The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-05
SCHOOLS, LACE CURTAINS AND
CUPIDS,

the newspapers of Pennsylvania are
giving Gov. Stone of that state good
many unpleasant quarters of an hour
these days. They are preaching some
disturbing political sermons, with lace cur
tains and marble cupids as the text Gov.
Stone is a connoisseur in laces and stat
uary it seems. He likes 10 live sur
rounded by the beautiful; but he wants
the taxpayers to pay for the surround
ings.
A few months ago, as will be recalled
by newspaper readers, Gov. Stone made
a horizontal reduction of $1,000 600 in the
state public school fund. He said the
financial condition of the commonwealth
demanded retrenchment and economy
wherever it was possible to practice those
virtues. So earnest was he in advocacy
of conserving the public funds that as
much as he regretted the necessity of do
Ing so, he conceived 1t to be his duty as
a statesman, he said, to pare the school
fund a round million dollars. He was
aware of the tact that IN some of the
Pennsylvania cities there were hundreds
of children clamoring for admttance to
the schools for whom room could not be
found; nevertheless, his sincere regard for
the taxpayers pocketboo1, and his CON
scientous duty, nerved him to the task
of taking off that million dollars from
the school fund.
A few weeks ago the Board of Commits
siOners of Public Grounds and Buildings
of Pennsylvania inserted IN some of the
Philadelphia papers an advertisement, in
detail, inviting proposals for certain re-
pairs and furnishings for the Governors
mansion at Harrisburg, The Governor is
ex-officio chairman of that board. The ex-
ecutive mansion at Harrisburg has for a
long time been known as one of the hand
soonest official residences in the country
But the board concluded that it
was not nearly fine enough to COM
port with the dignity of the occupant
1t therefore advertised for bids for GER
tain articles, naming maximum prices. In
the list the following were included: Deco
rated china dinner set, $500; deco
rated china breakfast set. 500.
sterling silver set $500; marble
statue for music room, 500; two oil
paintings, 9ouUi elevator, S0iouJs lace cur
tains, $75 per pair; decorated porcelain
bathroom, marble tub, and remodenng
certain windows, $500. There were also
a number of other items, of a kind to
so along with those mentioned. and the
total footed up more than $4,000.
With the publication OF the advertise
ment, the newspapers took up the $75
lace curtains, the $500 marble statue and
the $500 decorated porcelain bathroom
and began inquiring how it was that the
Governor, who could not find money for
the states public schools, could find pub
lie money with which to pay for luxuries
for himself. So vigorously did the press
rub it in" that an announcement has
been made that the board has suspended
its scheme for remodeling and embellish-
ing the Governors residence. But there
seems to be no way for the board and the
Governor who is member of the board,
to get around the assertion that 1t was
the board intention, presumably with the
knowledge and consent of the Governor
to spend thousands of dollars for unneces-
sary gee-gaws about the executive resi-
dence when it was alleged that there was
necessity for cutting down the appropria-
ton for the public schools.