Evening journal., 1901-02-09

il. George Massey Jones is a mem-
bar Of the Kent county bar, and AL
prominent Regular Republican, we'll
hated for his fealty 90 Republicanism
and his refusal to succumb to the
blandishment and blight Of Addlcks-
ism. Mr.. Jones has a large practice,
and is interested in many of th5 meas
mes which come before the Legisla-
ture, particularly railroad bills. he be-
ing one OF the regular attorneys for
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
Frank r. Davis Is the.Union Repub-
Mcan member Of the legislative legal
staff. He has no love for Mr.. Jones,
and, we imagine, Mr.. Jones has little
love for him. The dislike Is both
mutual and natural.
Yesterday, as we understand It, Mr.
Davis saw Mr.. Jones sitting ait Clerk
Deighton's desk copying a bill. It must
have made him indignant that a Reg
ular Republican lawyer should enjoy
that courtesy lie went to Speaker
McCommons and built a bugaboo of
the dangers surrounding such cOur-
tesy, and afterwards went over TO the
Senate chamber and recited to one of
the Union Republican senators the de-
tails of the startling fact that Mr..
Jones was copying a bill that he
didn't want him to see. And then the
Union Republican influence was set to
work to avert a calamity to the State,
and Speaker McCommons gave his Or
ders TO Clerk Deighton.
There is not a bill that is introduced
in the Legislature that does not in
terest all the people or a part Of the
people. There is not an honest bill
introduced that can suffer from scru-
tiny at the clerks desk by lawyers or
representatives OF the press. The only
bills that can suffer are snake" bills
and riders" and they are discovered
oftener by lawyers and newspaper men
than by the members themselves. It Is
the man with crooked legislation q
propose who does not want his bill
scrutinizedThe man with honest legis
lation TO propose doesn't fear the glare
of publicity Gloss a clerks desl
against lawyers and correspondents
and IL becomes a safe hiding place foi
snakes" and riders" of the wors
possible description. The chief safe
guard the people have is the scrutiny
OF lawyers and correspondents.
Il
should permit bills TO be carried away
from his desk, or that he should mo-
exercise discrimination in the grant
ing of courtesies. Far from it But W,
do mean that such an order as thar
contemplated by Speaker McCommoni
would be a public menace and one o
the greatest benefits imaginable to leg
lslative crooks,
We say this in no spirit of unl1ind
ness towards Speaker McCommons
for he never conceived such an idea l
was put in his head by someone VIII
had a spite or an interest to serve. Blu
~ won't do. The people have a righ
30 know what goes into that desk an
Nhste Ouihto oNt ol IT, anu lue hptAht
or member who endeavois to dam III
that healthful flow of public informa
ton will find that he is engaged il
, an unpopular and Improbable enter
prise.
II Speaker McCommons has any re
gard for public confidence and esteem
he will not promulgate such an oh
noxious order; and, II he does, a ma
iority OF the members OF the Hous
should promptly upset st. The sessio
has reached that stage when Snakes
and riders" are introduced. and tn
people want them watched an
scotched.