The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-09-18

THE Johus.owu Tribune is the only
Republican gaper in the State, so far as
1ur knowledge extends. that has she ef-
to hold GOV. PattisOn aud Mr.
Stenger, the Secretary of the Common
wealth, responsible for the blunder of
one or more of the Republican clerks in
the House in permitting the Constitu-
tional amendment increasing the num-
ber of inhabitants in a county necessary
to elect a President Judge from 40, 900
to $4,000, to be laid before the Cover
nor for his action, when the fact was
that it bad not passed the House at all,
but had failed to do so by falling four
teen votes below the number 101) re-
quired by the Constitution. A dis
patch from Harrisburg, sent abroad
after the mistake had been discovered,
stated that the blunder was committed
by the message clerk of the House, A.
]. ColbOrn, Jr., who is a son of one of
the Republican members from Somer-
set county. How This is we, of course,
can't tell, nor is it necessary now for
our purpose to discuss it. Last Satur-
days Tribune, IN commenting upon
what we said on the subject last week
substantially advocates the singular
proposition that IL is the duty of the
Governor before he signs a bill to con-
suit the record of the House and SEN
ate proceedings, and ascertain for him
self whether all the forms o! Legislation
have been complied with in its passage.
II has never heretofore been imagined
by anyone in this State who was not
considered dangerous to run at large,
that such was any part of the duty of
the Governor in disposing of bill laid
before him signed by the Speakers of
both houses. Here was bill signed by
the Speaker of the Senate and the Speak
er of the House, fact which imported
that it had passed each house legimate-
ly, brought OF "messaged,' - as it is
styled, to the Governor by the message
clerk Of the House in the line of his
duty, and yet the preposterous notion of
the Tribune is that it was the duty of
Governor PattIsOn, of whom it contemp.
tuOusly speaks as an ''automation, d" and
"baby Governor" to go behind all
this evidence of legal formality and hunt
through the daily journal kept by each
house of its proceedings, to satisfy him.
Self that every requisite in regard to its
passage had been complied with, when
neither any newspaper nor any human
being had ever whispered that there was
anything wrong about it. No Cover
nor has ever done this-no Governor
! ever will do it. for the plain reason that
he acts on the theory that the clerks OF
each house faithfully perform their du-
| ties. In this instance some officer OF
/ the House was careless, exceptionally
/ so, and when it was announced at Har.
risbuTg ten days or two weeks ago that
| the amendment had never passed the
House, we simply stated the fact with
| some comments on the inexcusable neg
| ligence of some one or more of the
clerks, and would not again have refer
red to the matter had not the Tribune
! with its chronic inclination to find faul
with everything connected With a Dem
ocratic State or National Administra
tion, arraigned Governor Pattison ant
the Secretary of the Commonwealth
with having 'ilIegally advertised al
amendment to .he Constitution through
stupidity" Whoever else is amenablt
to the charge Of stupidity in thi
bungling business, the skirts Of the Gov
ernOr aud Mr.. Stenger are manifestly
/ clear of such an imputation