Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-08-10
GOVERNOR STONE
IS SUSTAINED.
Complete Vindication by the
Courts of His VetOes of Con-
stitutiOnal Amendments.
An IMMENSE SAVING TO THE STATE.
An Heroic Executive Upheld Despite a
Campaign of Personal Abuse Backed by
Tammany Promoters of an Expensive
Voting Machine.


Voting Machine
Especial Correspondence
Harrisburg, Aug. S.-Governor Stone
has been sustained by the Dauphin
county court in his vetoes of the pro-
posed amendments to the constitution
passed by the last Legislature. This
gratifying outcome of long and bit
ter controversy should be hailed with
expressions of delight by the taxpayers
of Pennsylvania. The heroic action
OF the governor has saved the com
monwealth hundreds of thousands of
dollars. The resolutions providing for
the submission of two amendments
TO the constitution were rushed
through both branches of the legisla-
ture with scarcely and discussion. Pub
lie attention was not attracted to them
to any extent. The people had little
opportunity to fully appreciate their
far reaching effects. When Governor
Stone, in his careful review of the
work of the late turbulent session of
the legislature, calmly considered the
purport and sweeping character of
these resolutions he promptly vetoed
istration of voters, and the other was
disguised to allow the introduction of
voting machines in place of the pres
ent system of balloting. There was
no popular demand for either of these
innovations. The first resolution ema-
mated from a few of the professional
reform agitators in Philadelphia who
are constantly taking up some new
10 yIo
newspapers as leaders of advanced
ideas in state and municipal govern
ment. They are mostly lawyers with
limited practice and merchants who,
by figuring in these movements. obtain
cheap notoriety, which counts as so
much free advertising
a MACHINE SNAKE.
The proposition for the introduction
of the voting machines came from a
syndicate of Tammany politicians who
control the patents for the machines
which they had introduced in New
York. They got the resolution for the
proposed amendment to our constitu-
tlon passed simply as a business VEN
ture. They had professional lobby
ist here during the session of the leg
lslature. who engineered the scheme
to put the resolution through. This
Tammany politician was indignant
when he learned of the action of Gov
ernor Stone in blocking his game. He
SWore he would win out, despite the
action of the executive. He at once
lnaugurated movement TO discredit
the governor and to manufacture senti-
ment in favor of the proposed amend
ment The scheme was cleverIy work
ed up. The voting machine project
was kept in the background. Soon.
however. the professional reformers of
Philadelphia got to work, with the aid
OF the insurgent and Democratic news
papers, which are always ready to as
sail Pennsylvania's stalwart Republ-
can governor. They made il apnear
that great wrong had been done.
that the cause of reform had been
made TO suffer. They seemed TO be
interested only in the matter of per-
sonal registration of voters. But the
real 'nigger in the woodpile." the vot-
ing machine, which was to be benefit
ted by any success that might come
through their agitation. was never
mentioned in these newspapers. Sec
rotary of the Commonwealth Griest de-
elined their request to advertise the
proposed amendments regardless of the
vetoes of the governor
ELKIN WAS MAGNANIMOUS
Next they appealed to Attorney Cen
eral Elkin to allow the use of the name
of the commonwealth in mandamus
proceedings in the Dauphin county
court to compel the secretary of the
commonwealth to advertise as they de-
of ha ins
gents, that had been misrepresenting
Governor Stone and his cabinet from
the outset, at once began to predict
that Attorney General Elkin would de-
ny this request. They were greatly
disappointed however, when Mr., Ell
kin. in lengthy and able opinion ac-
ceded to their wishes, but at the same
time, in careful and mastery re-
view OF the case and the precedents,
pointed out that Governor Stone was
entirely justified in his action, that
resolutions OF similar character had
for years been submitted to both the
Republican and Democratic governors,
and that the right of the executive to
pass upon such measures had been
generally recognized. The profess
sional reform agitators were hardly
prepared for this magnanimous action
upon the part of the chief law officer of
the Stone administration who frankly
said that he was entirely satisfied that
the name of the commonwealth should
be used in hearing a judicial determi-
nation of the point at issue. The at
torney general evidently had no doubt
of the propriety and regularity of the
governors action, and did not hesitate
to say SO.