Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-26
A FIGHT FOR JOBS

CENATOR vARE'S remark that efforts
~ were made to induce him to support the
candidacy Of Clifford Pinchot before he in.
dorsed George f. Alter has called forth some
interesting details about the preliminary
negotiations.
Mrs. Lawrence, of Pittsburgh, and Mrs.
Warburton, of this city, both admit that
they called on Senator Ware in the interest
Of Pinchot. Mrs. Laurence explains that
the Senator said he could not support
Pinchot because he did not belong to the
depended on to appoint organization men TO
Office. 1t was necessary 10 have candidate
who would take care Of the organization.
Those who know the Senator will recog.
nize in Mrs. Lawrence's statement the
familiar state of mind Of the South Phila-
delphia leader. 1t is the state of mind of
the machine politician of every party in
every section of the country.
The honest and efficient conduct of public
business is. in their opinion, only an Incl
dental function of government. Government
exists chiefly to provide easy jobs for politi-
cal workers who will assist the leaders in
controlling the sources of power for their
own profit. Sometimes they make their
profit out of contracts awarded to them by
favoritism. or through favorable interpre-
open competition-so favorable an interpre-
tatiOn that the man who can get it can
make money while the man who is forced to
live up to the letter of the specifications will
be bankrupted.
The profit Is also made through granting
favors to special interests which will recip-
rocate by making generous contributions to
campaign funds handled without rigid ac-
counting by the leaders.
In either case government Is an instru-
ment used for the especial benefit Of the men
in control Of the party machine. Every
little man who hopes for job supports the
organization, for that is the only way he
can expect to get the job.
So when Senator Ware says that Mr..
Pinchot cannot be trusted to appoint Or
ganization workers he consolidates the op-
position of those who are in politics for
what they can make out of it,
The strength of Mr.. Pinchot lies in his
rejection of this theory of government. The
application of the theory in Harrisburg Is
responsible for the, scandalous conditions
that prevail there. The oficeholders have
been partners in the business OF getting
everything possible out of the State Treas.
ury for their own profit. and they have not
interfered with one another.
This is why no one protested when Sny-
der, as Auditor General, was paying big
legal fees contrary to law to various attor-
neys to do the work which should have been
done through the Attorney Generals office.
1t is why Lieutenant Governor Beidleman
thought it was all right for him to take
$4,000 paid to him for legal services out OF
n fund from which no one had any legal
authority to draw money for the work which
he did.
Mr.. Pinchot promises to stop this prac-
tice and to run the government for the
benefit of the taxpayers rather than for the
benefit Of the oficeholders. He promises to
appoint the best men obtainable and to sup.
mort their efforts Ito clean up the mess. y
There are more voters who believe in the
Pinchot theory than believe in the Ware
practice. If they 60 to the polls on May l6
Mr.. Pinchot's nomination will be made by
an overwhelming majority.