Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-01
Low.oRADE POLITICS
Decades Of EnsIavemsnt o. /, the Re-.
publican Voters by the Party
Organization Bring insvl.
table Decadence
BY GEORGE NOx MCCAIN

L MAS political sy stem, aside from its low.
grade morals, is Its reactionary tendencies.
It's standards have always been destructive
and retrogressive.
This condition is undeniably the result Of
decades of enslavement Of the Repubiicnh
voters by the party organization. And the
voters have been willing slaves except when
some recrudcsccnce of morality and self
assertiveness developed, as In the recent pri.
mary election which resulted in the noml.
nation of Clifford Pinchot for Governor.
A sample Of this retrogression, paraded
for decades before the eyes Of every State
in the Union, was the humiliating failure
OF the voters to demand a progressive public
school system.
Organization bosses were satisfied that
Pennsylvania, in the matter Of educational
advantages for Its children, should rank
with communities south of Mason and
Dixon's line should stand twenty first
among the States in point Of education.
The reason was always apparent. There
was nothing in it, for the machine, neither
Offices nor coin. Why worry?
The same was true of our highways. New
York and Maryland had inaugurated a COM
prehensive system of roads long before
Pennsylvania took belated action.
THE election Of William G. Sproul rs
L Governor worked change in these de-
partments. The outstanding achievements of
Mr.. Sprouts administration have been the
reorganization of the public schools under
DIR. Thomas Il. Finegan, and the inaugura.
tion of a comprehensive highway system
under the late Commissioner Lewis s.
Sadler.
These have gone far toward redeeming
the Commonwealth in the eyes of the coun-
try and Of its own people.
The management of our fiscal affairs for
half century has been joke. Since the
time Of Robert w. Mackey, State Treas
ury' resources have been the plaything of
whatever boss, or coterie of bosses, hap
pened to be In control.
There was no secret about it. Every poll.
tician knew that the funds of the State
deposited in favored banks and trust com.
panes earned no interest, but that instead
hundreds Of thousands of dollars were
poured annually into the Golfers Of the
State Organization by these favored bank
ing institutions. 1t was their tribute of
corruption for the purpose Of controlling
elections, purchasing votes and enabling
the bosses to "shake the plum tree"
At rare intervals sporadic attempts were
abuses. But the public conscience was
calloused, and it was not until within the
last few years that laws were enacted COM
pelling repositories to pay interest upon
State funds intrusted to their care.
During the interim the obsolete and un-
Trustworthy rule of thumb method Of
roughly gsuging up the States appropria-
tions to the estimated amount of its in.
come went on as usual. There was neither
system nor efficiency in the arrangement.
At every session of the Legislature the
members have voted appropriations. often
with n recklessness that was appalling,
aware that they were exceeding the income
of the State The Governor was always the
goat. The Legislature "passcd the buck"
1t was up to the Chief Executive to cut
the appropriations to conform to the rev.
enues. and assume all the obloquy and pop
ular condemnation for his supposed parsi-
mony.
T1IIE reckless prodigality of the Legislature
i of 1921 was n blessing in disguise. 1t
aroused the thinking members of the Repub- =
lican Party. 1t did not matter the excuse
that n misleading report OF the Auditor Gen-
cral on the States income was Responsible
for this fsancal debauch The fact remained
that the people had to foot the bill. Ihe
money to pay the piper had to come from
the packets of tho citizens.
II was this as much as the revelations OF
gross mismanagemcnt in the Offices of the
Auditor General and State Treasurer that
rallied the voters to the gonfalon of Clifford
Pinchot.
One of the greatest evils of our financial
system has been the curse Of the contingent
fund.
1t is lump sum set aside to pay the Lord
knows what 1t is an official grab bag,
temptation constantly presented to every
head of department. an invitation to graft,
an encouragement to increase the payroll
unnecessarily.
Every past suggestion for regulating the
Commonwealth's expenditures has been de-
cried by the Organization. The scheme of
budget was prcposterous!
For wears the bosses scoffpd at the idea of
compelling banks to pay interest on the
States deposits. But the interest system
was introduced, and the budget system will
ultimately come.
TIME business men of the State, its man.
i ufacturers merchants and great corpora
tions that bear the burden Of taxation, are
aroused They are demanding a complete
reorganization of our finances, the mante-
nance of budget.
At the annual convention of the State
Chamber of Commerce last October the
following was unanimously adopted:
whereas The Federal Government and
all of the States, except Pennsylvania and
one other State, have followed approved
business practice by installing permanent
budget procedure therefore, be 1t
Resolved, That the Pennsylvania State
Chamber of Commerce strongly urge the
installation of a budget system In our State
government to expedite the creation of a
balanced relationship between revenues and
expenditures, and the adoption of a work
program through correlated and prcpor-
tional appropriations to State services and
institutions
The appointment of Citizens Committee
on Revenues and Appropriations by Clifford
Pinchot few days after his nomination
was his response to that call. He has
pledged himself to q reorganization of our
fiscal affairs and a budget--a budget. os
stated in the above resolution, ''to expedite