Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/393

 of 250,000 people. I was told that I received more plaudits than any other man who took part except the President. As we approached the reviewing stand I heard Roosevelt in his boisterous way, as he turned to the ladies behind him, shout:

“Here comes Governor Pennypacker!”

It was my method of meeting Smith of the Press and Van Valkenburg of the North American, who for years by editorial and cartoon had been telling the people of the country that the Governor of Pennsylvania was afraid to ride a horse. They were blown out of the water and there was little said of the subject thereafter. We dismounted from our horses at 5 P. M., having been in the saddle all day long. There is no need to tell what a physical strain such a proceeding imposes and it is no wonder that every inauguration day is accompanied with its toll of death. I concluded that it would be my last appearance on that stage. The Record reported: “But of all these governors, Pennypacker received the lion's share of attention,” and the Press said: “What is more, he rode remarkably well.”

We went to the inauguration ball and there met Mrs. Roosevelt, who told Mrs. Pennypacker that I had been very kind to her daughter Ethel. The Vice-President and Mrs. Fairbanks invited us to a reception and the Honorable Edward D. Morrell, Congressman from Pennsylvania, whose mother is the wife of John G. Johnson, gave a reception to Mrs. Pennypacker and me which was largely attended.

In my message to the legislature there had been pointed out the objections to the growing habit in that body of appointing commissions to do executive work as an encroachment upon the authority of another branch of the government In making provision for the Lewis and Clark Exposition in Oregon, the legislature again undertook to select the commission. The bill was vetoed upon that ground and the state was unrepresented in the celebration. Rh