Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-09
COULD SCHWAB BE ELECTED
GOVERNOR?

AMONG the Americans who have put
ZAthe stamp of their efficiency on'the ex-
istins era, none, we believe, is more con-
spicuously able than Charles Schwab.
The ravens were fastening the down.
and-out" sign on him a few years ago.
There were tales of wild doings in Europe
and there were plenty of little.mlnded fel.
lows ready to give him a character there
from and catalogue him with the also
rams" He was no longer president OF the
United States Steel Corporation. The
accident that had put him at the head Of
It, they said foreshadowed the nemesis
that was to pull him down.
But Charlie" Schwab had the goods.
He didn't NOPE and he didn't publish
book OF "reminiscences for the entertain.
ment of weak.hearted individuals who
had been thrown in the tussle with life
and did not have the hardihood to get up
again. Not Charlie" Schwab! He sim.
ply journeyed to Bethlehem, for which
course there was historic precedent, and
before the Steel Trust or anybody else
knew what was happening the Bethle.
hem Steel Corporation was a young Her.
cules on its own account. Trusts did not
bother Schwab He could make them
himself. II need be, and he knew how to
beard them in their lars. One week he
was in Russia, the next in Hongkong.
Wherever steel was wanted In large
quantities, Schwab was likely to be
Johnny He learned efficiency
driving a stage from Loretto to Cresson,
and thereafter driving stakes.
In purely business way, we should
say, here is an American who can play
the game with any individual living and
have at least an even chance Of coming
In the winner. His services to a grea,
corporation could not be measured In
dollars A salary OF million a year
might be enough, and ten million might
be too little.
We doubt If Charlie" Schwab has pollt.
ical ambitions, Suppose, however, he
should be willing to serve as Governor
Of Pennsylvania, at a comparatively
meager salary unswollen by campaign
contributions. Suppose he should say,
"Yes. the administration of the Common.
wcalth's affairs Is in a bad way. It's
finances are muddled and the funds of the
taxpayer are being wasted. I've made all |
the money l want. I'm willin. to turn |
my ability to the service of the people. |
III take the job" Could he get it?
1t is to laugh. HE Is not Ware man."
one coterie of pap-hunters would cry,
Senator Penros, is afraid Of him." would |
be whispered in tie saloons of Chester. |
"Hes had no practical experience" some |
bleary-eyed CRATER would exclaim. who |
is Schwab?" would shout a local Senator |
Reed. And the harpies would begin to |
rick on his character and the slush.flna |
promoters to arouse class feeling. Mean. |
time some nincompoop too timid to have
enemies, conspiring before election day to |
obey orders and prostitute the powers of |
his high office, financed by designing indi- |
viduals, would be heralded as the only
twenty-four carat, unadulterated hope and
savior Of the Commonwealth and would
get the votes of enough dead men and
incompetents to be rolled into office bv
. ponderous majority.
As matter OF fact. Mr.. schwab is too
busy doing a mans work to be a candi-
date for any office. ofices seek big men:
little men seek offices. But Pennsylva-
mans can get good idea Of what polit-
tcal conditions are and what pigmies sit
In high places by simply asking them
selves the question:
Could Schwab be elected Governor If
Pennsylvania?