Page:The autobiography of a Pennsylvanian.djvu/473

 I never for a moment lost my faith that sometime during your term of office, the tide would be sure to turn. This was based merely on the simple faith that character, learning and devotion to duty cannot for long be mistaken for their opposites.

An amusing feature of the praise of which you are now the victim, is the naïve forgetfulness to call upon you for a repeal of the press “muzzler,” A more convincing testimony to the insincerity of the howlers could not well be.

Within these last few minutes Senator John M. Scott said to me: “Since Quay's death, your friend is the first politician in Pennsylvania.”

Amid unstinted laudation from opposite quarters there must be danger of getting giddy.

By the way, have you considered the great reform in England of the ancient abuse of money in elections (including nominations)? A conversation the other night with an English publicist brought the subject to my mind. Expenses there have been efficiently limited and regulated and above all, the thing works.

I rather think that action in that direction will be more potent than in the respects concerning which there is so much clamor, patent ballot honesty, patent registration honesty, and other mechanical factors of morality.
 * Very truly yours,

Samuel W. Pennypacker.

January 14th, 1906. Hon. Samuel W. Pennypacker,
 * Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,
 * Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.



I have your letter of January 12th and thank you sincerely for the cordial invitation to make the executive mansion my home at Harrisburg, if I should visit the city, in response to your request to have Senator Penrose and myself “come to Harrisburg and go over with me the proposed legislation at the special session, if it would be agreeable to you.”

I regret that I cannot accept your invitation, because the duties of my office are so exacting, numerous and important that I find it impossible, by giving from twelve to eighteen hours every day of the week to their consideration, to discharge them to my satisfaction. Rh