The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-09-16

ed the approval Of the Executive. This |
is the field too, in which special privil-
eges are secured and in which the pc
culiaar vocation of legislative borers is
made profitable, and when it is sseen
that in the term of Governor Geary
over eight hundred laws have been en-
acted granting charters to private cor
porations or enlarging the power of
those already granted, their profits may
be estimated and the vice of the system
understood. Two thirds of this Iegisla-
tion is unnecessary and detrimental to
the people, and their safety demanded
a clearly defined policy on this subject
and rigid adherence thereto by the
Executive. General laws are broken
through by special enactment with his
consent until the rule has become the
exception. For instance, to give him
patronage, the general law for the ap-
pointment of nOtaries, defining their
number, has, in the session of 1869,
been again and again supplemented,
until he was vested in that single ses-
sion with the power to appoint over
one hundred in addition to thosealready
in commission. Such practice, multi
plying officials, overloads the statute
books and destroys most salutary rule
of government, that of governing by
general laws as far as possible. The
remedy for this mischief was in the
hands of the Executive. He has failed
to apply it and has aided and abetted
the wrong.
The deliberate overthrow of a judi
cial district, the attempt to nulIify the
will of the people of that district of the
choice of their Judge, and the palpahle
violation of the Constitution, incurred
n so doing, are all chargeable directly
to j. w. Geary, for the bill was signed
on the very morning after the night of
its passage, under circumstances which
conclusively prove his knowledge of
its purpose and character. If he knew
these, is it Unjust to charge that he
knew how it was passed and what base
means secured the necessary majority
for its speedy enactment? If the judi
ary are to be attackted and the express
will of the people defied by the use of
money in a corrupt combination, Of
what value are our institutions, and
whose life or property is secure? John
w. Geary possessed the knowledge of
the wrong and the power to prevent
it, and failed to use them, and he is
| justly responsible for the infamy.
Under the provisions of the law en-
acted in days when national debts
were not considered national blessings,
and still unrepealed, certain revenues
belonging to the state were to be ap-
piled to the payment of the State debt
through the Operations of Sinking
Fund. Since 1860, the last year of Gov.
Packers administration, $45, ,346, 900
have gone into the treasury. BY far
! the larger portion of this proceeds from
the revenues specifically applied by
law to the payment of the debt, and yet
the debt now is only about four mid
lions less than it was in 1860, and
this calculation excludes the loans
for military purposes, and to redeem
| the overdue loan. Where have those
| millions gone, and why is the state
| debt still so large? The mismanage-
! ment of the finances of the State, never
so great as within the last three years,
the payment of largely increased sal
aries, the employment of pastors and
folders and other useless officials, the
| increase in the amount of interest, and
the necessities of the treasury ring,
have combined to increase our eXpen.
| SOS to so great an extent as to divert
| these large revenues from their prop
er destinations and therefore the debt
i'll exists.
Strenuous efforts We're made at the
close of the last session of the legisla
ture to have the surplus in the Treas
ury applied toward the payment Of thG
debt maturing, and a section was pla
ced in the appropriation bill by the
united vote of all the Democrats and
part of the Republicans, ordering tht
anticipation Of the payment of about
$500, 900 thereof out of the surplus ther
in the treasury. This would have sa
we'd the State $4,000. The bill wal
then sent to the committee of confer
ence, and they struck this section out a
the command of the treasury ring
When the bill came upin the Senate,oI
final passage, in this form, it was votet
down by vote OF - to 10, mainly be
cause of the omission of this amend
ment and the payment of the paster
and folders in the House. Seven he
publicans voted with the Democrat
and defeated the bill and affirmed tn
wisdom of the amendment. Yet, with
in three days four of those Republican
changed front and voted with thei
brethren TO reconsider the bill and the.
passed it by vote of II to Is, two lie
publicans voting with the Democrat
against the bill, and one Democrat vot
ing with the Republicans for the bill
Bv this vote the State lost at leas
$50, 900, :and the ring gained the use
over $500, 900 for more than year
Why, in this exigency and under tn
facts disclosed on the passage of til
bill. did not the Executive do his dut,
and send it back without his signature
He was too weak or he was the tool c
the Treasury ring in either case, he
unfit for the place he fills.
.A.ntin,n nf Inhn w Co