The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-03-11

A-Ao OoSe VI ou 1ueoi1peIeut Ley lSldJur0.
1t costs, in round numbers 100000 to
hold 4 regular session of the PENNSYLVANIA
Legislature. The salaries and mileage of
two hundred and fifty-one members, and
the salaries and mileage the officers of the
two Houses, cost $3.50, 900, and the items
OF postage, printing the Legislative Record,
and other incidental expenses, will cost the
remaining Sl50,000. We are therefore
safe in treating the cost of regular session
at half q million of dollars
| For this large sum the State deserves to
| receive a proper attention to its interests
and necessities from those to whom or for
whom 1t lncurs so great an expense. The
members of both Houses certainly owe to
the State whose interests have been confided
to their hands, that attention to the various
projects of legislation proposed which their
importance demands.
Yet what do We see? The Legislature
has now been mont. in session, and what
has it done? 1t has passed two laws, one
a general bill, and the other 4 local one. for
Philadeldhia, and it has passed a Joint
resolution to adjourn finally on the 18th
Of March. Beyond that, the joint action
Of both Houses amounts literally to notAing
The Republican Senate meets regularly,
disposes daily Of the business before it, at
tends promptly and properly to whatever
is submitted to Its consideration, and is
fully up with It's work and it's duties. It's
members seem to be conscious of their
responsibilities, and consciention in the
discharge of them. But what Of the
Democratic House of Representatives?
That body was captured at the election
of 1874, upon pledges and promises of
Reform, that were made so profusely as
| to deceive the people into trusting those
who made them. It met III Harrisburg
under general expectation that the huge
promises OF Reform" made by the majority
of its members. before their election would
be redeemed or that an attempt would be
made, at least to show that there was 4
willingness to try to redeem them. Yet
this Reform body commenced its session
By electing or appointing more officers than
the law allows, trusting to chance for the
payment of the officers thus illegally put
into place, the majority being utterly un-
able otherwise to satisfy the enormous
greed for petty place developed by their
victory, and the session thus Illegally begun
has been protracted, now, for five weeks,
without accomplishing anything III the way
of legislation whatever. The House has
concurred in two bills which originated in
the Senate, but beyond that has done
literally nothing except 10 cover itself with
that degree OF suspicion which usually
results in disgrace.
The history of Pennsylvania is without
a parallel to this. No House ever assembled
before Of which it could be said that it had
been FIVE weeks IN sessoin without being
able to perfect one piece OF legislation, or
get sufficient public business in readiness
to keep itself employed; and We ventucre
to say that no legislative body ever before
met at the seat Of government that was so
utterly incapable Of comprehcnding, much
less of discharging, its duties.
1t is fair to presume, from the expert
cnce of the five weeks which close to-day,
that the House does not intend to try to
face the duties incumbent upon it but will
trihe the public time away until the day of
final adjournment, when it will dispcrse,
to the total neglect of the public business.
The legislation needed by the State will
receive 10 attention the wants of the com
munity will be UNDECIDED and the State
will have the privilege of paying the sum
of half million of dollars for the support
of body utterly useless to it through the
neglect or incapacity Of the popular branch
Of it.
The responsibility for this state of things
must rest where it properly belongs. The
Republican Senate has faithfully performed
its duty, so far, and stands prepared to do
its share of the work which is incumbent
upon it. No blame is due, there What
ever the State has right to look for, from
that branch of the Legislature, will be per-
formed. Ii is upon the Democratic House
Of Representatives, alone that responsible
ity must rest. It. alone, is obstructing the
the public business and it, alone, neglect
ing its public duties.
The failure Of this Democratic branch of
the Legislature to meet the wants OF the
State. and its incapacitly to adapt itself to
the necessities Of the situation, come IN,
happily. to prove how incompetent the
Democratic party is to meet or satisfy, or
comply with any want or wish of the people.
ssRcform is not its vocation. 1t has been
trusted by the people, in this instance,
with the work of bringing about salutary
changes and inaugrating improved methods
of government and it has responded by
greediIy grasping at the spoils of Office and
refusing to do anything else whatever. 1t
il sorry ending to delusive beginning,
but if the people of Pennsylvania learn
fros. it never again TO trust the lying