Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-12-29

The Organization OF the House.
The Democratic members of the
Pennsylvania House, constituting its
majority, seem to be ap-
their work with that gravity
which the situation demands. The Or
ganization of the body, of course, claims
Just attention, and this is the immediate
responsibility confronting them. That
passed, their duties are far from being
discharged Or their dangers avoided.
The legislation of the winter, its due
consideration and its prompt disposal
impose upon the inexperienced majority
of the House grave responsibilities, the
fit o. undue discharge of which Will
make or mar the veal of the party in
this state. But this to a large extent
will depend upon the manner
in which the House is organ
izel and the men by whom it
is of.icered. 1t is the fashion in some
quarters to sneer at the proposed raid
upon petty clerkships" and " helpless
scrub women" as the project of dispens'
ing with s;necures and supernumaries,
is styled. But the establishment of free
beds in the party hospital on capital
hill for partisan bummers is one of the
practices with which the incoming De-
nn:"r...r must not scanjaliZe itself. Tie
los money :" tie state from the pay
m"mt :;t exorbitant salaries to useless
Of.iir::': IS not the worse phase OF tins
,ra:,,. These dependencies are OHly
pJil.s III the political chess PLAY ing at
Harrisburg. The minor offices, for tie
abolition of half of which at least
we moved, are used 10 manipulate
the votes of members at whose disposal
they are put. Legislators who have 10
higher ambition are allowed, each, a
place for 'his man." and lis vote on
the organization or Oh measures OF lesis-
lation are thus secured. The represen-
tative of the people is bribed to violate
his trust, and the public service has to
furnish the wages Of his iniq lity. Unfit
men are slated for the higher offices, and
support Of them is secured by the deft
manipulation and parcelling out OF the
petty places. Again, when these latter
have thus been filled 10y the personal ap.
pendages of the members, the sole
concern of the useless hjrelings is tc
see that the session is prolonged to the
latest day, up to which they can draw
sLeir Sc per diem, and. all their devices
of obstruction to the dispatch Of basi
ness, and their influence with members
are exerted to extend the session.
For the creditof themselves, the good
of the commonwealth and the welfare
of the party it is to be hoped that the
Democratic assemblymen will give thi:
subject the SCI iuuS concern which prop
erly attaches to it. As yet no combina
tioEs among the aspirants for place bav'
disclosed themselves. Until such sit
uation is revealed the danger is less i'm
mirent If p:.rcelling out useless places
amrnS the members of combination
wao have devised plunderint
state programme. We have shown thai
the entire force of pastors and folders
and numbers of the pages, janitorS, fire
men, door keepers and sergeants-at-arm
if not some of the clerks heretofore car
ried on the pay roll, can bo dispensed
with. 1t will he most convenient fol
candidates for other positions, will
members to trade, to have as many
minor offices as possible to bank upon
and when the combinations begin to form
it may he expected that the pressure
will set in for continuance Of the use
less offices. That " IL he the time for tn,
decent majority of the Democratic mem
bers to rise up and strike hard-to bow
out every candidate who is not first, las
and all the time for Legislative reform
and willing to sacrifice even himself t.
secure it for the state and for his party