Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-13
LANcAsTER. PA, June Is. 1889.
(,ettlns That Million.

fully take million dollars out Of the
treasury, putting In place of II million
dollar bond. Somehow or other Pitts
burg folks seem 10 he greatly disgruntied
about the governor, and very much dis
posed to denounce anything that he
does. We understand very well, from
this expression of their feeling, that
the governor has made them sore.
They say that they are made sore
by. his slowness in taking hold
at Johnstown; but the solid fact appears
to be that they are hurt because he keeps
the money sent to him as governor for
the flood sufferers, and is not ready to
make the Pittsburg people the dispensers
of the whole fund. They suddenly found
then that the work Of clearing up the
valley was the work of the governor,
and that the sacred funds contributed to
the relief of the sufferers could not I've
used for the purpose Of digging the suf-
ferers' homes from under the debris the
flood had piled upon them. They
dumped the whole business upon the
governor, packed up their traps, went
hack to Pittsburg, and now sit there
sucking their fingers while they delib-
crate what they shall do with the money
they have receivcd-about $1,000 of 1t
went from Lancaster by the way--and
which they cannot spend themselves
and will not trust the governor to spend.
And along side of this Pittsburg ele-
ment, Is another, composed Of the Magee
politicians, who fear that the governor
will be moved by Quay to Use the food
millions to wipe them out. And SO the
whole town, lawyers, politicians and
people, are making faces at the governor
because of his effort to use the money In
the treasury for purpose for which they
VOW u should be used only now they
are>4overs Of the constitution and want
the Legislature to appropriate It in n reg
ular way. The governor wants 10 save the
several hundred thousand dollars that
the Legislature would cost, and to find u
cheaper way of getting the money that
every one wants him to give. He offers
the treasurer the bond of two hundred
citizens, pledging the return of million
dollar, to I've used i'm clearing up the Cone
maugh valley, provided the Legislature
refuses to appropriate the money.
Ifthis money can be lawfully taken
from the treasury in this way, everyone
will say that II is well done. Those who
say II cannot be, point to the constitu-
tional declaration that "no money shall
be paid out of the treasury except upon
appropriations made by law, !" and they
have the idea that the question is settled
,rtry that provision. But their shot
4 does not hit the mark at all. No appro-
priation Of the money in the treasury is
contemplated; on the contrary ii is cx-
pressly understood that the money shall
be appropriated by theIegislature when
II assemblies and that, If IL is not 80 ap.
propriated, IL shall bc found in the treas.
ury to which the faith and credit of the
4 two hundred bopdsmen Of the governor
is pledged,
Under the practice Of the Pcnnsyiya-
mia government, the state treasurer holds
the treasury, not in one but in divers
places. There is no treasury vault. The
money may be i'm his safe or in bank
and we do not know that there is any
law prohibiting his placing it in the
custody of an individual. II may he
that there should he greater direction OF
the deposits by the law and we 50
think but the theory Is that the treas
urer and his bondsmen are responsible
and that the law should not relieve
them by designating depositaries.
How then can IL now he said that the
treasurer may not lawfully deposit the
money of the state with the governor
and his bondsmen, satisfying himself of
the abundance Of the security? He may
not make definite loan, but there is
nothing that we can see TO hinder him
80 depositing the money aud letting il
lie, awaiting the states use of it. OF
course ii is wrong that there should be
such a surplus in the treasury that n
million can be spared from it, but that
Is another question than the one under
discussion. Letting this money out
Is not an appropriation of it, in
any sense of the word, but purely de-
posit Of it, or a lending without interest,
which is what the treasurer does every
day, saving the lack of interest feature
and surely if he can let the money of the
state out on deposit for hire, he can do il
for the cost of the states proper work,
which publicspirited citizens are will
ing TO guarantee him that the Lcgisla-
ture will approve, We can see no sound
objection to the proposition, nor any
evil precedent that it sets. The prece-
dent, if evil, has long been set and
we approve of utilizing il now for a Just
.he .ect.
We have been very free to criticise Gov
ernor Beaver when, in our Judgment,
wrong, as he very often has been; but
when he Is right we are ready to note il
and in this flood business his conduct
has been straightforward and sensible.
He Is the custodian of great fund,
charitably contributed; and he is right
IN administering its distribution, He
might very well have used this
fund to clear away the Johns
town wreck, Use which is directly for
the benefit of the flood sufferers ;
but we do not find fault with
the conclusion that il shall be used
tor more direct personal relief, and that
the state shall pay for the removal of
the debris left in the track of the flood.
This Is clearly a proper work of the
state, and We shall be glad if the poyer-
nor can raise the money for il without
The cost OF an extra session of the Lepis-
lature.
Chairman Brice.
The Ipmocratic natinnal