Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-09-04
MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 4.
SAMUEL W. PENNYPACKER


the death of former Governor
Samuel W. Pennypacker. Never
had a Commonwealth so ready or so
resourceful a champion. Love OF
Pennsylvania was the great passion of
a life that varied its activities from the
humble place of a soldier, asleep on
the stone steps of the Capitol of his
State on his way to the front. TO the
proud position of Governor of that
State. delivering his inaugural from
the front OF that same Capitol.
Samuel W. Pennypacker was never
too busy to take up cudgels in defense
of his much-maligned home State.
Sturdy and honest himself, and stu
dent of the history of Pennsylvania
from Its earliest days, he was at con-
slant and vigorous odds with all those
who for political or other reasons
made it their business TO go about
besmirching the fair name of the Com
monwealth and hbeling her people.
It was this personal integrity and
his faith in the virtues of all men that
led him into overlooking the transac-
tons whereby a few. who were after
ward severely punished for their
crimes, were enabled to perpetrate the
capitol scandal during his term as
Governor, an ordeal through which he
passed when the exposure came with
out the finger Of suspicion once having
been turned in his direction.
The former Governor was eccentric
as he was learned, but his eccentrici-
ties were of a kind that cost him no
friends. Indeed. those who knew him
best loved him best" and his loyalty to
those he loved was so intense that it
was almost a fault with him. Even
those who stood closest to him scarcely
knew how to anaiyze the peculiarities
and apparent contradictions of his
character. The author, as judge, of
many opinions that are regarded as
models of Jurisprudence, he at times
championed legislation which as a
judge he would unquestionably have
pronounced beyond the pale of consti-
tutionality. a thorough student Of
State history and a constant defender
of the law and it's proper administra-
tablishment and maintenance OF the
highest type of civilization. he did not
hesitate to use his utmost influence to
have passed a legislative measure that
had it been enforced would have
stified that freedom OF speech for
which Pennsylvanians have fought and
died since the earliest days and which
fe ~ "a fnr 1ov 80 l. &k
Of the Commonwealth and the nation.
Such were his faults. but so many
were his worthy accomplishments and
so high his reputation for sterling
patriotism and absolute honesty that
the defects will not be remembered.
His greatest work was historical and
he did more than most people real
lie to place Pennsylvania in her proper
position as the keystone of the Revo-
lutionary arch. Not only did he force
the part this State played in the es-
tablishment and the development of
the Union upon the attention Of the
nation at large, but he brought the
men and women of his own State to a
proper realization of its Importance
and to due appreciation of the worth
and character OF their own people. He
championed Pennsylvania when the
State was in desperate need of cham
pion. He never for a moment forgot
his pride in her past nor his faith in
her future.
Nor will II be forgotten that il was
during his term as Governor that the
State enacted its first good roads law
created it's force of State constabulary
and enacted long program of other
legislation of highly constructive
character.