The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-06
importance OF
The GoVernorship
From the io,k Gazette.

FrOm the ioik Gazette.
00NDER THE constitution of Pennsyl-
ii Vania the office of governor is one
Hi of vast Importance Powers are
w coniided To him which, If conscien-
tiouSly welded in unvarying ac-
cOrdance with consistent policy in the
the interest of the whole people, carefully
excluding special interests of any sort,
might accomplish enormous results in
four years. A bold and honest executive
could summon TO his back popular sup
port which would overbear all the corrupt
combinations of aggressive corporations,
rings oil political machines. On the other
hand, a mean-spirited and cowardly gov
ernor. playing small politics, yielding to
wrong doing here and covering before
threats there, becomes, although AN ,g-
noble, an extremely effectual instrument
in the hands of those who seek the public
injury instead of the public good. The
history of the Commonwealth affords
some shameful examples The confession
and exposure made by Governor Iloyt
Oh the eve OF his retirement must be long
remembered as most sad and impressive
lesson. If every retiring governor since
Hoyt had been equally candid the story
of broken pledges, of neglected public
duty, of paltry self-seeking ard of dis
honoring subn lssion to machine power
would in most cases be more shocking
| thar in his.
In view. therefore of the great power
of The Office for good or for evil, it was
10 have been expected that lust at this
| lime, when the Commonwealth is rocking
with scandals and decent citizens are
seeking relief as from pestilence public
| attention would be almost exclusively
| concentrated upon it, 1t is to he hoped
indeed that il will remain sufficiently con-
centrateG TO force the nomid tion by both
| political parties of clean and upright cam
| didates, each If whom il elected. can be
| relied upon to act the part OF an honast
| man, TO perform his public duty without
| REGARD to private or semi-private inter-
| esLs and TO hold himself responsible to
| the people of the commonwealth and
not TO any boss or Hssocia don of bosses.
| But while such a governor would be pow
| erful for good in any event, he would be
| comparatively helpless without a legis-
| lature IN sympathy with him lie could
| through the law department drag Offend
| ers, great and small, into the court. He
| could secure the forfeiture OF abused
| charters; he could veto bad bills, ard he
| could point out in his messages evils TO
| be abated and reforms to be accom-
plished and arouse the people to Just ac-
| ton in their own behalf If the first Leg
islature in the administration of such a
| governor should prove corrupt and re-
| creant like so many of its predecessors
| there would be every reasonable prcba-
bilty that the people, rallying to the sup
port of a deter mined executive, would
| make of the next one decent and relia-
BILE body which would execute their will
Ii would be little difference to which
political party a governor belonged
He would not be deserted by the people
II he were Il true man himself.
| But while the public are providing
| themselves with a trustworthy governor
| there Is no reason why they should neg
lect to provide themselves with a trust
| worthy legislature. Just little popular
attention to .his important matter will
produce marked change. If able, safe
and good men are solicited to go to the
legislature in nine cases out of ten they
will go, and the fact that they have sub
ordinated personal interests and inclina =
tions TO take the Office will add not a lit
tie to their moral strength when they get
there. The greatest regulations ever
made In the United States had their be-
ginnngs in the popular branches of
American legisla lures. There is really no
more inviting field OF public service There
was a time when the foremost statesmen
of the country sought place i'm the legis-
latures OF their states rather than in the
federal senate and house of representa-
tiVes,