The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-31
POLITICAL POINTS.


Representative Jeffrey is presenting the
claims of b. f.. Davis, of Luzerne, for
sergeant-at-arms Of the house. George
Hops, sergeant-at-arms of the last
house, is candidate for reelection.
Representative Ritter of Philadelphia,
appears to have the inside track for chair
man of the judiciary committee. The
standing committees of the two houses
will not be announced before week after
next.
Philadelphia Times: 1.-The country men,
ber unacquainted with Harrisburg, its
card parties and suppors. will know more
two months hence why his bill is too far
back on the calendar to be reached or
why it has been held up in committee"
1t is understood that General Hastings
has decided to appoint as superintendent
of public printing Thomas Robinson, ex-
editor of the Butler Eagle, who is a per-
sonal friend of Senator Quay. This is
said TO be compromise resulting from
the senator's recommendation of MIR. Rob
inson for deputy secretary of the COM
monwealth.
Joseph H. Choate will be the chief ora
tor of the New York Republican club on
Feb. u, the anniversary Of the death of
Abraham Lincoln. He Will respond to the
toast, abraham Lincoln" Those who
know say that the great lawyer is prepar-
ing an Grafton which will add greatly to
his fame as a speaker. For the past
month he has been busy getting his
speech ready.
a seventh legislative district for Lu-
zerne county will be carved out in the
next legislative reapportionment bill. 1t
will be remembered that at the last ses-
sion Representative Daniel j. Reese pro-
posed such district, to be made up of
Ashley, Nantcoke, Sugar Notch and
Conyngham boroughs, and Hanover, Hol-
lenback, Newport and Slocum townships,
1t is probable that this proposition will
this time prevail
Doubt is expressed that Speaker-to- he
Walton, of the house of representatives,
can satisfactorily arrange his standing
committee appointments until after con-
ference with many of his fellow men,
bers following the organization of the leg
islature. Therefore, ii is predicted that,
after day, or perhaps two, the leg
islators will return home, and that, in or
der to let the Philadelphia Republican
members attend the primary elections ana
conventions of their party on Jan. and
8, the adjournment viii be until the even
ing of the 9th, Wednesday. Senator Quay
Is said TO have advised that the session of
the legislator be limited to three months.
Apropos Of the Hazleton county project,
which will soon come up again, 1t is in
teresting to recollect in the language of
the Wilkes-Barre Record at the time of
the same agitation two years ago, that
"Luzerne will still be large county af-
ter Halle is formed out Of part of it,
In bn
oming valley, and by 1900 the number will
be increased to 100000 This is still a little
empire, strong and big enough to appeal
to the pride Of its citizens. The cost of
running II would be considerably less
than at present for 1t would be more
compact and homogeneous. Financially
speaking, therefore, ii would be wise to
let the Fourth district go and permit joy
to go with 1t. Again. 1t would only be a
fair and just act to the people of that sec
tion. They are located Il great distance
from the county seat and it Is both a
heavy expense and n terrible inconven-
lence for them to come here to transact
their legal business" These consdera-
tions are fully as strong now as they
were two years ago.
Beginning with 1873 there have been
eleven organizations of the legislature
and eight out of the eleven times the
speaker of the house of representatives
has been taken either from Philadelphia
or Allegheny, each county having thus
been honored four times. In three in
stances only in that time has choice
been made from the Interior the first in
1877, when Il. Reed Myer of Bradford,
was chosen; the second when Benjamin l..
Hewitt, of Blair, was named in 1881, and
the third ten years later when Caleb c.
Thompson, of Warren, was chosen. Twice
in twenty years the Democrats have con-
trolled the house. In the first instance
they took the speaker from Allegheny,
and. in the second from Philadelphia,
The speakers of the house since 1873 were
William Elliott, H. II. Mccormick, s. f.
Patterson, T., Reed Myer, Henry Martin
Long, Benjamin l.. Hewitt, John Il,
Faunce, James L. Graham, Henry X.
Boyer and Caleb C. Thompson Elliott
was also speaker in 1872. He, ex-Speaker
Thompson, and ex-speaker Boyer are the
only speakers in the last twenty years
who succeeded themselves Harry Wal
| toms election tomorrow will undoubtedly
be taken by Allegheny as a license to
name Mr.. Walton's successor.