Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1901-11-08

gubernatoriai campaign do not
over-state the case when | say that
the state senate was never presided
over by one who SO Thoroughly en-
ioyed the confidence and respect Of
that body as did Lieutenant Governor
Watres, whose hrmness. courtesy and
fairness are still remembered here
and frequently referred to in fattei
ing terms.
A Wise Constitutional Provision.
One OF the wisest provisions Of our
state constitution. is that which re-
stricts the governor of Pennsylvania
TO a single term. II declares that:
THE governor shall hold his office
during four years, from the third
Tuesday of January next ensuing his
election, and shall not be eligible for
the next succeeding term" find Re
publicans here who are of the opinion
that this provision might well have
been extended to some members of
the governors cabinet. The argu-
ment is that by securing the election
of a member of his cabinet as his sue
cessor, a governor, who might be so
minded, could virtually continue his
policy for four years beyond his own
term. The possibility of abuse grow
ing out of such''& condition would lie
in the use Of the administration ma
chinery to promote the candidacy Of
some member of the governors "of
fetal family" who might be persona
grata with the chief executive of the
state. II is scarcely necessary to
argue that such use of the great influ
ence of an administration would not
be a whit more desirable than If it
were used for the purpose of renomi
mating the governor himself, since its
tendency would be in direct antagon-
Ism to the spirit even If it did not vio-
late the letter of the organic law. It
would also be repugnant to the love
of fairness inherent in the mass Of
the people who would naturally re-
sent every such scheme, however
subtle, as an attempt to create an Of
fice-holding iunta. The constitution
bars succession on the part of the
governor and a transfer of the office
through his efforts to his attorney
general, or his private secretary
would be even less desirable. With
most members of the Republican par
ty of Pennsylvania "a fair field and
no favor" is the correct principle
Any man who aspires ought to be able
to do so on equal terms with any
other man in the party, and without
having to run the gauntlet of opposi-
tion from the state administration. I
refer to this particularly. because
since I came to Harrisburg | have
heard it stated. no less than a dozen
times, that the present attorney gen.
eral is the 'residuary legatee" of the
executive for the governship This is
something new even for the practical
politics of Pennsylvania. don't be-
lieve that General Hartranft, who
was a good Republican. used his sec
ond term to forward the gubernatorial
ambitions of any member of his cabi-
net. | do not think such thing was
thought of under Governor Hoyt, or
Governor Hastings, or any other gov
ernor in the memory of the present
generation until now. So far as
can ascertain, It is not looked upon
with favor in the present instance;
because. If successful, It will establish
the sinister precedent of having the
chief magistrate of the common
wealth using his office to elect a sue
cessor from among his official family
and, so, circumscrlbing the opportuni-
ties of those who are not so fortunate
as to receive appointments to his
cabinet.
II this undesirable thing can be ac-
complished now, why not four years
hence; and If then, why not four
years later and so on ad infinitum
This is why I agree with those who
think 1t would be a good thing II the
constitutional provision which pre-
vents the governor from succeeding
himself. were extended to the mem
bers of his cabinet.
The Good Of the State.
The men who framed our present
constitution we're about the most in
telligent and earnest that could pos
sibly have been chosen for that great
duty They were straightforward
men, holding rugged views of right
and wrong, and determined upon
safeguarding the rights of the people
as well as 1t was possible to do so in
the state charter They felt 1t was
not for the good of the com.