Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-21
Elrf&ttt1g Jlr1
December 20.

entered the chamber of 1
House of representatives
when the requisite oaths WI
administered - Simon Snyd
the Governor, then address
both Houses of the Legislatu
In the above severely formal
ner the Harrisburg Chronicle
Monday, December 26, 1914,
Vie inauguration of the first 81
nor to take tie oath of offij
Harrisburg, then the new caplj
Pennsylvania. The ceremony
Cured on December 20. The O
OF Dauphin gives about the
space to the event and it doeI
sc EN- to have arouse Il anything
TIE public interest that there
a similar Gel emony here today.
edlIols of tcc four page wed
that comprised tie newspaper
of Harrisoul in those days,
they spelled Eia'lisburgh will
hnal h, do not appear to have
impressed with the significant
the inaugural, although the
founded by John Harris had oj
few years before realized the d
ton of its founder after a strj
with Philadelphia, Lancaster, M
cumberland, Carlisle, York and
er places. 1t won out becaud
lis geographical location, AMI
value as a center of transport
which has only commenced i
realized in our day.
The state government had bed
Gated here only year or so,|
IT happened that Governor SnI
the first Governor co be inauguI
in Harrisburg, had been elected
his third term early in the nj
There was not the interest
would be now if new governor
to take the oath and besides
sturdy Pennsylvania German
the exponent of those who dis
show and who believed in the
plicity then known as Jeffers3
and of which one of the make
Harrisburg, William Maclay,
been snch an advocate in theI
Senate of the United States.
new governor had taken a resid
on Market street the year bd
and coming from a neighbor Cd
had fitted into the life of the il
state capitol to q number of VI
people he was connected by
and marriage. The Dauphin
ty court house was the temp
capitol Of Pennsylvania as the
tract for the State House had
yet been let, and the prelimI
work in grading the knoll tn
now the official center of the
monwea t. had only started. 81
committee of legislators di (
have far to SO and perhaps
Of the residents of the city
friends and p".tiSans of Gov
Snyder accompanied him to
main court room of the first
house where the Represent4
are William Tilgham was
justice in that time and altf
the old time reporter does nc
cord the fact he probably adr
tered the oath, as it has BEEN
tomary for the chief judicial d
to perform that act for the
executive of the State. John
was speaker OF the Senate anS
cob Holgate speaker of the +
both having been elected we
so before the inaugurationH
Tod being chosen after a tw
! deadlock in which he was the
horse. He represented the Bed
Somerset district. General
Forster was then the Senator
Dauphin and Lebanon, while
Bucher, Peter Shindel and
Gudhart were the members q
lower house from the Dauphin
anon district.
| Governor Snyder had add1
the Legislature upon its Assem-
on December 6, so that his inau
address, the third he was
upon to make, was brief. 1t is
apparent from it's terms tha
Governor was addressing legis
and not the public and that Il
augura,ion, unlike the ceremo
today, was more for the lawn
than for the citizens, altl
double SIS the third honor of SO
uidr q man as Snyder filled
court house to the doors on
December morning raore thai
years ago. Ths war of 1S1;
nearing it's end, and there Is a
ular parallel between this ad
of q Governor of 1914 and I'll
the Governor of 1919 in that
the war problems were referr
Governor Snyder declares
unity throughout the United
would be the surest guide I'd
cessful warfare and the
pledge of an honorable and
peace" Throughout he appea
harmony in state and nation,
at one point The blood of
| brave troops has been shed in
vain are the 1aurels they hav|
and the praises they have re-
IL the public voice is rent in
by discord and the public arm
led by friction In the conc
part of his speech so fait
printed in full Governor
seems to have felt that he wa
orous because he says: IF l
urged this subject with more.
warmth or earncstness than yo
deem necessary, impute it I
deep conviction I have of the
full effects of evary measure
represents us to the enemy as
yided people,"
This first governor to be In
rated in Harrisburg, who hi
inaugural parade, and whose
ton into office caused so litt
pie, was remarkable cha
Almost all histories say h
sturdy and honest" He Is re
to as the first of the men of G
descent to be Governor. Sam
Pennypacker says of him in Pd
vania, the Keystone. with
Snyder, in 1903, began the
of the Pennsylvania Dutch
nors of the State" He was
nor three times in succession
the famous Thomas McKea
only defeated him by a few
and votes in 1905. Born in I
| 81