Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-01-11
THREE GOVERNORS
TOPPING SIX FEET
Survivors Among the Tall Timber
Selected by Pennsylvania
Sagacious Political Leaders

r. THE runor that President John kinley
Tener lis going to quit the National
League should prove to be well founded,
| 1t may soon he possible for us to pull off II
parade upon Chestnut street which, il has
often occurred to us, would he interesting
to review.
|. Long John Tener, breaking away from his
present desk in New York might come over
here To look for another. and then we would
have in easy reach for quick mobilization
three eN-Goyernors of Pennsylvania, all more
than six feet tall ana good TO look upon.
If the line Of march were to form. say al
the southeast corner of Broad and Chestnut
streets 10 proceed down Chestnut TO sixth
we would concede the left of the line 10
John kinley Tener the center To william
Alexis stone and the right to Edwin Sydney
Stuart.
Governor Tener's right TO the left is based
upon his superiiuity of inches. since the tall
est marcher is always placed on the gutter
side because folks have held "a curious belief
that the maintenance of the horizontality of
the skyline is thus most properly preserved
The right Of the line is generally consid-
cred the pace OF honor, and we may be par
dohed for concedng this to our own Ned
| stuart because of an interesting fact which
| we have just dug UP. He is the only native
Phiadelphan TO occupy the Governors chair.
| in Harrisburg since 1899. when that seat of
the mighty was vacated by Thomas Mlflin
after nine years tenure of office. Pattison.
| phiaI, but he was born in Petersburg Va.
Pennypacker. of course. was Phoenixvihan n
ana Biuinbaugh is claimed by Huntington.
Stuart Native Philadelphian
SO. II only because he's a native son. Ned
| stuart gets the right of line in our little
| parade. Besides, he's done more marching,
man and boy, i'll this particular reighborhood
than any other Governor the old State ever
| had. Passing over the inconspicuous days
when. as little lad, lie trotJed off TO worl,
with his lunchboN in his hand. there was a
| time wher residents along South Broad street
set their clocks by him. When he was Mayor
| he was in the habit of leaving his home at
Broad and Tasker at . o'clock sharp each
morning to walk TO the City Hall.
There was sweet-faced old gentlewoman
who kept a little shop on the east side of
Broad street near Bainbridge ard who long
kept a kindly and later proud and reverent
eye upon the rising Stuart. She has con-
fessed that a regular rite in the order of her
day came 10 be her watching for him to pass
although she didn't know he was the Mavor
or the town. She bowed to him from her
doorway and received in return his dignitied
salute One day he came at the head of a
procession escorting the Liberty Bell upon
one of It's many journeys, and she knew him
then for the Mayor But her cup of joy over
flowed when, some years later he rode a ,
the head of the Pennsylvania rroops in tho
Military Day parade during Founders Week
and seeing her in her doorway refined in his
horse, wheeled around TO face her, and made
her a sweeping bow
Pennsylvania's Governors have aIvavs
looked well upor. horseback and some for
height, have seemed 10 menace the trolIsv
wires stretched just above the crowns of their
silk hats across the line of march. There, is
feeling that the State political leaders
made 1t a point TO pick for gubernatorinI
| campaigning only. tall timber
Stone Selected by the Builders
Now, William Alexis Stone, who occupi.s
the center in this little parade - ours, stand.
| six feet four and quarter inches IN b,s
| stockinged feet (Stuart is a paltry six feet
| two) and there is story, we'll Authenticated
| that when this big Tioga Countian was an
nounced as the Republican standard bearer
| the friend of some defeated aspirant for tha
honor protested to Matthew Stanley oua,.
| that some other was better qualified for The
| place. The sagaclous leader trained his
| swivel eye upon, the kicker and said, "Apar rt
| from any number Of other qualifications 1 see
| in this man. ] would merely remark thar
| when he goes upon the stump he'll look SO
| fine and big and honest that the farmers on
| Pennsylvania will fall all over themselves 10
vote for him." Which proved to be true.
| And once when Governor Stone took n
| vacation and ran away from Harrisburg 10
Join fishing party on the Cheat River, an
4 West Virginla--so q member of that pa rtv
ba raoIofa~t H -