The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-07-31
ybe Eieutenamt Goceanorshtp.

ated bv the new constitution has not here
tofore been known in the politics of Penn
sylvania. In a majority of the States it
has existed for many years, and i'll some
/ Of them is provided for in their original
| constitutions. 1t has been found to work
well, and has met with the general apprO-
al of the people in the States in which it
has been the custom to elect such an OIL
Ger. In view of the frequent and unpleas-
ant difficulties which have occurred at
/ Harrisburg during the last twenty years
i'll electiug Speaker of the Senate at the
commencement of the session, it has long
been apparent that i'll order to avoid such
/ exceptional and unseemly contests be-
tween the two parties i'll that body, the
election of Lieutenant Governor would
speedily become political necessity. The
constitutional convention therefore acted
wisely and well in creating this new of
fee.
The Lieutenant Governor will not pos
sess any executive or administrative pow
er, but will simply act as President of the
Senate and preside over its deliberations.
He cannot vote on any question except
where the members are equally divided
lie is to be elected for four years and to
receive a salary of three thousand dollars
per year. The necessary qualifications
for a proper discharge of the duties of the
Office are three He must be man Of
undOubtcd integrity of character; he must
also be q man of ability; and, lastly, he
must be familiarvith the rules which gov
eln legislative bodies. The latter requisite
cannot be dispensed with. 1t is as abso-
Iutcly necessary as that Il mechanic should
skilIfully know how 20 use the tools OF his
trade. This knowledge does not come by
intuition, but is the result of practical cx-
pericnce.
The number of aspirants in both politi-
cal parties for nomination 10 the Office is
legion, and conclusiveIy shows the Office
seeking mania with which the politicians
of this State are afflicted. When we say
that few Of these unselfsh patriots are
competent, while the balance are nOtori-
ously unfit We mean tho remark to apply
30 both partic The low arts and contemp-
tiblo devices which aIe being rcsorted to
for the purpose of making political capital
for this or that candidate arc simply dis
gusting. About ten days ago, for instance
we received Democratic paper from an
Eastern county containing an editorial
ticle advocating the nomination of a certain
citizen of that county. The editor, or
perhaps the aspirant we should say, had
drawn black lines around the article, which
we presume was gentle hint that we
would notice it. We declined doing SO
for the plain reason that the editors IA
voIite, although he may have a local rep
utation, is an unknown man in the Demo
cratic party, Ino two members Of which
west Of the Allegheny mountains having
ever heard that such person existed.
This is peculiarly time VIXEN the Office
should seek the man and not the man the
office, and when the day Of small but as
piring candidates for this or any other
position ought to be regarded, both by
state and county conventions, as having
passed away. 1t is time that fools should
cease to rush in where even angels fear to
tread. The Democratic party demands
from the State convention the nomination
of an honest, competent and unobiection-
able candidate for Judge of the Supreme
Court and also the nomination of Lieu
tenant-Governor and Secretary of Internal
Affairs whose qualifications are beyond
cavil or dispute, and for whom every Dem
Ocrat can voto without Il blush of shame,
let the result of the election be a triumph
or a defeat.