The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-11
Baby PIaY.

AS indicative Of line of action
which was to have been expected of
certain elements in the legislature but
which is an evasion of the issue raised
in Governor Hastings recent message,
the following from the Philadelphia
Inquirer is interesting:
Apparently the legislature is going TO
take the governor at his word and reduce
expenditures to existing revenues. THIS
means that there will not be dollar for
any of the many hospitals, colleges and
other charitable institutions which have
so long relied on the state bounty for all
in carrying on their important and neces-
sary work. 1t means that the state In
stitutions will suffer. that the criminals,
insane and unfortunate, instead OF having
that extra provision that has become so
necessary, will have to do with even less
than they now have. This is far from sat-
isfactory. The need of aid for these insti-
tutions was never greater than now. The
hard times of the. past four years have
greatly cut down private benefactions. be-
cause donors are not able to continue
their former gifts, no matter how much
they would like to do so. The response
bilty for this will rest with the governor.
The foregoing excerpt, It will be no.
ticed, assumes that the only place in
which retrenchment Is possible is in
the appropriations to charity and phil
anthropy. The chairman of the house
committee on appropriations, Mr.. Mar
shall, is quoted in an interview as say
ing virtually the same thing. The
governor evidently holds a different
opinion for in his recent communica-
tion to the legislature he says: Our
public schools must be sustained, our
penal institutions provided for, and
the unfortunate in mind and body,
whom we have always with us, must
receive our shelternig care. THERE
IS MONEY FOR ALL THESE IF
WISELY ADMINISTERED"
If the legislature now in session had
from the first made manifest an en-
deavor to limit its miscellaneous bills
calling for the appropriation of money
to the very least sums consistent with
effective government; If after the new
capitol fire, for example, it had in the
first instance shown a disposition to
study economy as we'll as architectural
display; If in it's rowing commissions,
investigating committees and election
contests, 1t had kept within the bounds
which would have restrained the ex-
pendtures of a private enterprise dur
ing a season of diminished revenues
then the assertion by it that the only
place where retrenchment is possible
is in the states gifts to philanthropy
would have obtained the credence Of
the public, and there would be some
ground for 1t to try to throw the re-
sponsibility for a threatened stoppage
of charitable appropriations upon the
governor. AS it is, with the public
in full possession of it's record regard
ing these matters, the threat to cut
off our eleemosynary institutions with
out shilling sounds puerile, and there
Is not a man in either branch of the
legislature who would dare to vote to
put it into execution.
We commend to the gentlemen in the
legislative department at Harrisburg
the remark of the Philadelphia Times
that "on any issue of economy that
may arise between the legislature and
the executive. the people of every par
tyand every faction will be overwbelm-
ingly on the side of the governor"
That journal crystallizes a pertinent
truth when it speaks of severe econ
omy" as indispensable at this time"
The governor has not recommended the
crippling of the state service; he has
simply called a halt on deliberate or
careless legislative extravaganza; and
the people on this issue are with him.