The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-10-30
Facts Concerning
Pdtfison's uefoes

|
MI the voters of Pennsylvania to
w some OF the bills which Governor
Pattison vetoed when he was In
once the last time, and which were
| enacted Into laws IN Hastings and
stones administrations. There is no de-
mand for the repeal OF any of them
Pattison would not dare to go on the
stump and In the face Of the people JUS
try the vetoes by advocating q repeal
The vetoes in questions were mistakes
that no man at the head OF great
state like Pennsylvania should make.
foremost among these bills Is the COM
pulsory school attendance law. Pattison
vetoed two compulsory attendance acts
that of 1891 and that Of 1899. When Pat
| ttson wrote his first veto OF "a compul-
sorry attendance law, Connecticut, Mas
sachusetts. Maine, New Hampshire.
Michigan. Texas, Nevada. California,
New Jersey end New York had all made
the experiment, and in many other states
school superintendents had urged such a
law Hastings signed compulsory at
tendance act in lS95, measure intro
duced and championed by resident of
this city. and Democrats and Republi-
cans alike are glad that he did so. There
are few voters in Lackawanna county
who would, if they could. undo the great
good that this legislation has wrought
among the children of the common peo-
pie.
Pattison, in 1893. also disapproved of a
bill providing for the payment of the
expenses of school directors attending
the election OF county superintendents.
What q niggardly policy that was for the
governor Of Pennsylvania to pursue! The
benefits of physical culture in large
cities. too. were twice kept from the
children OF the schools by Pattison's veto
axe. In 1901, Governor Stone signed
physical culture bill for cities Of the first
aud SnrnpH claSS and all the cities NJ
fected by the act are heartily carrying
out fits provisions. Then, too. Smul's
Legislative Handbook was kept out Of
the public schools by Pattison. Two
years afterwards. under Hastings
Smulls Handbook was put into every
school. and now a vast fund of informa-
| tion concerning national, state and local
government Is accessible to the teachers
and the pupils. Smulls Handbook has
information for the teacher that is as
indispensable to him as it is to any other
person employed in a, public capacity.
Another illustration Of Pattisons ever
sion to progress, was his veto OF the act
providing for the protection OF the public
health. The doctors say that science, re-
inforced by wholesome laws regulating
the public health. has taken away much
Of their most profitable practice namely,
contagious diseases. But the people OF
PENNSYLVANIA owe nothing to Governor
Pattison for the lessening Of the ra-
wages OF these fatal diseases True TO
his ideas of government, he held that
such trifiing matters, from cholera TO
Group, should be left to the people of the
several municipalities and communities.
Hastings looked at the matter different
ly. He believed that the regulation of
the public health BY the state is good.
sound policy, and he was not afraid that
It would not meet with the approval OF
the people after 1t had been tried. lie
signed substantially the same act i'll 1885,
Who would dare assert now that reports
of contagious diseases made officially by
the doctors. placards on the houses. dis
infectants, isolation, speedy and private
burial, etc, should not be enforced by
the strong arm of the state? Probably
PattiSOn-nO one else.
The veto of the pure food act was one
more example OF Pattison's moss-backed
Democratic partisansh,p. He admitted
| that 1t was. on the whole good thing
| and In the interest of the public health
and sanitation. but because 1t was "a
! needless invasion of popular rights" and
! compelled brewers to make their beer
pure--with nothing but hops and barley
| in 1.-THE withheld his signature. Again,
| his Republican successor Hastings, had
! the progressveness which Pattison
| lacked. and signed a pure food law. Pat
| tison's fear that "the bill would work
| far more harm than good" has not been
realized He vetoed the soldiers burial
| bill on the poor ground that soldiers from
other states would come here to be
buried. Hastings approved the bill, and
| it operates well.
These are merely a few of the many
mistakes of Pattison in office. They
could be pardoned' II. as an offset. the
public could credit him with any great
and substantial achievements. But what
and where are they? They are not. This
fluent apostle of reform turned his poll
tics over to William =. lTarrity, who GER
! tainly is not entitled to any halo: and all
that there Is left to remind the public of
his professions in behalf of good govern
ment Is his voice. which is once more
| vocal with the old tune. and his prestige
| as the forerunner of Democratic national
triumph, which this year is likely to do
| him more harm than good