The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-13
Pennsylvania neW$.

did with you
The governor then stated, General
Reeder says, his reasons for wishing
his resignation, which were, briefly.
that General Reeder had apparently
been drifting away from him and had
not exhibited the cordiality of former
days. that General Reeder had de-
clined TO express to newspaper men an
opinion of the merits of the contro-
versy between Governor Hastings and
Senator Quay at the time Senator Quay
gave out his celebrated interview. The
governor said:
"I am also told that you were the
author of the platform adopted by the
recent Republican state convention, in
which l and my administration re-
ceived slight notice, only in post
script. / am also told that in the Re-
publican convention of your own coun-
ty of Northampton, a resolution was
introduced endorsing my administra-
tion, and that you made motion,
which was carried to lay that resolu-
ton of endorsement upon the table.
Il am informed by four gentlemen
that you had told each of them that,
in the event of another political con-
test between Senator Quay and my
self, you would resign your office as
secretary of the commonwealth and
join your fortune with Senator Quay
in that contest
"The governor complained because
General Reeder did not give him zeal
Gus assistance in the work connected
with the capitol building commission.
REGARDING THE BOND.
"The governor said: L also felt that
l have the right to complain that you
should have been one of the signers
to a bond indemnifying the state treas
urer for disbursements made by him
to extra employees borne on the roll OF
the legislature, and which were not
authorized by law. Such bond, If 1t
| meant anything, meant to guarantee
my action upon an appropriation for
the pay of those employees. AS to some
of them, as you know, l had already
committed myself at the opening of the
| session, and consented to their en-
| ployment, and the men were employed
with my approval. AS to them, it was
| not necessary that anybody should
| guarantee that / would keep my prom
| Use. AS to the others, those to whose
| employment l had not given my APP
| proval, it was an undertaking to guar
| antee my official approval of the en-
| ployment of persons for wnom there
was no legal warrant, and l feel that
| no member of my cabinet had any
| right to take any such a position so
| inconsistent with the duties which he
| owes me as one of my official ad-
| visers
after the governor had finished,
without any interruption from me, l
said: Governor, / will endeavor to
take up your objections in the same
order in which you have stated them,
and offer an explanation to each one
in it's order: First, as to my failure to
speak through the newspapers with
| reference to the interview between
| yourself and the two senators, let me
| recall to you the facts. Your inter-
view with Senator Quay and Senator
| Penrose took place on the last Satur-
day in June. After that interview you
were kind enough to say to me some
very complimentary things about my
loyalty to you. In the afternoon you
went to Mount Gretna and / went to
| my home in Easton, not seeing you
| again until Monday noon. In the in
| terVal, in the Sunday morning news
| papers, there was published Senator
| Quay's announcement of his candidacy
for the United States senate, in the
course of which ne made reference to
his interview with you the preceding
Gay. on Monday you prepared your
| interview for the newspapers, by which
any issue arising between you as to
| the character of the interview was
| fully raised. After you had prepared
that statement for the press, you spoke
to me concerning your interview with
the senators, and requested of me that
| | should not make any statement as
to what had taken place to anybody,
not even to your attorney general,
Mr.. Mccormick. Tuesday morning in
the Philadelphia papers your state
ment appeared. That same morning
you went to the camp at Mount Gretna
and l accompanied you. On our re-
turn in the evening, / was asked by a
reporter If / would give him my ver-
sion of what occurred between you and
the two United States senators. Mind
full of your injunction of secrecy, l de-
olined to make any statement. Since
the conversation in which you request,
ed me not to divulge what had oc-
the subject has never been mentioned
between us, and ] have considered
from that day to this that my lips have
been sealed by your own request, an6
the only reason why / have not spoken
was because / thought I was obeying
your expressed request, and l submit
20 you that there was nothing in my
silence that was not in entire accord
with your own expressed wish
HAD FORGOTTEN IT.
"The governor here said: 4 believe
| 90 remember some such conversation
between us, but l had forgotten it,
II then resumed: AS to the Republi-
can platform, l wish to say that l was
not the author of that platform. BY
request, prepared a number of plankS
for the platform, some of which were
adopted without change, some of which
were changed in slight particulars, and
others of which We're modified out OF
all recognition. Some of the planks ap.
pearing in the platform were not pre-.
pared by me at all. Among the planks
which l prepared and submitted was
one which endorsed in the strongest
terms which ! could frame, your ad
ministration as governor of the com
monwealth. On Tuesday afternoon 9
conference OF number of gentlemen
was held. at which there was submit
ted the sheet of paper, together with
large mass Of material prepared hy
other gentlemen. When my plank en-
dorsng you was read, the criticism wa!
Immediately made that had made tht
plank endorsing you far stronger thar