The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-06-14

GOVERNOR BEAVERS proposal, as
substitute for calling the Legislature
together to deal with the Johnstown
problem says the Pittsburg Dispatch, is
meeting with anything but fAttering
reception. His objections to conveniDg
the Legislature are sipgulsrly untena-
BILE. At first the Governor was report
ed as saying that the floods rendered
transportation of the members to the
state capital impossible for an early
date, which is simply puerile and alb
surd. The next argument made by him
against an extra session was that to ap.
proprIate money for the Johnstown suf-
fersrs would be unconstitutional. This
is equally Irrelevant. As a matter of
truth aud fact, the State is not being
asked to make a charitable appropria-
tion for Johnstown or any other point
to the extent of a single penny. On the
contrary, what is wanted is that the
State shall appropriate money for its
Board of Health to discharge the duty
rightfu.ly falling upon it OF cleaning the
bed of its streams, removing the debris
which threatens pestilence, and doing
other proper State work which is now
being done out of the funds specifically
contributed by the generous public to
clothe, house, feed and financially aid
the unfortunate survivors OF the dread
calamity.
In place of the State keeping the
Johnstown sufferers, it is the money of
the JOhnstown sufferers which is now
doing State work Nobody preteuds
that an appropriation for the Board
OF Health would be unconstitutional.
To attempt to fathom the motives
whict lead Governor Beaver to reject
the proposal for an extra session is
waste of time. The public are not so
much interested now in the peculiar
| mental turn which leads the Governor
to view the matter differently from
nearly everyone else, as in the fact that
if he does not act, serious and forever
regrettable complications are likely to
arise. The Governors only alternative
proposition. to which he pins his faith, ,
| has the misfortune of being about the
only really unconstitutional. and posi-
| bly, imprscticable, one offered. He
would have the State Treasurer advance
! 81 ,O0O, 900 as relief on the bonds of
| 300 volunteer citizens. The people of
( the State who want TO see the utmost
| promptly done for tie sufferers would
not criticise even this, il IL were not
/ offered as something so much easier and
/ more constitutional than the extra ses-
| sion But as matter of fact it has the
fault that the loan would not be au-
| thoriZed by the Constitution that if
the bonds were TO be several, in place OF
| joint, that is to say only for $1,000 each
| the State Treasurer might consider the
| possibilities of some OF the signers be-
coming insolvent before the Legisla~
ture could be got together two years
hence 10 make the loan a gift while
il the bond IS joint one it makes each
signsr liable for the hole amount of
! $1,000 ,OOO
The public have acted nobly in their
| contributions Tor the relief or Johns
town. 1t is plain to everyone that
there is feeling OF deep irritation and
annoyance at Governor Beavers re.
/ fusal to take the simple course OF get
ting the Legislature together and Sc
curing at once direct appropriation.
II he can get his bond-losn scheme
! through at once, the people. even now
while not likely to see wherein it is at
all better or as desirable as a direct
| appropriation, will, still on accounr of
the sufferers. bid him God speed. But
II. as We fear, he is to daily with the
matter, then, indeed, he will have re-
sponsibiliiy upon him the full extent he
has apparently yet to realize.
Act, Governor, act