Juniata sentinel. [volume] (Mifflintown, Pa.) 1846-1873, 1872-03-20
Letter from Harrisburg.



shaking this land from centre to circum
ference and the end seemed obscured in
doubt and uncertainty. aud thousands Of
our citizens had gathered together on the
famous field of Gettysburg. to dedicate a
monument to the memory of the brave
heroes who fell in that bloody battle
Among other things said go wisely aud
60 well on that occasion by the "Lament-
ed Lincoln" nothing he then uttered went
to the hearts Of the American people and
received 60 hearty and go earnest appro-
baton as did these words that "ihis was
a government of the people and for the
people and yet sound as the precert
seems to be. it is no less strange that our
Legislators clothed with little brief au-
thority received from the people. some
times act contrary to the very spirit con
tanned in this principle, and tramp!e ruth
lessly upon the rights Of these whose
designated servants they are. The -
p,incipled greed of cooperative power
has at last aroused the just Indignation
of the people. and ri.ing in the oil re
gions, and lumber regions. regardless of
party and all other considerations, are
but the low mutterings Of the coming
storm that will gather force as the years
pass BY and ere long iud expression in
such unmistable language that the poll
tician and the office holder will clea,ly
understand that all the power is vested
in the people and that they. the people
are Jealous of their rights Ina former
letter l referred to the great excitement
prevailing throughout the oil regions
against the South improvement Com
pany, corporation that had succeeded
in effecting a combination with other
cooperative interests in that section of
the State, that completely controlled the
shipment Of oil. and entirely monopel:z
ing the trade and traffic of that valuable
mineral wealth, making the producers Of
it pay into the treasury of this corpora.
tion such exhorbitant taxes that it be-
came unbearable and a huge imposition
upon their rights No longer willing to
stand it they rose up in their might and
in large mass meetings held all through
that section Of country in strong terms
denounced the action of the last Legisla-
ture that had granted to few men privi |
leges to oe1tort from the many, and gather
immense tolls from the industry and lie.
gitimate business interest of q whole
The result of these meet
inss was, delegation Of oil men were
sent here last week to represent to the
Legislature their grievances and ask
from that body relief from the grasping
that had fastened itself upo.i
them, and liks vampire was drinking
the very life blood from them. The ad
of the people out there had
been so strong, that their influence was
plainly felt here. aud the Legislature
dare not pass them by unh.ed-d A
bill was introduced, passed both branches
and was signed by The Executive in less
than tweniy-four hours after the arrival
of the delegation. There was not
single vote against it in either House, it
is called the Free Pipe bill. and gives
them the right to establish competing
lines Of transportation. Thus did the
people prove their great power. and con
luer in their 6rst battle against corpora
tive power.
In last week letter I also alluded to
4 contest going on here against the Sus-
Iuehanna Boom till, located at Williams.
port. When the company was first char
tered, it was limited to charge of so
cents boomase per thousand feet. but by
slipping supplements through tie Legis-
ature at different times since, they have
raised it until now they charge
SIS boomage. The lumber men com
plain of this as an unjust aud unwarau-
able tax, Every man who owns saw
mill or swings an axe in the forest of the
lumber regions. is interested in this ques-
ion, and every consumer of lumber. and
very man that builds house in this
ind adjoining counties, are also interest
ID, for they help toray the enormous
Ak. A bill was passed in the Senate ,
az: week reducing the boomage to 90
;ents. and disposition was shown to .
Kill it in the House; but the lumbermen ,
ire in earnest. and there will be dele ,
,ation of near one hundred here this
week. to impress upon the members of
he House the great necessity of passing
he bill The par value of the shares in +,
he boom company. is sl0O. it cannot |
'e bought for $1,000 per share The
'oom cost originally sl60 600. They
'oom annually 200. .O0o 900 feet of lum- .
yer, which at SIPS per thousand feet, I
makes it very valuable stock, to the
cry few persons who own it.
On Wednesday Of last week the Gov ,
rnor astonished the Legislature. and
else around here. by sending !
nto the Senate message appointing e. {,
}. Brigham. editor of the Pittsburg ,
Auditor General. and ask Z
ng that the appointment be confirmed. a
he message was referred to the judiciary e
Committee. where it has lain ever eince i