New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-16
JUDGE BLACKS MESSAGE.
PREPARED FOR GOVERNOR PATTIsON AND
THEN Suppressed.
AN EXTRAORDINARY TRANSACTION IN THE ExEcU.
TIVE CHAMBER OF PENNsYLvANIA-How VAN.

TIVE CHAMBER OF PENSsTLvANIA-How VAN.
BERBrLT INDUCED THE EX-GOVERNOR
SUDDENLY TO CHANGE HIS MIND
PHILADELPHIA. Jan. 15.-"The Press publishes
In the morning the following extraordinary Har-
risburg letter:
Some important disclosures concerning veto mes
sage prepared for Pattison ct hts earnest
request, by ex-Chcf Justice jeremiah s. Black a
short before the Judges DEATH have recently como
to light In connection with the South Penn litigation
and causing good deal OF uneasiness among tho
OK Governors friends. Those familiar with tho facts
refuse at present to talk publicly about tho matter
but It Is known for my sterous reason Governor
Patson consented at the last moment to suppress the
veto mes cage and sign tho bills. 1t was tho last
public paper prepared by Judge Black and his bitter
appoint ment over tho Governors singular course
Ia said to have fastened his death. lie denounced
the Governor In unmeasured terms and to his face
charged him with bad faith copy OF tho document,
which Is said to be perhaps tho most powerful one
over written by tho Judge, with all the facts, VIII
probably appear in forthcoming biography Of the
Chisf Justice, II they do not como out sooner by
the testimony of witnesses the South Penn ltiga
ton.
THE SOUTH PENN RAILROAD BILLS.
Tho veto message covered three bills, all Of which
said to have been drawn up In Newfork by we'll
known lawyers employed by the late william H. Van
derbilt These bills in the Interest of Wander
blts South Penn railroad scheme and good deal Of
money was expended in getting them through tho
Legislature. 1t early in Governor Pattisons term
and not long after no uttered his fierce phppic In
his inaugural concerning the great corporate bodies
Of the staten charging them with having constantly,
defantly and fagrantly violated the constitutions
The Governor declared that the great need was OF
legislation to check the "vast and Irresponsible
power Of these corporations and that they must bc
made strictly 10 comply with the limitations OF the
constitution As these bills for the sole purpose OF
granting s greater powers to railroad corporations,
their friends had expectation that the Governor
would sign them. This feeling WIS strengthened by
the Governors openly expressed conviction In con
versaton that the bills were Infamous" This led
the LOBBYISTS to bend all their energies toward getting
sufficient majority for the bills to overcome the Veto
The opposition In the Legislature nat "a great
as 1t would have been had not veto been generally
expected. Senator Gordon, tho Governors spokesman
in the Senate, made a speech In opposition
In other speeches the bills were denounced as I'M
and their injurious effect made clear.
The Governor was fully informed concerning them
and showed much interest in the matter, and another
Senator said
1T is unfair for this Legislature, because they
know that the executive Is opposed TO corporations
or to the inroads that corporate power making to
rely the administration entirely To defeat these
bills In the inaugural speech of the Governor he
said that he wuuId not allow such bills 70 pass
while these inquiries pending Judge Black
to Harrisburg voluntarily to address rhe senate
committee In favor of ani-dlscrimination bill.
which had been introduced in accordance with the
Governors recommendation. This was tho Judges last
public speech and 1t IS well known pow erful plea
for legislation give full effect to the constitutional
restrictions governing railroad corporations. Mr.:
Pats0n was highly pleased with this speech and TOOK
paiLs to compliment the judge.
J DEE BLACK SENT FOR
When the Vanderbilt bills before the Governor
he was anxious 10 send in veto message that would
eclipse all previous documents of tho kind and conf
mand the attention of the country. With this end in
view he sent for Judge Black and offered to retain
him TO write rie message The Judge refused to take
pay for the work, but said that he would do 10 in
The interest OF law and justice and tho Democratic
party lie counseed with the Governor IN the mat
Ter, and expressed the opinion that the bills were
clearly uncOnstIiutiOnal-an opinion the Governor pro
fessed fully to share, The Governor SAID that 70
wanted such message written a. would iaAe Inc
hair OIL the heads of the scOunicls who voted Tor th'
bills
cevcd the Governors message asking him 10 come
here and telling Inn what he YVES wanted ioi. NJ
most stimuli aneoisly the Judge received dispatch
from New York. asking him to come there for con
sultation<n regard to tho same bills lie was greatly
snrnrised and when nc came TO Harrisburg he showed
the message frIm New York 10 the Governor. The
Governor did not apparently suspect What was me
fact. that ono In his own Onec had caused IN
formation be conveyed to The Vanderbilt sJndicair
that Judge Black had been r.aincd 10 write VETO
message Knowing the cX-Chcf Justice woHld be
certain TO write a powerful effort was naGe 70
head off the Governor Mr.. PatfsOn thought That II
would be a good thing for The judge 10 90 to New
to- So Judge Black went 20 New Ork in accord
auce with the Governors wishes
MIR wHI1NEYS EFFORTS AS COUNSEL
Going TO the law Office where he ashed to come
for consulta alton, he found William C. Whitney, the
present secretary of tho Navy. waiting for him. A.
related by tho judge q wellknown army officer,
Mr. Whitney handed the Judge a check for $1,000.
telling him that to pay for two hours of his time.
In which he wanted 10 lay before him their side of the
case when, II the Judge satisfied to fake r.
taner TO advocate the bills before tho Governor, lie
could name his own fee. and they wond pay any sum
he asked Thr Judge handed back the cheek saying
that he had been retained by the Governor in the
interest Of the Democratic party 10 write veto mos
sage and that. where his conscience and his party 5
interest required him to do anything. he would
accept money payment and that he could not en-
ncy's persuasive powers unavallng. and the
Judge returned Harrisburg where another conSnlta
lion was had with the Governor who appeared 10
show even interest than before in having a
singing and Scaiblng' message written.
GOVERNOR pATTISON'S INSTRUCTIONS.
After a thorough unders andlng to tho kind Of
a message the Governor wanted, Judge Black went
home and prepared 1t. When completed he brought #
to Harrisburg and took it to the Executive Chamber,
and the Governor expressed himself delighted with
it. He suggested few changes which wcro male
II midnight when this consultation ended.
and the veto message was TO go IN tho next day
The Judge requested thai copy OF the MESA ge be
made for him, and this was done by T. 7. Evciitt,
the Governors private Secretary assisted BY b. y
Hampshire. his military secretary.
In the meantime the Vanderbilt party had been in
formed by their representatives that If Judge blacks
veto message came before tho legislature it would
probably defeat tho bills. There was anxious
sultatOn by the friends Of the measures In which
Lewis C. Cassidy the Attorney General Is said TO
have shared II was agreed that every possible mcare
should be made Use Of to secnre the Governors sig
natfiro After Judge Black left the Governor that
night last effort was made by the Vanderbilt party
to get the Governor To sign tho bills
SINGULAR PROCEEDINGS.
Strange seen TO enter the Governors
Office after the Judge went away at midnight and
Capitol employees state that they still there al
3 80 a. IN. What Influences they brought Ia bear
Will perhaps never be known, bnt the Governor
changed his mind and Concluded to sign the bills
When Judge Black learned of this fact the next day
from member OF the Legislature, he refused TO be-
eve It until he one OF the bills with the Gov
ernor'S Signature attached To say that ;he Judge
was h,rlous would very mildly express his feelings
lie denounced In the strongest language
that he could command. aad the country knows thai
10 be the reverse Of mild. lie charged Mr. Paftison
with selling ont the interests OF the people and the