The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-17
PENNsYLVANIA'S GOVERNORS.
Peculiaiities About the Chief Execu.
tives Of the Keystone State.

tives Of the Keystone state.
Pennsylvania was admitted into the
union six months before New York,
yet, says the Sun, while Mr.. Morton Is
the thirty-third governor of New York.
Mr.. Hastings is only the twenty-hrst
governor Of Pennsylvania. The pres
ent state constitution of Pennsylvania
was adopted by the voters in 1873, ana
from that time until the present. twen-
ty-three years, there have been only
five governors of the Keystone state
General Hartranft, who took Office in
1873; Henry NJ. Hoyt. who succeeded
him in 1879; Robert +. Pattlson. first
inaugurated in 1888; General Beaver.
who took office in Harrisburg in 1887.
and General Hastings, who has held
office since January, 1895. The null
tiplicity of generals among governors
of Pennsylvania has been very marked,
but under the former constitution OF
the state, adopted in 1858 Pennsyl-
vanid was then usually DemOcratic)
civilians predominate.
1t is a peculiarlty of Pennsylvania
governors that one mark of recogni
tiOn has been theirs uniformly; they
have had counties. cities, streets,
squares and turnpikes called after
them. Thus the first three governors OF
Pennsylvania, Mifiiin, Mexican and
Snyder. had counties called after them.
In the early history of Pennsylvania
the governors were either plain men,
or at least, men with plain names.
but when the constitution of 1868 was
adopted, it appears to have been
thought necessary to uphold the digni-
ty of Pennsylvania under it by the
election Of governors having elaborate
and unusual names. The first three so
elected Were David Rittenhouse Porter,
Francis Rawn Skunk and William
Johnston. With the beginning of the
slavery controversy. in which Penn
sylvania took an active part, the elec-
tion OF governors with plain names
was resumed, and William Bingler,
James Pollack and william Packer
were in office until January IL, 1861,
when Andrew G. Curtin, the war gow-
ernor of the keystone state, was in
augurated. He held office for six
years. and was succeeded by John w.
Geary, Republican, who held the Of
flee for like period. until. in fact, the
constitution of 1873 was adopted. Gov
ernor Curtin, who died less than two
years ago, was one Of the best known
Of Pennsylvania leaders, and, in addi-
ton to holding the office of governor
In Harrisburg, became afterward Unit
ed States minister to Russia, and, later
on. Democratic congressman from the
SchttI Couuty ulStTlct. ne was resi-
dent of the town of Bellefonte.
One reason for the small number Of
governors of Pennsylvania and the
larger number of governors Of New
York Is this: While New York gover-
nors have been honored by elevation to
or nomination for the presidency, have
been elected to the United States sem
ate, or have found places of promin-
ence in the cabinet, governors of Penn
sylvania, almost without exception,
have been permitted to serve out, un-
molested with suggestions of promo
tions, the terms of Office to which they
were originally elected There, be-
sides, is no instance of Pennsyl-
vania governor who died in the office,
and only one Of a Pennsylvania gov
ernor who resigned that office.