Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-09-16
HARRISBURG.


of the Commonwealth Reeder at Eas-
ton with a note requesting his reslgna
tion. the two men met in Harrisburg
last Wednesday and talked the matter
over. and as Hastings would not recede
from his request Reeder wrote his reslg
nation and the Governor accepted IT,
Reeder's resignation is directly due
to his signing a bond of indemnity TO
the state Treasurer for money PAID 10
neople who were not entitled to 1t.
Commenting on the affair the Pitts
burg Dispatch says:
The disposition in some quarters 10
treat the cause of the Governors action
in requesting this resignation as
mystery emulates the tactics of the
ostrich in hiding its head under the
sand The cause of the action is appar-
ent to every man who keeps posted with
regard to current events.
1t is that Secretary Reeder was party
m an arrangement to draw money from
the State Treasuary without warrant OF
law and for the benefit of polltcal
fayorites, by joining in the signing OF a
bond to protect the Treasurer In illegally
having out the money. When a state
official has participated in such an un-
blushing raid on the State funds the re-
onest for his resignation Is the mlldest
treatment that can be accorded py
superior with any conception OF pubic
integrity. Governor Hastings has
shown the same true appreciation OF
public duty in causing this retirement
that he did in vetoing the original steal
IT is taken as matter of course that
the resignation of Deputy Attorney
General Elkin will follow. If the Re
publican organization of the State IS
willing to bear the reputation of indors-
ing the raiding of the Treasury to pay
sinecure salary to politicians without
the slightest color of law it will not be
material whether NJ Elkin retains his
position as Chairman of the party organ
ization or not. 1t is to be regretted
that similar power to call for the resig
nations of such officers as the State
Treasurer and Auditor General, who
participated in the illegal use OF public
funds. does not also lie with the Cover
nor. But as there is little hope OF that
complete discipline the necessity OF more
fundamental work to divorce the State
Treasury from the plunder OF politics Is
apparent,
The Phila Press says;
Gen Reeder, upon the request OF the
Governor has resigned the office or
Secretary of the Commonwealth. Gen.
Reeder made the grievous mistake OF
putting his name on the bond. He was
not the only signer, but it was his spe-
cial misfortune in. that capacity, like
that of Deputy Attorney General Elkin'
that they were in the position of conf
Dental advisers of the Governor: they
were members of his Official family;
their signatures implied a pledge of in
fuence to induce his approval of the
padded pay roll appropriation; and in
committing themselves to such step,
whether thoughtlessly or not, whether
under political constraint or not. thH''
failed OF CO rfov ur1t. rrvre--~nse OF tnelr
just relations to their chief.
Gen. Hastings named Col. James IL.
Lambert, Insurance Commissioner for
the place, but Col Lamburt declined
and his declination was surprise as it is
worth about $4,000 year-the best
paying Office in the state government.
On Monday the place was offered to
David Martin, of Philadelphia, and ac-
cepted by him, and Mr. Martin is now
Secretary of the Commonwealth, and
by virtue of his Office member of the
Board of Pardons.
Attorney General Mccormick asked for
the resignation of Deputy Atty Gen.
Elkin, and named WILDER F. Reeder of
Bellefonte as his successor. The cor
spondence that passed between them
appears in another place.
On Tuesday Gov. Hastings named
VIM. w. Porter, of Philadelphia, to
succeed Judge Willard, who resigned,
in the Superior Bench.
At the meeting of the Capitol Comis-
sion, Thursday all the plans for a new
capitol were rejected, the resolution
providing that all the plans be sent back
to the competing architects
The resolution further provides that
''in order to procure satisfactory
design with the least possible further
delay, the secretary is hereby author
lied to notify all architects who have
previously submitted designs, that the
commissioners will, at the Executive de-
partment, Harrisburg, Pa, on the Goth
day of September, 1897, at noon, receive
such designs for the building mentioned
in aforesaid program as they or any of
them may then desire to submit. "
The vote in the resolution stood A to 1,
Gen. Hastings voting in the negative,
and when the vote was announced he
left the room.
The commission is composed Of five
members, four Quayites and Governor
Hastings. For apparently no other reason
than to get even" With the governor
for the very proper dismissal of Secre-
tary Reeder the commission upset all
the arrangements so far made, and so
far as it is in its power violated the
plighted faith of the State and subject
ed it to claims for damages. The com
mission invited plans for capitol build
ing within the limit of $500, 600 appro-
priated by the Legislature. Thirty
plans were submitted and referred to a
board of experts designated by the CON-
mission. Two plans were thrown ont
by the board as in violation of the pro-
posals, and it then considered the % re-
naming, spending 10 days in their ex-
amation. The board, as Governor Hast
ings says, included three of the most
distinguished architects of the country.
1t was selected to deal with technical
matters of which the five members of
the board, being politicians and office
holders, had no adequate knowledge.
This it must De admitted, was proper
proceeding and precisely what any
citizen contemplating an expenditure of
half a million of dollars on building
would have adopted. But III fit of