Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-03-15
TaE chief attraction at Harris

= Cs
was the bribery investigation.
The storm center was in NOrthamp-
ton county from which three demo-
cratic members Of the Legislature
were put upon the witness stand,
and L man from that county acting
IS a detective received one thou
sand dollars for securing such evil
dence as is stated in this article,
with names of parties who are said
To have been in the approach bust
hess Iheir;estimony was that away
hack in January, they were sOli-
cited to sign an agreement to vote
for George A. jerks, for United
States Senator to the end of the
term. They said a democratic
member offered them, first, fifty
dollars, and afterwards one hund-
red dollars, to sign paper to con-
time to vote for Mr.. jerks to the
end of the term of the present
Legislature. No money had been
o'iered them to vote for Quay. No
money was offered or shown them
L" vote for the McCarrell bill. &.
They were urged to sign a pledge
70 continue to stand by jerks. \
member from Montgomery county
said lie was asked to vote for the
}lc.arreil Lill but the request was
.ot made i'll a serious manner. \
member from Montgomery county
'e@tiiied that he had advised
,gainst signing the jerks paper,
p."ause there might be something
Al it, but he did not mean money
= il. ne meant some adverse poll
rical movement. He had voted for
tae hicCarrGll bill, he believes the
principle OF the bill is right. The
respondent of the Press was re-
,:alled, he had second hand state
;;.entS, tie had been told by mem
1eT of the Legislature from Gamer
9n county, that he the member
1;uIu Cameron county had been
offered two hundred and fifty dol
l5Is ia volc for the McCarrell bill.
Jut be did not tell who offered
nm that amount. A member from
.Nor;humDerland county was told
-ss's senld get one hundred dollars
Tor voting for the pledge to stand
" jerks. lie was not talked to
a1oUt the NcCarrell bill. One Of
the mciHbers said he was looking
ai"nni % ind something by which
Re could win the big reward
against bribery. He was nOsing
arOard he LOchiel to find some
one VINO was reputedly in the
oriU:-.g business. One member
testified that he had received a
petition from people of the county |
shat he represented urging him to
F"te Tor Inc McCarrell bill. The
clerk OF The house was before the |
,.rLulitiee to ask them to explain |
that when one of the witnesses
said that he the clerk had asked |
h.n. - vote for the McCarrell bill.
ne snould tell the fact that he did
1ct ask him 10 vote for the bill. |
aG- ihat he should vote. He
simply meant to tell him to vote,
lie did not mean to tell him how
he should vote. The committee
asked :" have their time to com
plets their investigation extended
q" me 27th of March, which was
granted The whole investigation
s-eu,H Ike farce, by beginning at
The wrong place to hunt for bar
gains and sales in politics. The
leE rolling among Legislators is
suD,y ne practice of the ward,
row ship and borough politics
transferred to the Legislature.
The practices en@ag ged in Harris
bury we're primarily learned in the
'Tard in The tow nship and borough.
such districts were the political
graduating schools of the members
Of .ht La.-islature, and the cure
can never take place at Harrisburg.
Il viii have 10 I've done in the elec-
;lOu districts What the people in
tle wards, townships, bOrOughs
and counties don't know about
tricks and bribery, if you choose
70 call such practices by that name,
and bargain and sale in politics,
: not worth the time of a Legisla-
ture 10 waste on. That is the rea-
sou the Investigation at Harris
burg Is beginning at the wrong end
u the lins and is farcical. 1t is
puttiug the horse behind the cart.
Inc stream never rises higher than
lis source and ike bcgets like and
the members Of Tie Legislature are
like The peOple they represent. Of
Course here are exceptions, and
rn~a and Ehere are mon who are