The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-07-14
The Passing of the Legislature.

was one of the best bodies of repre-.
sentative men, taken as whole, that
has assembled at the State Capital in
the past two decades We say time |
will demonstrate this, because it will |
take time to show the people that the |
monstrOus newspaper reports of
wholesale corruption are totally with.
out foundation in fact. 1t will come |
out some day that no Legislature o.
late years has passed less vicious leg
islatiou than the one just closed, and
that for the enactment of pure and
wholesale laws for the people it will
more than average up with the best
The saving of the common school ap.
preparation from any cut is one of the
achievements for which due credit
should be given, since the edlct had
gone out that million should be
taken off. The passage of the Mer-
rick bill providing for more equit.
able distribution of that fund is an.
other accomplishment that should re.
dound to the credit of every country
member of the late session. This
measure will put thousands of dol.
lars iuto the country school districts,
money that has heretofore unjustly
been going to the larger cities and
thickly populated counties. The
people of the country will realize the
benefits from this law as the increased
amounts come to them.
Many other equally beneficial acts
of the last Legislature could be men.
toned, but for the present we prefer
to quote from the Punxsutawney
SPIRIT, whose editor, Hon. w. o.
Smith, was member of that body,
having served, with eminent ability,
his fourth term, and knows whereof
he speaks:
The Legislature just closed, while
it will not rank among the best that
has assembled 10 Harrisburg, GER.
tsiuly does not deserve the reputa.
tion it has gained of being the worst.
While it was made up largely of new
members, who did not realize that
they were inviting the deluge when
they voted to authorize the appoint
ment of lot of useless investigating
committees, the members generally
meant to do right and did the best
they could with the light they had
"The leading issue in the last Leg
islative campaign was the selection
of United States Senator. Little
was thought of candidates qualif
cations outside of his position on the
Senatorial question, consequently a
great number of men in no way
adapted to legislative work we're elec,
ted.
"But when the work of the Legis.
lature is shorn of the bugaboos erec'
ted around and about it by news
paper correspondents anxious to star.
tie the readers Of their papers with
stories of corruption and extrava
gance, it will be found not to have
been bad legislature after all. If 9
lawyer we're to frame an indictment
against it for the bad work it ha
done and were to make up bis count;
with the House Journal, it woulC
cause him to scratch his head will
perplexity. He could not commenc,
with the Lexow committee bill, fol
that never made its escape from com
mittee. Grace church expense bill
could not have been included, for tn
Governor was responsible for ever,
cent of that. 1t could not be charg
ed with making extravagant appro
priations to investigating committees
for never have these bills been sub
jected to more careful scrutiny o
shaved down so closely.
"The worst work this Legislator
did escaped criticism by the press
the passage ofa bill giving NOR
complete monopoly to al companie
having franchises in municipalities
and bill requiring certain building
10 all towns and cities where a geneI
al fire alarm system exists to be pre-
vided with fire alarm boxes. Th
first was solely to the interest of Gel
tain corporations, and the second wa
for the benefit of the manufacturer
Of certain kind Of fire alarm.
"Ihe Legislature, however, di
some good work, for which it receive
little credit, which other Legislator,
have persistently refused to do.
passed a bill providing for a mol
just and equitable method of distril
uting the school appropriation, whic
will give the rural districts mol
money and the towns and cities les
1t passed bill taxing aliens, and a
SO bill requiring the retention b
employers af aliens of sums sufiieie1
to pay the taxes regularly assesse
against such alien employees. If Il
former is declared uneonstitutiona
the letter will still be a good thin
1t passed all the reform bills thi
we're worthy to pass to which the r
publican party was pledged. 1t toe
care of every worthy charity. 1t ga,
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