Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-13
VOTERS SHOULD BEWARE OF
THE GANG SMOKE SCREEN
An Attempt Is Making to Nominate
hadIey on the Theory That the Con-
troller Is Merely an Accountant,
Instead Of the Watchdog
Of the Treasury

Of the Treasury
THE control of the offices of District At.
i torncy and Controller is essential to
any gang of grafters and political crooks
which seeks to run this city.
The function Of the District Attorney is
to prosecute the criminals. District Attorney
Rotan fulfilled that function when he prose
Cuted the men guilty Of the Fifth Ward
murder.
These mon were convicted and sent to
prison. Neither they nor their friends
found it possible to induce the prosecuting
officers TO open any loopholc for their
escape.
The function of the Controller is
to keep n check on the use of the public
money. He can let the heads of various
departments put over their financial jobs
by being mildly Indifferent in the examina
ton Of their vouchers. Or he can perform
his legal duties as chief auditing officer
for the city and county and bring up with
a round turn every official who is spending
money without legal authority.
The Controller can do as much as any
public official to break up gang politics.
In one respect he is even moro powerful
than the Mayor because he has his finger
on every dollar of public money that is
paid out whether for city or county offices
What Robert +. Pattison did in the Of
flee has not been forgotten. He did not
regard himself as merely the city, chief
accountant to see that its books balanced
He was the watchdog set at the door of
the treasury to see that it was not looted,
and he stood on guard to such purpose that
he won the confidence of the whole State
and was twice elected to the gOvernorShip.
There is law which prevents the Mayor
from serving two terms in succession. But
the Controller may serve for life. He may
by complaSant treatment Of the financial
interests of the politicians insure his re-
nomination for term after term.
And the politicians will justify keeping
n complaisant Controller in Office by say
ing with their tongues in their cheeks that
the office is mot political" and should be
kept out of the conflicts of partisan con-
tcnton.
The supporters of WilB Hadlcy arc
saying this now. Mr.. Hadlcy was for sew
cral years chief accountant and deputy
under the late Controller Walton. The
men who wcrc pleased with the Walton
regime Of quarter of a century are the
men who are now demanding that 1t be
continued under HadlPy.
1t has been said that the office will be
run credtably whether Mr.. Hudlry is chosen
to succeed himself or whether Mr.. Wolf
is elected in his place.
No more prrnicious and misleading state
mcnt than this has been made thus far in
the campaign. The Office Of Controller has
not been run creditably under Mr.. Hadcy.
He has aligned himself with forces opposed
to the Mayor and his attitude has given
aid and comfort to the Contractor Combine.
The record of Mr.. Wolf is such as to
Justify the conclusion that he would run
the office. not in the interests of any group
of politicians. but in the interest of the
people as n whole. r. elected he will be
Controller in fact and he will not sur
render himself to any self seeking political
or financial interests however powerful
No banker can enter his Office and brow
beat him into subsrrvicncc, and no group
of politicians can successfully threaten to
destroy his future unless he plays the game
with them.
Mr.. Wolf owns himself. The city has
for years needed n man of this type in
the Controllers office. 1t has needed TO
BE- awakened to a realization that the office
is political in the highest meaning of that
term.
The voters need to understand that when
the politicians in the past have urged the
re election Of tho same man time after tim"
on the ground that the man who's" duty
it is to keep a check on public expenditures
is not n political officer. the politicians nave
been drugging the public mind in order that
they might get away with their gam" with
out any Inconvenience.
The Republican voters are to be- called
on next Tuesday to decide whether their
candidate for Controller shall BE- a real
man. who will be the actual head of the
office or whether he shall b" n dummy for
Influences which should be driven out of
tLn ('ity Hall