Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-12-20
Ar THE STA7E CAPITAL
Turning the Political searchlight
on the Situation.
rHE QUESTION o. THe HOUR

ne HiH'-IoH9resSrnen 20 LOOK
After Their Own interests.
Harrisburg. Pa. The state
administration Is IN the hands Of the
deputies this week. Governor stone Is
in Mexico; Attorney General Elkln is
In Florida, and affairs on THE Hit"
tire enjoying a brief season Of tran.
guilty. while those in immediate
charge hope that nothing OF a particu-
larly startling nature Will occur to oc.
casion the sending out Of "a hurry
CALI for the executive or the legal ad-
wiser of the commonwealth. Il Is re-
membered that the great railroad
strike OF 1877 occurred during the
absence Of Governor Hartranft on
vacation. Governor Hartranft had not
left the country. however and he re
spouded promptly 70 the emergency
call which summoned him to one Of
the gravest duties that could possibly
engage the attention Of the states
chief magistrate. Il is hoped that
nothing Of this sort may arise during
Governor Stones vacation to disturb
the rest which his friends say he needs
n0 AAu1M uAANA int NiONiulAEu EAlAAE-
ment occasioned by the passage Of the
ripper" act and its stormy applica-
tion in the city Of Pittsburg. Those
who are closest to the governor have
no hesitation in saying that the rip
per" gave him more annoyance and
insomnia than all the other duties Of
his office put together. First came
the proposition for the act which was
considered revolutionary in its bold
ness. 1t is said that the governor, ro-
bust and stalwart as he is in a way
was at first startled by the suggestion
Of such a law. It was utterly without
precedent and in violence OF all tradI
ton to abolish the -honored office
Of mayor. and substitute therefor an
executive officer with a title suggges.
hive of clerical duties, for such the
office Of recorder has been considered
from time immemorial. Then ensued
the ripping process in the three cities
Of the second class, Pittsburg, Allie
gheny and Scranton, and the appllca-
tion of the terms of the act with par
licular point in Pittsbufg. where
Major A. NJ. Brown was appointed to
overthrow the municipal power Of
State Senator Finn. Following this
came the discovery that Mr.. Finn was
so strongly entrenched in the city af-
fairs Of Pittsburg that It was impOssi.
BILE to smash his machine even by the
most drastic application Of the rip
per" law. Then followed the most
humiliating incident Of all, the surren.
der of the entire ripper outfit to Sena-
tor Finn, and the restoration of power
and prestige, with Increased strength,
of the man against whom the most un-
popular law ever framed in Pennsyl-
vania was aimed. SO it came to pass
hat an act for which the constitution
was strained was eventually turned to
The account OF theJman whom 1t was
Intended to crush, and today, through
the agency of the ripper law, State
Senator Finn is a bigger political
factor In Pittsburg than he has ever
been before. It naturally imposed a
great strain on Governor Stone to pass
through the successive stages of ex-
scutive strategy caused by the practi-
,al application Of the act, and 70 stand
ip against the numerous and scathing
lnimadversions accustomed thereby,
including the insinuations OF corrup-
ton which he dehed at the time Of
Major Browns removal, SO that a short
vacation from the cares 0f state be-
.ame, II not actually necessary. at
least very refreshing to his jaded
spirit.
NEXT YEARS CAMPAIGN.
During the absence of Governor
Stone In Mexico and Attorney General
Ellxin In Florida, gossip on "the Hill"
Is active with next years campaign,
and especially 80 with regard to the
candidates for governor. Those who
are really anxious for political sue
cess contend that the Nomination of
strictly machine candidate who has
been closely identified with the Ripper
scheme, the trolley, grab, and other
legislative intamies, will be disastrous.
II there was nothing at stake but the
governorahip alone. the party man
ayers might be willing to. take the
chances OF nominating some man who
would be on the defensive from the
day Of his nomination till election day;
/ but with so much else at issue this
would be a reckless and hazardous
course. Il Is well known that the
character Of the candidate for govern
on will affect the chances OF every
other candidate. II the gubernatoriai
nominee is some undesirable person
whose close connection with the ma
chine will cause him to be regarded
with aversion or Indifference by the
mass Of the voters. he will imperil not
only the governorship. but the legis-
lature, the congressman and the United
States senatorship In a particular
tense the candidate for United States
senator will suffer by an unpopular
nomination for governor.
The candidate for the United States
Benatorship cannot, as in the case Of
the gubernatorlal nominee. make his
canvass in the public arena and before
the people. He viii depend for his
success on the success OF the party
standard bearer. and every senatorial
and legislative district in the state
win be affected for good OF m by the
candidate for governor An illustra-
tlon Of this is seen In the result OF
last NoVember's election. when Demo-
cratic judges and other county officials
were elected 10 Republican districts on
Q. W. Lynch, Winchester, Ind.
writes 81 owe the life of my boy
to Foley's Honey and Tar. He ha,