Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-11-22
Gov. Stone, of Pennsylvania,
Gusts the Recorder of
Pittsburg.
APPOINTS A Finn HENCHMAN.
j. o. Brown, Whom the Recorder Re-
moved From Dictatorship Of Public
Safety, Appointed to the Recorder
ship-stone Gives Reasons.

Harrisburg, Nov. Ex-Governor
Stone last night removed Recorder
A. NJ. Brown, of Pittsburg, and ap-
pointed in his place ex-Director of
Public Safety j, O. Brown In long
statement addressed ito the people of
Pittsburg" the governor gives his rea-
sons for the change. He says he is
authorized by the second-c1ass city
charter bill to appoint a recorder and
is practically responsible for the good
government of the second-class city
of the state. He states he had no
purpose in signing the act to rip" out
of Office the existing officeholders
more than was necessary to put the
law into effect.
Contents of Stones Statement.
Following is the full text of Gov
ernor Stones statement:
ITO the People OF Pittsburg:
Il have removed Major Brown and
appointed j. o. Brown recorder of
Pittsburg for the following reasons:
The purpose OF the new charter for
cities of the second class was to take
the power of appointment out of eoun-
ellis and vest it in recorder, TO be
elected by the people. Necessarily
there would be an interval between
the time the law went into effect and
the first election of a recorder. Dur
ing this time the governor is author
lzed TO appoint recorder, and prac-
tlcally becomes responsible for the
good government of cities of the sec
ond class. The ripper feature of the
bill was Objectionable, but. in my
Judgment, the provisions of the law
yestIng full power in recorder to be
elected by the people far outweighed
the Objectionable feature.
Didn't Intend So Much Ripping.
i had no purpose in signing the
Dill to rip out of office the existing of,
hceholders more than was necessary
10 put the law in force. | had no in
tehuon OF building up new political
organizations in seeond-class cities or
Oh oVerthrowing existing ones. My
construction OF the law was that It
should be used to bridge over the in.
tefVaf until the people could exercise
thelr rights through the election of a
recorder. That this provisional gov
efHheht should not assume the rights
ana privileges of an elective one.
Major Brown was not elected re-
cofaer. lie was under no noliticaI
ophgalons to any party or faction.
lie represented, through his appoint.
ment ny the executive, the majesty of
the law, and he should have been con
teat with the simple enforcement OF
the law.
No Such Ripping In Other Cities.
In Scranton aud Allegheny this
policy has been adhered to, and there
have been hardly any removals ex-
cept the mayors. | appointed Major
Brown because | believed he would
carry out this policy. His profes.
sional life. his age and good citizen
ship, all persuaded me that he would
administer his Office with judicial fais.
ness and impartiality, entirely unin-
duenced by political ambition for him.
sell and Tor others. Had | desired the
policy which now guides him to pre-.
vail would have made different ap-
pointment. But because | believed il
TO De my duty to hold matters steady
IN place until the people could speak
at the polls, | appointed him At our
Interview in Pittsburg, after his ap-
pointment, he was fully in accord
with this policy, but afterwards he be-
came ambitious to build up a political
organization in Pittsburg, and re-
moved and permitted his subordinates
to remove from Office for no cause
except that they were supposed to be
ayerse to this new political organiza-
ton.
New Charter Repeatedly Violated.
The new charter has been repeat
edly violated by the removal of men
from Office for political reasons. The
removals have been against my pro-
test He has also permitted the re
moval of a number of old soldiers for
political reasons against my earnest
request for their retention. The new
charter prohibits the removal from
Office for political reasons and makes
the officeholder independent in poi-
tics. II relieves him from political
tenure to his sponsors and guarantees
him protection by trial on charges
preferred. How can we expect these
provisions OF the law to be enforced
by an elective recorder if we remain
silent and permit the violation of the
lpirit and letter Of the law by re-
lorder appointed by the executive to
let the pace in the faithful execution
nj the law?
Employees Shouldn't Be Made Uneasy.
The three thousand or more Office
holders in Pittsburg should be given
plainly to understand that the best
tenure of Office is the faithful and eff
Gent discharge of public dug. The
fear OF losing Office through failure to
produce political results in their pre-
cincts should be removed 1t is the
intention, frequently expressed in the
newspapers supporting his administra-
ton, that large number of fkrther
removals will soon be made. In or
der TO prevent this there is nothing
for me to do but to remove the pres
ent recorder and appoint man who
viii not remove capable and efficient
men for political reasons | do this
without regard to political results
All this talk about my securing prom
isesF th&a I shall succeed Senator Quay
h absolutely false, | have no agree
ment Apr arrankem emit with any person
to support me for United States sena-
tor. trust that those who know me