The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-06-10
.NEWSRROMHARREBURG
A Long Session Means the Piling
Up Of More Expenses.
WANT TO TAX OLEOMARGARINE
Proposition to Practically Ruin the
Farming Interests OF the State-That
Lexow Bill Again-A New Bill for
$4,000 for Grace Church.
From Our Own Correspondent

iHote. ENeH the leSlsldtOTS themselves
are growing disgusted. for it is a costly
thing for most Of these men to remain
away from their business for such A
length Of time. More than this, the
longer the Legislature Is in session the
greater the bill of expense which the
taxpayers OF the state will have to pay.
While II is true that a long session OF
the legislature does not increase the
pay OF senator's and members Of the
house, II does pile up the running ex-
penses Of the assembly.
With the exception of the desk clerks
all Of the employees of house and SEN
ate are paid so much per day, and the
greater the number OF days served byl
them the greater the amount which
they will draw from the state treasury.
There are other expenses, such as post
age, the cost Of publishing The Legis-
lative Record. light, ice and all the
myriad little expenses which run up
into vast amount Of money in the az
gregate are going on all the time. OF
course the farmers and mechanics and
property owners OF the state must pay
for this inexcusable waste of time. AMI
who is responsible for it?
Who Il Responsible!
The bosses! The machine politicians
Of the state who have no other than
selfish interests to serve, and who de.
vote their time to protecting the inter-
ests which put up money to help them
get possession of the party machinery.
SO far as the Legislature Is concerned
as whole. the house has done It's duty
well with the invaluable direction of
the "Seventysjx." 1t Is an lndepend-
ent. hardworking body. With one ex-
ception 1t has passed every revenue
bill that has been brought before 1t.
Indeed. a careful estimate shows that
IL the senate would pass the bills
which the house has passed and sent
over to It the question OF increased
revenue would be settled finally.
But the senate is the place where
Senator Quay holds absolute sway. He
has but to say the word. and any
measure will be passed or defeated by
that subservient body. The house has
passed bills to raise revenues by taxing
beer; by taxing direct inheritances: by
increasing the tax on certain stock
OF trust companies and banks: by in
creaslng the tax on certain other cor
porations. What is the result? The
senate refuses to do anything, and
there the matter rests. while taxes and
hard times increase. OF course there
are reasons for this.
As has already been pointed out
Senator Quay apparently proposes to
protect the brewers. He Is doing all
that he can to protect them in the
United States senate In the matter Of
tariff legislation. He evidently will not
permit the senate at Harrisburg to pass
anything so inimical to their interests
as a tax Of one-half cent on each gallon
Of beer brewed in the state. Certain
corporations have been kind to Senator
Quay. and hence he does not desire the
senate to pass any anti-corporation
laws. There is nothing left therefore
but to raise revenue in some doubtful
way, such as taxing oleomargarine
Taxing Oleomargarinc,
This Is one OF the most vicious sug-
gestions that has been made at this or
any other session. II comes from the
bosses. They argue that since II Is al
legged that l5,O0O0 600 pounds of oleomar-
garine are sold in Pennsylvania every
year In violation Of the law. 1t would
be well to put tax of three cents per
pound on the stun. and thus raise
$+50.000 for the state. This suggestion
means that the farmer Is to be made
a scapegoat, that the sale of oleo is to
be legaiized and the dairy interests of
the state ruined for the sake of raising
revenue. which by rights should come
of the manufacturer of beer. The pas
sage OF such n law az this would ruin
one-third of the farmers of the state:
but then the brewers would be pro-
tected: they would be saved the eX-
pense OF paying half a cent per gal
Ion on their beer
There Is still another feature about
this proposed tax on oleo that has not
been considered. Poor people buy bo-
gus butter because they cannot afford
to buy the pure article. The laboring
men and their families In the large
cities and towns are the sole consumers
Of oleo. II tax were placed upon the
stuff Its price would be raised instantly.
The poor man would have to pay the
increase, and thus indirectly he would
be paying the money that Is to be
raised in this way. The Seventy six"
are making a vigorous fight against
this movement. They propose to pro-
tect the farmers and II any such law
Is passed 1t will be solely because the
thumbscrews of boss domination have
been applied by the men who have the
Republican party Of the state In their
control.
A new element OF discomfort has been
cast into the situation by the submis-
sion OF bill, or mass of bills, to the
amount Of $4,000 for the fitting up of
Grace church for the Legislature. The
original structure 20 years ago cost
$40. 900, and the fact that the bill for
reftting 1t for the use Of the Legislature
is just one-half OF its original cost Is
creating no end OF gossip and talk.
This. taken in connection with the
Lexow committees bill Of $65. .0O0 has
only aggravated the discomfort among
the rank and file Of the party here In
Harrisburg. and In fact all over ths
state.
That Lexow Bill Again.
1t becomes more apparent every day
that the Lexow committees bill for
$65 900 IL to be forced through the leg