The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-04-18
Gov. Johnslon's Consistency.

Gov JOhnslOn's Consistency.
Perhaps, among the many glaring and
palpabie inconsistencies of which the whig
party has been guilty, none stands out more
prominently than the recent veto by the
Governor of the apportionment bill. The
people of Pennsylvania must all we'll rec
ollect, that during the canvass of IS4s,
when Gov. Johnston took the stump, how
he declaimed against the veto power, or as
he and his friends denominated it, the one
man po,cer. He made it one of the prom
lnent issues OF the campaign, and denoun
ced as tyrannical and anti-republican
provision OF the constitution. The demo-
Gratis. on the other hand, maintained that
It was wise and salutary check against
bad legislation, which the people had de-
liberately inserted in the constitution, to
protect their rights, and that the attempt
on the part of the wings, to render it prac-.
tically imperative, was an attact upon one
of the best provisions of the fundamental
law of the State.
Scarcely had Gov. Johnston go: into
Office. until he found himself in a strait.
Gov. Skunk had held over, for further con-
slderation, several important bills which
had been presented to him at the close of
the Session of lS49. These bills came
into the hands of Gov. Johnston when he
assumed the execu tive duties, as Speaker
OF the Senate. Among them, there was
one in regard to a railroad in Erie county
which excited good deal of interest, and
Gov. Johnston, to avoid the responsibility
of signing or yetoing it, took the position,
regardless of the fact and we'll known truth
that he knew nothing officially, about the
existence of any such bills. notwithstand-
ing he had them In his possession. He di-
rected them, however, after the lapse of
the constitutio nal period, to be deposited
in the Secretary's Office as laws, thereby
slultifying himself in regard to the first po-
sition he assumed. He has since then, to
avoid responsibility, permitted several bills
to become laws without his signature, by
holding them more than ten days when
the legislature was in session. This is
practical notification of the constitution.
But 1t seems, when bill is passed
which he tancies is calculated to affect the
whig party in political point of view,
his conscientious scruples In regard to the
exercise OF the veto power, no longer stand
IN his way. The Legislature may do
what they please in every other respect,
80 that his party interests are not affected.
They may pass laws impairing contracts,
take away remedies to enforce them, and
do what they please in regard to the pub
lie interests, and his conscientious scru-
piles will not allow him to in:erpose the
veto 10 arrest them, no matter how unjust
to individuals or In furious to the public at
large. But the instant bill comes before
him which he supposes is calculated to
affect the whig party politically, he for
gets all his ridiculous defamation against
the veto power and his regard to cousis-
tency, and without any scruples of con-
science whatever, interposes the fyranni
cal one man pOUer, which he had de-
nounced in all his electioneering speeches,
for the protection of whiggery and mere
party purposes. He denounces the bill
as unconstitutional, and as hasty and IN
sonsiderate legislation. This, however,
is matter of opinion, as we'll as in other
cases, and it seems most singular, that in
this instance, he should deem it his duty
to act according to this judgment and con-
scientious sense of duty, while in other
cases his obligations to support the con-
stitution and discharge his duty with f.
deity, are to be entirely forgotten and dis
regarded, in Difference to the popular will
as expressed by the Legislature!
1t IS thus that men who, in disregard of
truth and sound principle seize upon
false positions and play the demagogue to
deceive and mislead the people, will ever
expose themselves when they are placed
in situation where they are compelled to
act, to the charge of inconsistency, insin-
cerity and hypocrisy. We will give the
veto in our next p2per. .-Harrisburg
Keystone.
HOU .7reS are Mdde.-The process
has been greatly simpliied within the last
two years. The iron is rolled out in bars