The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-09-19

that commission to public service
in this state is license to plunder
the people in every possible way
and loot the treasury for the bene-
fit of a corrupt machine.
Nor can General Gobins state
ments be disproved. AS he states
there was no concealment of the
bribery during the session. 1t is
matter of common understanding
that money was paid on every one
OF the machine bills. Votes for
United States senator were purchas-
ed at price as high as $40, 900. 1t
is known that as much as $4,000
was paid for single vote for speak
er of the house and while Senator
Washburn is generally rated as
cheap man, it is believed that he
drew in all something like $40, 900
in bribe money during the session.
While the oleomargarine bill was
pending ip the house a represent
ative andNA prime favorite of the
machine in the presence of witness
es asked the senator who was most
concerned in the defeat of the bill
for a price for his own vote and
those of two others. On the same
measure certain amount was paid
in cash to one of the members of a
delegation consisting of five men,
bers for the votes of all Of them.
When they all voted on the opposite
side subsequently the man who paid
tie money followed the man who
received it into a public place and
demanded that it be repaid under
pain Of personal chastisement. 1t
is needless to add that the money
was repaid.
The writer was one of group of
five or six newspaper men who were
discussing the character ofthe legis-
lature one afternoon last winter. Or
to speak more exactly, the writer
joined the group and was told that
out of 2o4 representatives in the leg
islature they could pick out only
twentyfour who were absolutely
irreproachable, and of the fifty sem
ators they could only find eight who
were not susceptible to the influence
Of bribes. The list had been care
fully gone over by the intelligent
and observant gentlemen. The
statement was appalling as l had
never previously given the subject
thought and suggested this man
and that of whom l had never enter
tanned doubt, but in most cases
my friends were able to cite one or
two cases in which they had gone
wrong under circumstances which
left no doubt OF the influences that
were used to produce the result. l
was able to increase the number of
representatives above suspicion to
thirty and the senator's to ten. That
was beggarly showing.
But the republican state conven-
ton which was dominated by the
present governor and the gentleman
who has the friendship of the ma
chine as his successor not only en-
dorsed that legislature by platform
declaration, but in a more substan-
tial way. That is to say, it nomin-
ated tor state treasurer a man who
was foremost among the machine
managers OH the floor. No machine
measure ever failed to receive his
cordial support. Frank G. Harris,
of Clearfcld, was invariably con-
spicuous among the supporters of
legislation that was vicious and
lnischievous. The "rippers" had
his constant approval. The fran
chise grabs and the coal grab got
his earnest support. In fact he balk-
ed at nothing, but took orders from
the beginning of the session to the
end and obeyed them. His nomina-
tion was the machines reward for
perfidy to the people which is i'm
piled in that record.
The funeral train conveying the
remains of the deceased president
from Buffalo to Washington passed
through this city at few minutes
before S O'Clock last evening and it
was most impressive spectacle.
From an eligible point in one of the
hotels near the station I saw the
vast crowd assemble and disperse
and it occurred to me that such a
thing could hardly be possible in
any other country than this. There
were at least 700 people gathered
within the range Of eyesight of the
train and there was neither an acci-
dent nor an unpleasant incident OF
any kind. The people came with
heads bowed down in griet, paid the
tribute of their love and respect to
the memory of the martyred chief
magistrate and went their way silent