Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-03-08

the question of the increase of the
committee to investigate the
charges made by the Philadelphia
Press, that efforts had been made
To bribe certain members of
the Legislature to vote for
the reconsideration of the McCarrell
jury bill. Ever since the bribery
Investigating committee was ap-
pointed the Wanamaker following
in the Legislature have declared
that they have not had a fair rep
resentatiOn on the bribery investi-
CATION committee.
The committee, as appointed by
the speaker of the house stood two
democrats, two Quay republicans
and one Wanamaker republican.
The Wanamaker men, together
with the democrats who are OppOs-
ed TO the jury bill, on Friday,
were ready to raise the number of
me committee from five tO'nine by
;hc addition of two democrats and
twoanti Quay men but they were not
given a chance to dOsO and because
of that they raised bear garden
scene that their constituents will
not soon forget.
On Friday at 1890 the house
convened. The journal was being
read
Suddenly, at II o'clock sharp a
member called on the speaker "for
the order of the day.
1t appears, that ''the order of
the day. for Friday, was the ad-
iournment of the house at II o'clock
and speaker Farr, who used to
have Wanamaker proclivities, i'm
mediately adjourned the house till
Saturday at IL o'clock.
The adjournment of speaker
Farr was met with wild protests by
the Wanamaker men and a large
percentage of the democrats. They
jumped at conclusions. They did
not stop to consider whether the
speakers adjournment of the house
was in accordance with the rules
of the house, no, but they declared
that he had no right to adjourn
The house as he did. They called
him vile names. They behaved
like the Paris com Dune in it's first
stage Of mob movement. They
threatened to put him out
of his seat. They called the
adjournment trick, a piece
of revolutionary work, that the
speaker had under the cilcum-
stances no right to engage in,
when in point of fact they
We're the revOlutiOnists. Farr,
however, declares he is right,
under IL rule adopted by the pres
ent house. Farr left the chair, so
did the clerks. Then the bear
garden scene, was from the ac-
counts of those present, laughable
and disgusting. 1t was farcical
anarchy.
Some one moved to elect a speak
er. Representative Bliss was elect
ed with three clerks.
Bliss took the chair, and ordered
a roll call in order to learn the
presence of a quorum, the roll was
responded TO by 1O1 answers, which
was two short of a quorum. A good
many members were present. and
Bliss is reported to have suggested
that he ought to do as Reed had
done in Congress when members
sat silent when the roll was called,
count them as having voted, but
he did not follow the suggestion.
1t II a good thing for the credit of
the State that quorum was not
present, for had il been present,
there is no telling what the meet
ing would have attempted in it's
crazy mood. Those who were not
crazy or drunk knew they had no
right under the rules to act in that
way. and they did not attempt to
justify themselves under the rules;
they took the language of the French
commune and called it revolution.
Some democrat whose name is not
al hand came in and wanted his
name called. 1t was called, he is
one of the men who has been
threatened with dire vengeance if
he votes for any one but jerks, or
some one of the Wanamaker
bureau. If they had had quorum
there is no telling what they would
not have passed through the meet
ing in the way of resolutions. 1t
was number one circus for the
spectators and those of the mem
bers who had not lost their heads.
but by and by. one by one they be-
gan to wonder what they were there
for, and why such a performance,
and after while some one moved
that committee be appointed to
call meeting to express the sense