Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/462

 appointment as state delegate to the prison congress to be held at Louisville, October 3-8, 1903.

I take the opportunity of congratulating you on your recent appointments of Messrs. Day and Hart as inspectors of Eastern Penitentiary. I feared a calamity there from the extremely ill-chosen appointments of your predecessor, but was not aware until the pending investigation what mischief had been accomplished in three years of bad government.

I think the men you have appointed may be depended on to hunt out the wretched business and correct it, though it cannot be done in a day. I am, my dear Governor, very truly yours,

Philadelphia, September 18, 1903.

To the Hon. S. W. Pennypacker,

Governor of Pennsylvania.

February 29th, 1904.

Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker,

Harrisburg, Pa.



I have been seriously perplexed about writing to you. I have, for a long time thought it my duty and yet have been so conscious of the little weight that you have given to my advice in the past, that I felt that I might be annoying rather than serving you, as I wished.

Had you only vetoed that miserable libel bill there would have been no occasion to write at all. I regret that the results of your signature have even surpassed my worst anticipations, which were none too good.

A lot of people, who have the ear of the public, have been led to believe that you are their personal enemy, and it is only natural that you should be the subject of their assaults.

On the other hand, I am one of those who know and believe in the rectitude of your purpose. I know you are an honest man, and I know whatever position you obtain you will perform your duties conscientiously, and I am, therefore, most anxious lest you may again do something permanently injurious to you. 442