Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-13
RAzzINo THE GOVERNORS
Few Have Escaped In a Quarter Of a
century-The Night stone Was In.
auaurated--The climax OF Years
Of Political Semi -Barbarism
BY GEORGE NOx MCCAIN

Commonwealth faces n shortage of millions
for its appropriations; that, practically,
the State is bankrupt.
The situation Is credited to the demands
Of Governor Sproul upon the last Legisla.
ture for increased provision for the States
needs.
The episode is one which is recurrent in
the. experience Of nearly all those who hold
high place.
Nearly every Governor in the last twenty
five years hns been compelled to face similar
charges. If not that. then some other con
dition affecting his direction or control Of
the States fiscal affairs.
Governor Daniel ii. Hastings was con
demned and ridiculed for what was termed
his cheeseparing methods in connection with
the work on the new Capitol.
Governor Samuel w. Pennypncker was
roundly censured for failure to halt the ex-
travnganccs that crept into the construction
Of that same monumental edifce.
For twenty years the fact has been lost
sight of that Governor William A. stones
impeachment was demanded for slicing
81 600 from the school fund.
THE charge against Governor Stone in
l. volved other questions than those con.
cernng appropriations.
Like almost everything else In political
life, though, 1t was a nine days woLder.
The demand was blazoned in display heads
in every Democratic newspaper in the state.
Tho movement originated in Governor
Hastings nntivc county. Stone succeeded
Hastings in the gubernatorial chair.
The allegations found expression in set
of resolutions They were buried in the
same box.
No end of Republican Insurgents" as
they were called would have been delighted
to see the resolutions eliminate in a court
of impeachment.
Alexander p. Moore, then a Pittsburgh
newspaper correspondent coined the title
"fnsurgent' as applied to Senator Quay's
opponents in the party prior to 1900.
TNIIE Democratic Committee of Center
L County started the incipient conhagra.
ton during its session at Bellefonte on June
3. 1000.
Senator =. Grey Meek. militant Demo
crat and editor Of the Bellefontc Waterman,
was credited with loading the gun.
Understood. soft spoken. with iron gray
hair and rather anemic features Senator
Meek earned the sobriquet bestowed on him
by the brilliant George II. Wclshons of
"Palc Grey Meek
In demanding Governor Stones impcaCh-
mCnt the convention elaborated its charges
against him in detail. There were three
specific charges:
"Willful and fragrant violation of the
fundamental law by his veto of the resolu-
tiOn for an amendment to the Constitution
providing for honest registration and a fair
count of the vote.
"Appointng NJ. S. Quay to a seat in the
United States Senate by certificate in viola
ton of the Constitution as repeatedly de-
cIarcd by the United States Senate.
''Guilty Of the violation of the Constitu
tion in that he has by veto cut down the
appropriation to the school fund 81 .000,-
600" And then this followed
"RCSOlvcd, That we demand the impeach
mrnt Of Governor William a. Stone by the
Ia ppisnturp nrONiIpl for in Act VI
Section 3 of the Constitution of this Com
monwcalth.
Though nothing ever came of it but talk.
it is n spotlight on the fact that the ways
of those eminent in official life arc neither
primrose paths nor highways celebrated for
the character of their cakes and ale.
M s. QUAY. William A. Stone. John p.
1Y1. Elkin. Israel W. Durham. William II.
''Rull' Andrews, Frank RCpder and David
Martin are only handful of the many
Leaders who have passed away since the
mschicvous times of a score of years ago.
They were participants in the mighty
struggle that ended for the time being, in
Stones appointment of Quay to the Senate.
William Finn. John Wanamaker. Walter
Lyon. Colonel James ~ Guff"y. James Gay
Gordon and f. y. Van Nalkcnburg are
among the rapidly thinning ranks of the
survivors.
1t is indisputably n fact that the decade
closing the last century witnessed period
Of factional battles uncqualcd before or since
in the history of Pennsylvania politics.
THE day and night preceding Governor
l. stones Inauguration is one Of the high
spots that will be illuminated by the future
political historian of Pennsylvania.
With one exception it was the greatest
night politically. that Harrisburg ever saw.
A drizzling rain fell which added to the
discomfort but which did not dampcn the
enthusiasm of the bowling cohorts of the
Quay faction.
1t was at once a sloppy. serious. intense
discordant. hilarious, hopeful, sacrilegious
blarng occasion.
1t embraced everything conceivable in the
scope of gang politics
Hotel bars never did such business
There were moro rcd ncrktieS and red
liquor in evidence than on any similar oc-
casion before or since.
David Martins marching club displayed
the red ncckties. Everybody but the cen
trail and controlling figures and newspaper
correspondents displayed the red iquor-or
it's effects.
CENATOR QUAY that nigh, executed one
- Of his characteristic and dramatic moves.
He was the central figure Of the OCCa sion
the vortex around which. in roncrntric cir
clcs, the maclstrOm Of events whirlcd
Notwithstanding the dripping streets.
everything had been arranged for his tri-
umphant and colo fu entrance into town.
Bands were ready and waiting to unc0rk
their bottled blGr"s the instant the train
hearing "Our Peerless Leader" pokcd the
nose Of its locomotive COwCatchcr INTO the
Harrisburg train shed.
Marchrrs were waiting to march and
huidic enthusiasts were ready to Slop over.
Bat the bridegroom tarri"d. That is, the
crowd thought he did.
Up in "A third-tl floor room in the Iorhiel
Hotel there was a little group that talked
in low toncs--nnd awaited Developments.
InannoumCcd, Quay opened the door and
walked in. lie had lodged the crowds, the
bands and the blathcrskitrs.
1t was mn hour before the proetariat,
soaked inside and out, discovered how they
had been fooled
Instantly Quay was acclaimed a strategist.
THAT night and the next day witnessed
L one of the greatest gatherings of big and
little politicians, near statesmen. CX -legis-
lators Judges. Federal officials and tipstcrs
n Inrr