The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-09-05
that COMMITTEE.


.tetives at Harrisburg have acknowl.
edged their incapacity to legislate
for the people By a proposition to del
egate to a committee Of ten citizens
the work for which the extra session
was called there is nothing left for
them to do but to resign and allow
their employers the people-to hire
somebody else. The resolution GER
taiply implies. if'it means anything,
that the democrat tic leaders in the
House think the gentlemen named in
the resolution would be, able to ap-
portion the State into Congressional
and legislative districts. The demo-
cratic majority have been unable to
do this work, although they have kept
the legislature. in session for two hun
dred and forty days at a cost to the
people of over seven hundred thousand
dollars. The people will naturally
want to know why two hundred and
fifty men are kept at Harrisburg to
do the work which they acknowledge
ten men could do better or why they
should continue to pay their represen.
tatives while a committee of outsiders
are doing the wol k they were sent to
do. If ten men can frame apportion.
mert bills better than two hundred
and fifty, then Why can they not frame
all other bills necessary and do all
legislatiBg for the State as we'll {?
They might also do the work the Gov.
erner has shown himself incapable of
doing, and thus save to the State an
other item of ten thousand dollars
useless. expense. But our democratic
statesman outstep their authority when
they propose to name the men who
shall compose this committee. Their
acknowledged incapacity to do the
work assigned them is very poor evi.
dence of their ability to designate the
men who can do it. The republican
State, too, would have a chance at the
resolution, and acting on the example
Of their democratic brethren in the
House would doubtless amend it so as
to make two-thirds of the committee
republicans. For instance the repub
lican Senators might amend by taking
Charles r. Buckalew and A. H. Dill
from the democratic end Of the com
mittee aud putting in their places
Philip G. Garrett and Henry M. Hoyt
and adding to the republican enc
Hon. Matthew S. Quay and Gen. ST
mon Cameron. The democrats in the
House would of course kick aga ins
the republicans interfering with thei
sides of the committee and the resul
would be in the end committee tha
could never agree on apportionmen
or anything else. This is probably
the result aimed at by our democrati,
reformers, who think they can thu
throw the blame for perpetual extra
session on the shoulders of the ten mel
who are to compose the proposed com
mittee.s The idea of referring the mat
ter of apportionment to ten men ma,
be a good one we have certainly n
reason to believe it could be any wors
than the present arrangement. Tn
Legislature, however, has not the righ
nor the power to name the men t,
whom it shall be referred. Legislator
have not the privilege of namin,
their own successors, and such thi
committee would be to all intents an,
purposes If the Statesmen at Harris
burg think the appOrtionment busl
ness should be referred to a committe
Of len, let them make provision for tn
election of such committee and thel
adjourn. The people will do the rest
Let the nomination be open to al
political parties let the people hav
vote, ald we will guarantee on
democratic friends a committee will
be selected who will settle the appor
lionment question in week Gen
tainly there could be no committee o
ten selected who would be less ftte,
for the duty imposed than the demo
cratic side Of the present House
-Headviile Republican.