering and profit by the expert.
lences of those who listened to the song
OF the siren and were cast upon the
rocks.