Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-11
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By the Ex-Committeeman

political matters and to lend prac-
tical aid during the four years he is
the Chief Executive of Pennsylva-
mia were made last night by Gov
! ernor-elect William C. Sproul at a
banquet. rendered him by 500 men.
who do not want anything" Seated
in the ballroom of the Bellevue
Stratford were men who lead in the
various paths of city life. ALI paid
a glowing tribute to the honor guest
and collectively and individually they
pledged him their support in guiding
Pennsylvania through the period of
reconstruction.
Each of the speakers pointed to
the tremendous task which confronts
the GOvernor-elect. A letter was
read from Isaac H. Clothier and
among the kilograms read at the
banquet were those from Senator
Penrose and A. Mitchell Palmer.
Senator Sproul was wildly
| cheered when he arose to speak.
Among the diners were many grad
yates of Swarthmore, and they made
themselves heard at every oppor-
tunity. The honor guest began by
thanking the men before him for
the tribute they were there to pay,
and ,he then told of how he will be-
gin his term of office with q tre-
mendous responsibility and desire
to do the right thing.
Gentlemen" he said, "I have no
delusions at all about the difficulties
which face, because have seen a
great maay men go into office with
the best personal intentions and the
best desires to make good. But 1t is
difficult when you serve in q Conf
monwealth like this to please every
body.
81 have been connected with the
state government during the terms
of six Governors. 1 have seen them
in the heyday of their beginnings and
[ have seen them so out in sadness
in their last years. This job of be-
ing Governor of Pennsylvania is not
a honeymoon, and I not only need
your good wishes, but 1 also need
your prayers and your help"
The Governor-elect then related
hthe part played by the state in the
Indian wars, the Revolution, the
Civil War and the war just con-
| cluded. He told of the financial bur-
den sustained by the Commonwealth
and he declared that under the next
tax bill, Pennsylvania will pay
| probably $4,000 1000 into the
treasury of the United States. A few
good-humored groans greeted the
| last announcement and Senator
Sproul continued:
Don't groan, we have never yet
groaned over burden which the
government has imposed upon u.s.
Continuing his plea for support
during the next four years, the
speaker said
II want you all to help. I need
your help more to-day and L will
need it more in the next four years
than 1 ever did before in my life. l
want you to stand by and also want
you to take an interest in what is
going on in Pennsylvania.
''The finest minds of the state sped
to the support of the government in
| the time of crisis. They stood by the
country and they didn't question the
situation before them. Many of the
leaders of business and thought re-
ported to men who didn't know one
half as much about business as they
| did, but the men of PENNSYLVANIA
did not complain.
pennsylvania contributed real
men to the war, and if YOU are so
willing to give help in time of war,
for goodness sake do not lose inter
est, and l appeal to you to give aid
TO pennsylvania in time of peace and
reconstruction. Now is the time
when the nation and the state need
you. The same devotion, earnest
ness and patriotism which character
ized your every act during the war
is now required. l believe that the
Things that we have got to do are
equa! in importance to the things
that have gone before.
Men from various sections of the
state who have been here on business
at the State Capitol and observers
or things political in the Offices of
the state government are comment
ing upon the fact that when William
Z. Sproul becomes governor he will
nave chosen more of the heads of
departments than has any governor
in a generation. And by the same
| token there are more men of high
grade and wide experience in bus
mess in the list than has been the
case in years. Unusual circum-
stances of most favorable sort an
pear to surround the launching OF
the Sproul administration, quite as
much as the harmony which marked
the organization of both branches OF
the Legislature, was a refreshing
contrast to some recent occasions OF
similar importance in PENNSYLVANIA
! history. Ordinarily, governors have
| announced appointments on the eve
of inauguration, and they have been
confined, as a rule, to the attorney
general, secretary of the common
wealth and adjutant general Gov
ernor-elect Sproul has announced
his appointments considerably in ad-
vance, and each one has met popular
approval, while his cabinet bids fair
to be well on toward completion by
the time Inauguration day rolls
around. One of the happiest mat
ters in connection with the appoint.
ments is that practically all of them
are men recognized as we'll qualified
! 1t has not been necessary to look
up any of the records of the an.
pointees to see who they are. All
have been much in the public eve
Another feature which has been
commented upon is that a number
| of the appointees, like their chief
are men of experience in Legislative
matters.
1t is of passing Importance to note
that for the first time in quite a
while neither Philadelphia nor AL
legheny has the big places in the
state government. While it is true