Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-06-05

The Ballot Reform bill which was one of
the last to pass the Senate, and be sent to
the Governor, will, if he signs it or permits
it to be come law, work q revolution in
our elections, ss it requires an official
ballot to be printed by the County, and
containing the names of all the candidates,
also room in each election district. to be
specially prepared for the holding of the
election, with railing and booths, no elector
to be interfered with while marking his
ballot, etc. etc. 1t may be needed in the
large towns, but for the country districts
looks like useless expense.
Thirty acts and amendments of acts were
passed by the House from midnight to 10
q. m. of Thursday, some of which are OF
general interest.
The leading measures that passed both
Houses during the Eve months they were
in session, were the Boyer amendment to
the general revenue law, the Constitutional
convention bill, the Ballot reform bill, and
the bill increasing the appropriations to
the schools.
The Boyer bill increases the tax on the
stock of corporations to S mills, and on
money at interest, etc. to mills, and as
this will increase the revenues of the state
several millions, the Legislature thought
they could afford to increase the appro-
priation to the schools to S., 600, 900 which
will pay about half the schools expenses
of the state, and thus reduce local taxation.
The total appropriations for the two
years will foot up nearly twenty three
millions, if the Governor signs all the ap-
preparation bills.
One of the best bills passed near the end
of the session was the one increasing the
license fees, wholesale and retail; but we
cannot see why the Legislature did not
make the fees the same throughout the
state,-city and country alike. The bill
was called the Henninger bill, and it was
reported favorably by the Senate Com
mittee and rushed through both houses,
during the first part of last week. 1t is an
amendment to the Brooks Low License
law.
OF the bills, that were discussed but
which failed to become laws the most con-
spicuous was the Taggart Tax bill, said to
have been written by the Commissioners
Clerk of Erie Co. It's object was to tax
corporate property for local purposes, which
| was right, but the bill was such ponderous
and complicated affair. that, like the
Burdick bill, it fell of its own weight.
The Road bill was defective, and was
vetoed by the Governor, and the anti-dis-
| elimination bill was defeated outright,
though the Constitution requires such a
bill to be passed.
| 1t seems absurd to hold another con-
| stitutional convention, and make another
constitution, with parts of the present one
never carried into effect.
The comments of the leading journals of
the State on the Legislature vary with the
localities in which they are printed and
their political bias.
The Pittsburg Times winds up an article
with the statement that 1.-THE Legislature
was not great one. and no members have
won special distinction, but it has done
nothing to call for condemnation"
The Gazette thinks 'The want of COM
petent leadership was very strongly
evidenced by the way in which the work of
tho session was carried, but altogether the
result is more satisfactory than might have