The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-09-23
MORE HOT POLITICS
Mccormick Replies to Elkin and
Talks of the Notorious Bond.
THAT CAPITOL BUILDING JOB.

Why Governor Hastings Washed His
Hands OF the Whole Thing and Left
the Room-One OF the BoIdest of
Schemes to Secure the job For u
Favored Contractor.
From Our Own Oorrespondent)
Harrisburg. SEPT. 2l.-politieal events
have followed each other with such
startling raIidity that 1t has been al
most impossible to keep track OF them.
The dismissal of General Reeder from
the cabinet of Governor Hastings. the
forced resignation of Hon. John =. Ell
kin as deputy attorney general. and
the subsequent arrest Of General Reed
or, Hon. Webster c. Weiss and Morris
Luckenbach. charged with an attempt
to blacken and defame John Wana-
makers name. have been the ruling
sensations of the past two weeks.
When Governor Hastings asked for
General Reeder's resignation he as
signed no cause for II. He naturally
supposed that no question would be
raised as To his right in this regard.
General Reedcr asked for an interview
which was granted by the governor.
Some days afterward General Feeder
came out in "a public statement IN the
newspapers, in which he endeavored
lie could not do SO, however, and there
4,
Elllin demanded to know why he should
be ousted from his position of deputy
attorney general.
MCCORMICK ANSWERS ELKIN.
In his reply to Mr.. Elkin Attorney
General Mccormick gave his reasons
very clearly and tells all about the
notorious bond. This talk with the at
torney general is given in full below.
as 1t sets at rest all questions that
might be raised concerning the legality
or the decency Of high state officials
going on bond for the purpose Of hav-
ing the state pay out money which was
not honestly earned. The interview u
as follows:
THE INTERVIEW WITH HASTINGS.
Il was present at the interviews held
by the governor with the representa-
tives OF the two houses. A memoran-
DUN in writing was made at the time
and Is now before me. Upon the rep
resentation of the necessity for certain
additional employees, the governor as
sented that, in the event OF the legis-
lature making an appropriation in the
general appropriation bill. he would
approve Of the appropriation for the
following clerks to senate committees:
Corporations, municipal affairs, rail.
roads. compare bills and agriculture,
making five in all.
when the committee Of the house
called upon him and the necessity was
made apparent that clerks were neces-
sary. for the committees on railroads.
corporations, municipal corporations,
city passenger railways and judiciary
local, he was satisfied with their rep.
resentations. made memorandum Of
the committees and expressed his will
lingness to approve compensation for
each to the amount of $500.
ut was explained to him that the
clerks to committees on agriculture.
compare bills. education, mines and
mining, insurance and two transcribers
would be paid out OF the contingent
fund at the same rate. He refused to
consent to approve the payment OF
clerk hire for several other committees
which were urged upon him. When the
general appropriation bill reached him
II was found that the amount appro-
priated for the payment of salaries to
officers and employees of the senate was
s5i,976 OF this sum SI,266 was disap-
proved. the following language appear
ing In the veto:
THE PADDED PAY ROLL.
81 have been furnished by the state
treasurer with a detailed statement
containing the names OF all those Of
icers and employees with their compen-
sation and mileage authorized by law,
and l find the amount to be $47,7l0, or
1926 less than the sum appropriated.
This difference represents the amount
appropriated for such officers and en-
ployes as are not authorized by law,
and to that extent this would be an
unlawful appropriation of the public
funds
I'm the amount approved was in
cluded all that the governor had as
sented to, and this is true both as to sem
ate and house employees. The appropria-
ton for incidental expenses, or con-
tingent fund. was to include. and did
include the clerks as above stated, and
also received executive approval.
"The appropriation for officers and
employees OF the house of representa-
tves was S75 4O4. The amount of this
item approved was $63.054, or $l2, $50 less
than the amount appropriated. The
amount of the pay rolls, therefore, for
officers and employees Of the senate not
authorized by law and not assented to
by the governor was 1896. and Of those
In the house sl2,S5O. making a total Of
sl9,6l6. In other words. the payment Of
all the employees of the legislature ac-
cording to the official list furnished the
governor by the officers of both houses
and the state treasurer, including those
to which he gave his assent at the
opening of tine session. was provided for
IN the part OF the appropriation ap-
proved, and, in addition thereto. $l9,616
was appropriated. for which the names
of no clerks appeared upon the official
nav rolls as furnished by the above Of