Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-10-31

| tive clerk and the others lawfully
though needlessly authorized, for they
got their money from the treasury on
the regular pay rolls. Who, then, got
it? Are we not right in saying tina,
1t is difficult to determine from the rec
oIds how many officers and employees
there are?
There is a very loose and entirely
unconstitutional process resorted to
in both houses to provide for extra
employees and for their compensation
Section 10 of Article III of the consti-
tuition, which article covers the sub
ject of legislation, says:
THE general assembly shall provide
by law the number duties and compen-
sation of the officers and employees of
each house, and no payment shall be
made from the state treasury or be in
any way authorized, to any person, ex-
cept to an acting officer or employe
elected or appointed in pursuance of
law"
Section 16 of the same article is to
the following effect mo money shall
be paid out of the treasury except
upon appropriations made by law and
on warrant drawn by the proper Off
GERS in pursuance therof."
itl, tIi Nlt leiSl uety Vi lIlt StSSlOH
of the house of 1897 Mr. Keyser Of
fered and the house passed the follow
| ing resolution:
Resolved, That the payment for ex-
ira labor in the house of representa-
tives for session of 1897 including COM
mttee and transcribing clerks not pro-
vided for by special items in the appro-
priation act be paid by the chief clerk.
on vouchers approved by the speaker
| and attested by the chief clerk, war
rant to be issued by the auditor gem
| eral to the chief clerk or the state
treasurer therefor"
| The house has no constitutional right
| to vote money in that way. The state
| treasurer has no right to issue his war
| rant upon any such authorization. The
| auditor general has no right to pass
such an account. The question of law
| full right or constituionality will never
however, amount to a deterrent when
the machine has a purpose to fulfill
so long as the machine remains doml-
nant in the legislature. There is but
| one cure. The Democrats must cap
ture the body named. The Democratic
house of 1883 was as well. if not better
served by the 81 lawfully authorized
| clerks and employees as was the Re
publican house of 1897 by SO, nearly, il
not twice, the number. The $27, $50 paid
during the regular session of 1888 for
.he service was sufficiently extrava-
gant. The T4,197 paid in 1897 for no
better service, If as good, was more
than half of it thrown away. And yet,
il Hastings had permitted it, the ap-
preparation would have been S12 500
more, that being, in round figures, the
| Of 1,h ,n,,te tn, t1
line. The increase in the cost of the
senate clerks, etc, has been just about
as great. The appropriation for 1883
was S23, 700. The appropriation for
1SS7-SS was $47,71O, and was $54,976 be-
fore being trimmed by the vetoes. And
if William A. Stone should be elected
governor and a majority of machine
Legislators returned, every item vetoed
by Hastings will be reinserted in the
general appropriation bill to cover "a
deficiencies in salaries, etc." passed and
approved.
The contingent funds of the senate
and house indicate like degree OF
fraud and extravaganza, even If we
admit that the money is actually eX-
pended as professed. In 1888 an appro-
priation of $4,000 for the senate and
$4,000 for the house, to be paid out by
the chief clerks, was considered ade-
quate to cover all contingencies. Ir
addition, the librarian of the senate
got $1,000 for recess postage, etc, anC
the resident clerk of the house got
$1,000 for the same purpose. In 1897
the appropriation for the senate fol-
contingencies was limited to sS,925, and
for the house to S13,5S0. In 1895 the limi-
tations were s7,7OO for the senate and
$1O,SOO for the house. notwithstanding
this, however, the actual expenditures
by the chief clerks for contingencies
in that year were S., 500 in the senate
and $14741 in the house In the senate
the limitation was exceeded by $50
and in the house by nearly SO, 900. 1t Is
not so much the amounts thus eXpend.
ed that is to be deplored as the impu-
dent and daring disregard of constitu.
tion and statute law that characterized
them, and the evidence it affords that
under Republican sway, all the depart.
ments of the state government are in
constant collusion to loot the treasury
and swindle the people.