The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-09-26

introduced into, and passed by the
Republican Senate, and acquiesced
in by the Democratic House, despite
the efforts of the Administration
leaders to defeat it, because the
members were afraid to vote it down
and face the people. The stoppage
of pay would have soon forced an
adjournment, and sooner than see
the extra session adjourn without ac-
complishing the object for which it
was called-an apportionment that
would continue the Democrats in
possession of the power accidentally
obtained-the Governor concluded
to veto the bill, thus securing the
continuance Of ten dollars per day
to each of the members, and also the
prolonging Of the session. The mes
sage is a queer conglomeration of
Constitutional ethics, absurd special
pleading, illogical reasoning, and an
amusing assumption that he is the
sole custodian of the Constitution,
and its only authoritative interpre-
ter. The strong point of tie mes
sage is based on the law which pro-
vides that members shall be paid
$40 per day at each adjourned or
special session, and the section of
the Constitution which declares that
the salary or emoluments of any
public officer shall not be increased
or diminished during his term of
office. This is undoubtedly the law,
but with strange forgetfulness
of its mandates, the Governor
Immediately thereafter ANNOUNCE
es that he will not at this time
indicate what his action will be when
the bill appropriating pay for the
session shall come to his hands. He
says that he is sworn to enforce the
laws that the pay of members is
fixed by law; that it cannot be in
creased or diminished by the Legis-
lature itself, during the session, and
vet that he reserves to himself the
right of determining when the bill
reaches him, whether he will APP
prove it, or by vetoing it refuse
members the pay which the law
fixes, and the Constitution says can
not be increased or diminished. II
the Legislature passes bill to pay
its members SO per day for every
day it remains ia session, the Gov
ernor cannot veto it without violat-
ing his oath, and therefore his decla-
ration that he reserves the right to
determine whether he will or will
not approve bill to pay The mem.
bers when it reaches him, is mere
rot, which will neither intimidate
members into yielding to his dicta.
ton, or impose upon the public the
belief that he can yet save the Treas.
ury from the enormous expenditure
his present veto entails upon it. The
arrogance, not to say impudence o.
his lecture to members upon theil
sworn constitutional duty, when in
the same breath he broadly init
mates that he may violate his obi
cation to obey the same instrument,
is simply puerile and contempti
bic.
But neither the pretentious claim
of performing constitutional duty
nor the special pleading of the Gov
ernor, can blind or hoodwink tn,
people to the plain facts involved il
the issue between himself and tn,
. Republican members of the Legisla
ture. 1t is simply this: After {
2 session of one hundred and fifty
days, during which it was demon
q strated that an agreement could no
: be arrived at, the Legislature ad
e journed. Immediately the Governo
3 called them back into special session
! involving an expense of more thai
y $1,000 per day: when after furthe
y experience of an additional hundre,
days, finding that they were no neal
!. er an agreement than when the,
e commenced, they resolved that the
would cut off all further pay, and t
|. this measure in favor of honesty an,
: economy, the Governor interpose
n bis veto, and declares thesession an
i the pay shall still go on. His sol
s plea in extenuation of this mon
d s-rous wrong to the tax payers i:
S that he is discharging a sworn con
b stitutional duty to which We reply
= SO are the members of the Legisla
# ture, and each individual membe
/. is as much entitled to have his con
< victions of constitutional duty re
f spected, as has his Excellency, Rot
D ert Z. Pattison. On this issue th
: people will have an opportunity {
a delivering judgment at the polls o
# the 9Th day of November next, an
I if we mistake not, it will be an ovel
r whelming and merited condemns
4 ton of the State Administration, il
ailarc and ohofforc