The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-06-03
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1891.
STATE CAPITAL GOSSIP.

lative bodies, both Houses being il
session from 10 o. m. until midnight
and into the morning, and on Wednes
day from 10 a. m. until noon Thurs
day, with only brief intermissions 70.
meals or lunch. OF the State legisla
ton it can be fairly said, that part,
pledges have been fulfilled. Their,
has been relief to local taxation
through the S5,O0O,O 900 to common
schools, and as stated before in these
letters, it outlines a policy that will
eventually wipe out local taxation fol
schools, leaving the expense to be
borne by the State. The ballot reform
bill has passed both Houses and is in
the hands of the Governor. 1t is true
that it is not all that it should be nor
as the House passed it, but the Senate
receded from some of its amendments
and sooner than kill the bill or remain
all summer, the House concurred,
both political parties voting for the
bill. The bill was not in any shape a
necessity for the rural districts, the
present law being good enough for
them, but it is needed in the large
cities where the ward. heller aud polit.
ical bum needs to be cut out of a lob.
The system is now law iu 81 States
and gives general satisfaction. The
next Legislature will be able to Judge
OF any defects in the new law, that is,
if it becomes a law through the Gov.
ernor's signature, and remedy them.
The Judicial apportionment bill
passed finally, as did also the Con.
gressional /; if the latter is vetoed by
the Governor, no level headed man
will blame him, it is substantially Just
what we have now, with a new Con.
gresham for Allegheny and one for
Philadelphia. The House Senatorial
bill was doctored in the Senate, to
make districts for particular individ.
uals. The House Legislative appor.
tionment committee refused to ACCEPT
the Senate's amendments, some of the
Senators then intimated that thev
would not talk any logger about it to
the House committee, and that the
latter Giust come to the Senate's terms.
This got up the "Scotch. Irish" of
Chairman Hays, and he refused to
yield. The committee of the House
stood to a man with Hays, and the con.
sequence was no Senatorial apportion.
ment bill was passed finally. Chair.
mar Hays and the House committee
were right, the terms of the Senate
were unreasonable and unjust, and the
House didn't shave to" when they
didn't "want to-"
Under what is known as the Boyer
bill the tax on the market value of
corporations is raised from 4 to 5
mills making an increase of revenue
from that source alone about S2,5OO,.
600. The tax on personal property is
now A mills, an increase from that
source of about $4,000 per year ;
three'fOurths of this tax now goes back
to the counties. Under this bill G a
ly S100,000,000 of invested capital
that has not before paid any tax has
now to come down with its quota of
taxation. Under the bill the tax on
banks is increased and will pan out
some $4,000 more. So that for one
whack the bill hits them pretty hard,
with the prospect of more TO follow.
The usual presents were made to the
Speaker and clerks just before adjourn.
ment, and it is only just to say that
from the Speaker down, they deserved
the concentrations as we'll as the
presents they received. OF the Legis.
lature as a body it can be said that it
will compare favorably with any of
its predecessors, but as to individuality
it will not, for the General Assembly
of this State has had many great men
in its make up in days gone by; while
the present body, neither in Senate or
House, has even one that can be 80
called. The present Legislature, how.
ever, has many men of more than av.
erage intelligence, and they have done
their work fairly we'll. 1t is always to
be remembered that every session there
are many new men, and, at least half
the session is gone before they, to use
a slaog phrase, "catch on" and then
it is too late for them to do much. OF
the House of Representatives this
much a be truly said: They kept
faith with the people, and this regard.
less of party. 1t was an honest House,
not a faint of corruption rests upon it.
1t was a House that was not "bossed"
on either side; the Republicans would
not yield n inch to dietation, and it
is we'll known that even when parties
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