Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-04
Washington, Dec. 4.

washington, Dec. 4.
LNX-GOVERNOR WILLIAM A. STONE,
IL who succeeded Colonel Mcclure as pro.
thonotary of the Supreme Court, has a
quaint way OF expressing himself. 1t is even
doubtful whether the Sage Of Schwenks-
vile" had anything on the tall men,
Der from Pittsburgh in this regard. AL
though the idea is not gaining much head
way in Washington, Ex-Governor Stone
thinks the Constitution Of Pennsylvania
should be amended. Why? Because it is
"a patched shngled roof, and still leaks"
Ex-Governor Pennypacker couldn't have
done much better than that But that isn't
ALL The Ex-Governor doesn't take much
stock in political reformers. He prefers
the politician in politics to "the school
master, the doctor or the preacher" These
ex.Governors will have their little fling;
but perhaps they have seen enough to
warrant It. And no one will say that
either Stone or Pennypacker ever lacked
the virtue of frankness When the friends
Of the late Mayor Ashbridge were giving
him a farewell dinner at the Hotel Walton.
the retiring Governor Stone put in an ap-
pearance. The newspapers were making
merry with Governor Pennypacker at that
time. and his famous boot appeared in
every cartoon. There was a note Of SYM
pathy in the speeches, for Stone had suf.
fered and Ashbridge had his fair dose Of
criticism. Stone was called upon as one
who had "gone through the crucible," and
he was expected to crack the critics. This,
in effect was the way he did it. IT have
had my share, and while it was going on
didn't enjoy it, but now that it is on the
other fellow. it seems real funny" Some
good,natured philosophy in that.
INIII.LIAM A PATTON and the Pennsyl.
w vania Railroad! Tho names are al.
most synonymous. For nearly ffty-four
years they had been inseparable. Through
the administrations of George B. Roberts,
Frank Thomson, the great alexander ].
Cassatt, James McCrea and Samuel Rea,
and even before, it was always the same,
Patton and the Pennsylvania. They moved
along together no matter who was presi-
dent. Any one visiting the offices at Broad
street, during the last quarter of a century
at least, would have thought Patton indis.
pensable to the railroad and the railroad
running WIN "ltLpul Out at last
We learn that the faithful commuter from
Radnor is taking his well.earned retire.
ment and that the railroad is to go on
without him. 1t is the passing of a land
mark. And while the Pennsylvania has
had some remarkably able men-men who
worked behind the scenes, or whose busi-
ness it was to keep in touch with the pub.
lic-William j. Latta, George w. Boyd,
Max Riebenack, Frank Barksdale land
Latta. one of the shrewdest and most ef
fective of them all, is the only survivor of
those named(-it is doubtful II any Of them
ever welded such quiet and persistently
successful influence with all comers as
William A. Patton. He could meet hundreds
OF people in the course of a day and turn
them away with a smile. If he had 10
say mo" as a railroad man frequently
had to do. he did 1t in good temper and
without offending. Few men who heard
him say no ever felt the worse for It,
They departed with the feeling that Patton
had actually done them a favor.
AND the retirement of Patton reminds US
"A Of the iniquitous days of the railroad
pass 1t was in this connection that the
skillful assistant TO the president frequently
had TO say no" The requests were not
confined to any particular class. Politi.
clans, clergymen, shippers and travelling
men generally, all "conscientiously" op.
posed to the system were after the passes
so long as "the other fellow" got them. II
was bad system. smacking OF privilege
and provoking both favoritlsm and pre1u.
dice. While It existed the lives Of Con.
gressmen, like Bingham and Charley
oNeill and Harmer and Pig Iron" Kelley
and Sam Randall, were hardly worth the
living. With members Of the State Legis.
lature it was even worse. Patton lived