The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-07-22

While Senator Quay was limiting fol
| something to tax. so that he could save
the beer trust from taxation. he hit OF
this mercantile tax scheme.
Making Merchants Pay.
II increases the mercantile tax OF
! every grocer. storekeeper and mer'
chant In business in the state. II
doubles and trebles the tax on bis
stores. Every merchant. big and little
in the state Is up In arms over II. Well
they may be. And yet 1t Is only a sam.
pie Of the work Of Mr.. Quay's legisla-
ture.
The other bill IL known as the Simon
bill. 1t compels every country village
| every borough or city to buy out any
| other electric plant within its borders
before such borough OF city can estab-
lish an electric plant Of its own. 1t is
a most nefarious scheme, but Senator
Quay wants 1t passed also.
One OF the most pertinent and ring
ing utterances on the subject Of this
last legislature Is from an interview
with Frank willing Leach In the Phila-
delphia Press Of Friday last. In that
Interview. had with a reporter In Har-
| risburg, Mr.. Leach says:
The People In War Paint.
Whether or not the existing strained
relations between Senator Quay and
Governor Hastings will continue / do
| not know, but one thing is very clear
to my mind, and that Is that we are
on the eve OF a political upheaval In
Pennsylvania which will keep the
bosses busy for some months to come,
and more than one of them Is likely to
need a new invoice OF sulfonA powder
to drive away insomnia before a dozen
moons wax and wane.
''It is not few OF us politicians that
Senator Quay need seriously fear. 1t is
the people themselves who are girding
up their loins and girding on their
armor ready for the fray. While the
bosses In the Legislature have been
miNing whitewash, CLOSING over one
piece Of vil!ainy after another, the plain
people have been mixing their war
paint.
Quay's Legislature.
1T must be borne in mind that this
was Mr. Quay's legislature. 1t was
elected to do his bidding. and 1t did.
It elected his candidate to the United
States senate and his selections for
speaker OF the house and president pro
tenn. Of he senate were affirmed by
these bodies. AS a consequence all the
committees OF the two houses were con-
trolled by Quay men.
Moreover. we must not bose sight
- hA "a oDt MI ,uh oSa
Senator Quay enforced the provisions
OF the amendment to the state consti-
tuition adopted by him and State SEN
ator Andrews unanimously several
years ago. which provides that all bills
before Anal adoption shall be submit
ted TO him over the long distance tsle-
phoae. and which authorizes him to
oall a special roll over the phone In
case any Of his followers among the
members happen to be shaky upon any
measure OF vital importance to the
machine. Legislation by long distance
telephone is the greatest invention Of
the Nineteenth century.
While the legislature Is everywhere
denounced for Its proaigacy. imbecility
and venality. the people are loud In
their praises of Governor Hastings,
who. with his vetoes. has intervsned
between the legislative buccaneers and
garroters on the one hand and the peo-
pie on the other. Except for the vigor-
Gus courage and independence OF our
governor the taxpayers of Pennsylva-
MIA would be in q sad plight today.
have never been a partisan Of Gov
II n OF inD hAf I ~ oiv,o
to say that his courage In protecting
the public from the political sharks who
have robbed and brought shame upon
the commonwealth Is deserving Of the
highest praise.
Drawing Two Salaries.
LET me mention one other matter.
We are about to enter upon a cam
paign for auditor general and state
treasurer. The present incumbents of
these two offices are today drawing
illegal salaries from the treasury OF the
state. They are ex-ofiicio members of
two state boards, to wit: OF public
property and public accounts. In such
capacity they are receiving two addi-
tional salaries besides their regular sal
aries as auditor general and state
treasurer respectively In controven-
tion OF the constitution. and without
warrant Of law, the Legislature of 1895
appropriated these two extra salaries
to these officers. also a similar salary
to the attorney general as a member
Of ,one Of these boards.
Attorney General Mccormick prompt
ly refused to accept any such addition
al compensation, he having stated that
he did not believe he was entitled
thereto. But Auditor General Mylin
and State Treasurer Haywood have
continued to draw three salaries each
for the past two years. An effort was
made to strike these illegal appropria-
tions from the general appropriation
bill at the late session, and the effort
succeeded In the house. The senate.
however. restored these illegal items
and they are there today.
I'm view of the fact that We elect an
auditor general and state treasurer
this year. I think the party In state
assembled next month
ought to repudiate this outrageous
grab and force the party's nominees
to pledge themselves not to accept this
extra compensation"