Towanda daily review. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1879-1921, 1881-04-01
The legislature.

1t has come to be expected that the
press ofthe State will raise hue and cry
about the shortcomings of the Legislature
at every session. Many of these news
paper writer's know no more Of the SUBJ
ject than they do about the man in the
moon. AS a rule our legislators are men
of character and at least ordinary ability
and integrity, and we agree with Mr.
Howard jenkins of West Chester, who
comes to the defence Of our law-mak er s
in long article in the Philadelphia Press
that they are abused more than they de-
serve. In concluding his article, Mr..
Jenkins sums up with this fair conclusion
In conclusion permit me to add that the
Legislatures, in my OpiniOn-prOveda after
fair if not good opportunity for judgment
deserves better treatment at the hands
of the newspapers than they have receiv-
ed. The people, / unhesitatingly say,
have reason to be encouraged with the
evidence of an increasing purpose to
serve faithfully and honestly the public
interests. The independence, the purity,
and the public courage of the membership
has been increased. The chracter Of the
proceedings in both Houses is in the
main creditable and far less deserving
criticism than exaggerated accounts of an
occasional contentious session cause the
public to suppose. The House, from it's
large number Of members, it's crowded,
uncomfortable and unhealthy chamber,
the previous ineXperence of many of it's
members, and perhaps other causes, is
necessarily less composed and more sub
iect to disorder than the Senate, but, as
[ have already indicated, it's procedure,
in the main, brings no diScredit on the
Commonwealth, and if the newspapers
were as solcitous to take notes OF its or
dinary action and present to the public
evidence of it's faithfulneSS and capabilty
as they are to seize upon incidents of dis
order or fault, am quite sure that we
should soon have a different and a much
more just public opinion formed upon
this subject. | am far from saying that
there is no room for Improvement and
equally indispoSed to pretend that the
newspapers have not an important work
to do in fairly criticising the shortcom-
ings that appear in the Legislature, but
am still convinced that this criticism
should be always made with full knowl-
edge of the facts-founded upon much
are now sent from Harrsburg-and with
care, good judg ment and sound discrimi-
nation. Under such circumstances, the
real power of the press would increased it's
influence with the Legislature would be
vastly augmented, the efforts of good
men in the Legislature would be encour-
aged and supported. the people would re-
cover confidence in their law making
body, and the Legislature itself would
feel that, while it's shortcomings would
be exposed, its good work would receive
due commentator. All of which certain
Iy would be to the public benefit.
-.-.-
In his lecture on civil-service reform on
Saturday night George William Curtis
said that when Abraham Lincoln was
President there used to be in Washington
a broker in office, who for convenience
sake Mr. Curtis called Jeremiah Jones.
From early morning till late at night, at
all hours, in fact, in all places, upon every
opportunity, when the dangers threaten
ing the country were at their height,
Jeremiah Jones was very busy trying to
secure place for some scrubwoman, u
berth for some porter, clerkship for
another, place in some department for
some one else. Somebody asked the
President how he spent his day, Mr.. Lin
coin replied: 'In the morning when l
wake up, the first thing do is to pray,
and then I look under the bed to see
whether jeremiah Jones is there, and I
l1o;
At the request of the Merchants Asso-
citation of Baltimore and others bill has