The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-04-04
JUDGED By raEIR RECORDS.
Asssmbiymsn KOOnt1 aaa Kendall Ig-
nored their cons-itusnts Undsr
tbs Lash Of Boss" Flinn

ne poopte were OOiO lu4t py clcclluE
lawyer of General Roontz's ability TO rep
resent them in the Legislature they would
have an orator on the floor of the House
who would champion the rights of the
farmers aud other oppressed taxpayers,
and woe betide the enemy of the common
people who should arouse the vitrioiic in
vectige of this sturdy champion Of his
constituents. Now let US see just what
General Koontz did at Harrisburg in the
interests Of the people of our county.
When the seven months school bill.
measure opposed by ninety nine out of
every one hundred voters Of the county,
WAS under consideration, Assemblyman
Kooutz had an opportunity to defend the
rights Of the people of the rural commu-
mites who have always regarded the
length of time their schools should be
kept open as matter to be adjusted by
the parties Interested. aud not to be srbi-
trarily fixed by legislative enactment.
tongued orator to uphold his reputation
and win the plaudits. not only of his con-
stitneBts, bat to win over 10 his cause the
votes of enough fair-minded Assembly
men 10 insure the defeat of the obnxious
BILL If Assem- blyman Koontz raised his
voice in protest against the passage of the
'.seyen months school bill" the legislative
record doss not correctly report him. He
permitted the one measure in which the
people he was sent 70 Harrisburg to rep
resent were deeply interested 10 become
law without opening his mouth. The
plea that he was absent when the bill was
called up for final passage can not be
urged in his defense. because his vote.
unsccounpanied by single word of pro-
test, is recorded against the obnoxious
measure. His voice had not failed him,
for insurgent newspapers told MS that he
was thrilling large audiences in Philadel-
phia, Altoona, Lebanon and elsewhere
with scathing denunciations of the Re-
publican party aud of State leaders.
The hundreds of Republican voters
throughout the county, who two years
ago signed memorial to the Legislature
asking that law be enacted abOlishiDg
the burdensome fee system aud per diem
wages of certain county officials and sub
stituting fixed salaries in lieu thereof,
have not forgotten the cDntemptuous
treatment they received from Assembly
men Koontz and Kendall, who threw
cold water on the efforts of the people
who were seeking to be relieved of unjust
burdens, and delayed presenting the
memorial in the House until near the
close of the session, aud only then intro
duced il without having complied with
the prescribed method of Introducing
bills Of that character. When the bill
was called up for passage. it win he re-
mem bered, Assemblyman Kendall arose
in his seat aud announced that the bill
bad not been advertised and therefore
could not be acted upon. Il was dead as
a dOor-nail the moment il was given tn
them. They were too busy trying 10 click
old Quay and TO destroy the Republican
party to attend 10 tho important business
OF their constituents.
At the instigation of insargsnt news
papers Of Philadelphia. whose legislative
reporters wrote column upon column of
sensational articles. alleging that this
aud that member of the House had been
corruptly solicited TO support the "Mc-
Carrel Bill" or to vote for the reelection
OF Colonel Quay, General Koontz moved
that a legislative committee be appointed
to investigate the newspaper reports,
which a jury in the Dauphin county
court decided last week were wit |
foundation.
There is only one other record of As
semblyman Koontz's voice being raised |
in the halls of legislation at Harrisburg |
two winters agD. and that is when he in
troduced a bill 70 regulate the sale OF /
whisky, which would have practically /
made disiillers retailers, without under |
going the forrnslity of applying to the |
cpurt for license. The Temperance peo-
com binstion, we are free 10 admit-will |
both remember this effort of Assembly |
man Kppntk to protect their interests in
the halls OF legislation.
The Legislative Record reports one /
single speech delivered during the ses-
sion of 1855 by AssemblyInan Koonrz's
colleague. AssembIyman KsndsII, who
dslivered a philippe against the ''seven
months school bill'' that would have
brought discredit upon any schoolboy in
The Commonwealth. The speaker. judg-
ing from the printed report. was ignorant
OF the fact that the residents of all school
districts in the State have it in their
power to extend the leugtl OF the school
term TO any number OF months They