Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-12-12


public treasury without warrant of law,
shadow ofjustice, or possibility of right
by body Of officials which, as the EX-
ecutive of the Commonwealth, L am
obliged to say resists, defeS and as
saults the constitutional government OF
the people.
There often come times in the history
of popular government when the only
hope of their preservation rests, not
in the functional power given to Off
cials, but in that last ard mightiest of
resources, the intelligent and resolute
action Of free people at the ballot box.
This hope alone is left to the lovers of
free government in Pennsylvania for
the enforcement of the laws and the
preservation of the Constitution. |
have exhausted all my power to that
end without avail, and confess the
futility of my efforts. Not only may l
be unable to secure obedience to the
Constitution and see that the laws be
faithfully executed, but | may also be
powerless to prevent the gross injustice
attempted against the people in this
bill. So far as | am able, however, |
shall hwart the wrong by this disap-
proval.
1t is only right for me to say that
there are, | know, many members Of
the Assembly who have faithfully
striven to perform their duty, and who
bv such efforts have equitably earned
their nav. They are in no wise charge
able with the default of this session. |
regret that they should suffer by this
veto. 1t is their misfortune to be men,
bers of a body whose acts | must view
as a whole. They will have the con-
sciousness, however, of having honest
| ly tried to serve their State and the
people. The people it is certain will
not fail in the end to recognize and re-
ward upright servants and separate
them from the faithless and avaricious.
| have no rower to distinguish the
worthy from the unworthy, the deserv-
ing from the reprehensible. The fault
of the gross, not the merit of individuals,
| is all of which | can take notice.
Seeing no legal reason, however, for
depriving OF their pay the employees OF
the two houses, whose attendance was
compulsory, and who are in no way
blameable for the failure of this session,
[ have approved the items for their
compensation. | wish to be under
stood, however, in allowing these items
to approve of the compensation OF these
employees only for those days when
they were necessarily employed about
the duties of their Offices. They may
have had official service to perform
upon days on which the Legislature
was not in session If so they should
be pad. But for those days on which
they were absent from attendance upon
duties pertaining to the Legislature
and unemployed l do not give my
sanction to their drawing any compen
sation. regard the word "ixed by
law'' in the clause of the bill making
the approp iation for them as recogniz
ing this limitation, which, in my judg'
ment, is proper Interpretation of the
act of 1874.
ROBERT Z. PATTIsoN.
Hon. THOMAS NJ BAYNE, member
in Congress from Allegheny county
has introduced joint resolution pre-
posing an amendment to the Constitu
ton of the United States, providing
for the election by the people of post
masters, U. S. District Attorneys ant
Revenue Collectors. This is move
in the right direction and one that the
public will strongly endorse. Particu
larlv in the matter of postmasters ha;
there been very general sentiment al
over the country for their election by
the people in the locality interested
Mr.. Bayne's bill will be watched with
interest. Although the road to it:
adoption is a long one, yet by active
and continued exertion it is hop
ed the effort will succeed.