Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-04
GOVERNOR BRUMBAUGH TELLS OF
EXPERIENCES AND ASPIRA TONS
Talks of His Administration. Past and Future. With Rep
reSentdtiDeS of The Outlook

In the current issue of The Out
look there is published n personal in
terview with Governor Brumbaugh by
Charles Phillips Cooper in which is
outlined the Governors aspirations
along certain lines and the manner
in which he became Chief Executive
of the State. The most interesting
parts of the interview follow:
In the executive chair at Harris
burg, Pennsylvania, sits a Governor
who. it is said, has not met Senator
Boies Penrose. the so-called political
leader of the State, since he was in
augurated, and this in a Common
wealth where, in the belief of the
country at large, practical politics has
its real abiding place.
This Governor. in the face of hide
bound conservatism, has put on--his
states statute books legislation whose
aVowed object is social betterment in
communities in which the living and
working conditions of the Industrial
element in the past have provoked
countrywide criticism.
met the Governor in his home
city of Philadelphia. where for many
years, up to the time he was inaugu-
rated In January last, lie was Super
lntendent of the Public Schools AS
1t grew dark he looked out over the
crowds of workers hurrying to their
MONIES and said, thoughtfully:
It's good old State and 1 love it.
L want to set it right
"A politician is a good sport he
said, with happy twinkle from under
those great shaggy eyebrows. He
knows when to heed the will of the
people. The leaders in the Legislature
heiped me to get my bills through. |
talked 1t over with them, and they are
sensible men and we agreed on
things
I had TO hold tight hand on the
purseStrings, however. | sent for the
leaders one day and told them that we
were planning to spend more money
than we would have. My hint was not
taken, however, and had to veto bills
carrying appropriations of $1,000. 900.
His First Office
was twenty-five wears old the
Governor said, when I was elected tc
my nrst office, Superintendent ot
schools of Huntingdon county of this
state When | took that office, / de.
terlnlned that / would always do the
uutN IN hand and not play the present
position for any future Office. Thai
mas always been my policy, the foun-
uauon OF all my work. | went from
one place to another in school work
ana lectured at church and schoo
conventions. In that way / built uI
an acquaintance all over this ~great
state but | never had political ca.
reer or political office in mind. NJ,
work was all in the line of education
ana before many years | knew most
OF the teachers of the State. What
came afterward to me was the nat.
ural result of the past
In 191 3 in this State we adopted 2
Statewide primary law, and | saw al
/ once that only man whose record
! would bear scrutiny could hope to wir
the nomination for Governor. Thai
was my opportunity. l was not
ashamed of my record. | saw thai
there was the chance for a schoo
man of wide acquaintance and l saw
also that no boss could control thai
nomination.
determined to go into the pri,
maries. Some school teacher friends
OF mine helped me in the preliminary
work. / had as a result of the work
OF these old friends who knew me-
I2,OOO names on my nominating peti-
uons. Then began the primary fight
L wrote Il little pamphlet of -four
pages which summed up my political
creed, and school friends of mine. all
volunteer workers. addressed them
and we sent them to every corner OF
the State. There were five other can
didates on the primary ticket. | won
by 256,OOO votes. That is how / got
the nomination for Governor
Child Labor Law
"Of all this mass of legislation of a
progressive sort perhaps Governor
Brumbaugh takes most pride in the
child labor law, for in it are expressed
Ideas new to this movement in aid OF
the child. Let him describe the eff
feet of the law:
If [ had not been a schoolmaster
and known school work, | would not
have had the nerve to propose some
of the things that are in the child
labor law as it was passed last winter
but | knew my ground. In this leg
islatlon the State of Pennsylvania has
taken great step in advance Briefly
the law provides that no child under
fourteen years of age shall go to
work. Between the ages of fourteen
and sixteen the child may work un-
der certain conditions-with the So
called working papers. The new fea-
ture of the law that appeals to me is
the fact that the child is required tc
continue his education while he is
working
Moreover, this education is at the
expense of the employer. The law linn
its the child between the ages oi
fourteen and sixteen to fifty-one
hours of work a week, and of these
ffty-one hours he must spend eight
hours in school. There was of old a
danger zone in the time between four.
teen and sixteen for children who haC
to go to work, With only n Snattar.