Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-07-15
LEGISLATIVE ECHOES.
How the Beer Trust was Protected
by the Quay Leaders.
WORK OF THE WANAMAKER MEN
The Bosses, Undismayed by the Uni
versal DenunciatIons of the People,
are Already at Work Setting Up Leg
isIatfve Candidates for Next Year.
CFrom our own Correspondent

(From our own Correspondent
Harrisburg July I3.-Now that the
legislature is a thing of the past, we
have ample opportunity to look over
not 50 much what 1t did, as what il
left uE-one. More than that, the
opportunity is presented for studying
the fine work of the beer trust and its
allied forces. In still another direction
there IL food for thought in a study OF
the superb work accomplished by that
compact. harmonious and patriotic
body II Wauamaker men known as the
Seventy
The most remarkable feature in the
history Of This legislature was the bold
and interruptions manipulation of men
ana measures b. the beer trust of
Pennsylvania. This beer trust is a
combinations of all the great breweries
OF the state. This combination has
been effected within the past three
months uy John 2. Persch, the man
who gained n0toIiety in connection
with the celebrated Automatic Tele-
phone scandal ia Philadelphia. Persch
has been aaf'...s ia the interest Of
come u the iaI-rst politicians in the
state. ~ d rule the big brewers and
big politicians stand together. 1t is
to their mutual advantage to DO so.
BY consolidating all OF the great
bre~cIics Of the state this combination
OF capital. oE trust, expects TO freeze
out tie sinai. fellows, and make life a
dr-sry burden for them. II will thus
be seen why ;hs great fight In the les
islature vas 10 keep a tax of beer. II
can also be seen from this statement
how, when the Wauamaker men did
force the machine and the bosses TO
put d tax on beer. that the political
machlnists ContTived TO place the bulk
OF the burden upon the small brew
cries Of the commonwealth. 1t can also
be seen now it comes about that retail
liquor licenses were increased, while
the big brewers escaped almost scot
free
If It had not been for the Wanamakcr
men the whole burden of increased tax
alton would have been thrown upon the
shoulders Of the small retail liquor
dealers and upon the smaller brewers.
The Wanamaker men do not belong 10
the liquor party AS a rule they have
nothing ia common with the liquor
traffic In any way. But they are fair
men. They believe In the general prin-
cipie that it is gross injustice to tax
the weak industries FOR the benefit Of
the strong They contend that 1t Is
not American justice to make a small
brewery In a country town pay a big
tax while n big brewer in a large city
is permitted. practically, to escape.
Senator Quay's friends are the men
who sought 70, and did, perpetrate this
act Of rank injustice on the small deal
ers and small manufacturers of Penn
sylvania.
From the above showing. II anyone
cares TO figure II out. he Will discover
that while the bosses have been COM
PEELED to place tax on beer, they have
arranged II go that while a brewe:
whose output Is 100000 barrels q year
pays only $4,000 tax, which is at the
rate OF only z cents per barrel. the tax
on the email brewers is ovor 30 cents
a barrel.
Had il rot been for the Wanamaker
men every one Of the attempts to get
money out Of the treasury by Illegal
means IN the shape of mileage, extra
carriage hire. telegraph and telephone
messages by members Of the various
invePtiRation committees. would have
been euccsGsful. No legislature has
ever known such barefaced attempts
az thess. san another attempt was that
In which the state treasurer. auditor
general and secretary Of internal af-
fairs are given. In addition to their
regular saiaries. extra salaries as mem
bers OF two state boards. The attorney
general was heretofore included In this
n III 80
wss zen. ~ him IN payment Of thie
alleged gqrvice he returned Il to tho
state treasury with the endorsement
that he could not accept II, as he did
not think he wag legally entitled to the
compensation allowed him for this SER
vice, and of course II the attorney gen
erai, tho iaw officer Of the common
wealth IL not entitled to this extra
salary the other three state officials
arc not
The Wahamaker men attempted 20
have thee items eliminated from the
general appropriation bill. but they
failed because the Quay men insisted
on standing for them. just as they
stood up for every demand made by
every Investigating committee for
money from the treasury.
One Of the most dramatic episodes
In the closing days Of the legislature
and which has received but scant no
t!ce In the newspapers. owing 10 the
prcyaure Of other and more vital topics
war the UerCilers attacks that were
mads on Senator Matthew Stanley
Quay He was assaulted In speeches
right and left. Representatives Voor-
4 ~ AalY III
made vigorous apeecher on the subject;
Representative Dixon used his name
like a football. while other members
Of the lower house ridiculcd his pre-
tensions 20 leadership in n way that
mugt have made his cheeks burn even
in distant Washington. The most con-
gpicuous and 1amentable failure of the
session war the attempt or RepreKenta-
tive y. NJ. Lytle, Of Huntingdon, to
defend Mr.. Quay. He was the sole and
only defender that Quay had on the
floor Of the houEe.
Whom In the heat OF debate three
dnys before the session closed he re-
fsrrcd 20 Senator Quay as the man
who had come to Harrisburg. stru51
the rock Of revenue with his wand. and
money gushed forth. Lyuo. miBtaking-
ly. pointed towards Representative
Charley Voorhees,. OF Philadelphia
Voorhees, had laughed at the remark
and Lyle took occasion TO inSult him
Voorhees, In reply made the most ter
ribly scathiuR speech against Lytle and
Quay that has been heard in the house
Of Pennsylvania for years. He lowered
over Lytle IKE q giant and pointing
his finger at him declared that hq
VOORHEES,, was not afraid 20 follow NJ,
Quay whom he was right, but that thu
gentleman from Huntington made Sen.
ntor quay his mentor. and followed
him right or wrong.
Lytie had nothing TO say In reply be-
y0nd rising in his place and fcebly pro-
testing that he did not mean Voorheci
when he pointed TO him aud insultcd
him. II whe poor. lnme, transparcnl
excuse, and deceived nobody. Mr
Lytld war not heard from for the re-
maIning days Of the session. lie had
tried 70 defend Senator Quay and sig
naliy failed. 1t is doubtful II he would
have attempted such "a thhnklcBg and
uphill task were Il not for the fact thai
he hopes come day, by the grace OF
Genator quay, 20 become surveyor Oi
the port of philadelphia
There are other and vital Interests
Ia connection With this legislature am
~ actions which win force thcmrelvc:
upon the people during the ensuing si1
months Every citizqn VI the state
should keep himrelf thoroughly inform
ed on the trend 0f current politics. Al
thoughtful citizens. especially thoB'
whom tuxpayerr owe tt to themselves
81 not 10 the commonwealth, TO gee e
II that the proper steps are taken tc
prevent the election of incompetent