The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-02-19
NEW BALLOT BILL READY
VIII Probably be Presented in Leg
islature This Week.
RESULT OF MR.. DuRHAM's VISIT
Are Senator Grady's Railroad Bills
Aimed at the Wabash mo Prospect
For Legislative Reapportonment
Other important Measures.
Especial Correspondence.l !


Other important Measures.
Especial correspondence
Harrisburg, Feb. 16.-When the leg
lslature suspended operations last week
it was to take a recess until after the
election. The senate quit work We'd
nesday about noon and the house on
Friday morning as usual, and neither
body will assemble again until next
Wednesday night. BY that time both
branches will be ready for an uninter-
rupted swing of legislation. The SEN
ate, however, will adjourn again on
Thursday until the following Monday
night, for it is entirely up to date with
it's work and is compelled to jog along
leisurely in order to await business be-
ing transacted and sent over from the
House
A notable incident of the week was
the visit of Insurance Commissioner
Durham, the man. according to popular
sentiment, who is regarded as the most
potential, not excepting the governor
himself, in shaping legislation. He
spent some time on the floor of the
house and senate on Wednesday and
members, new and old. of all parties
and factions, studied with interest the
figure that plays such an important
part in Pennsylvania politics.
One of the purposes of his visit was
to consult with his legislative friends
| concerning a ballot-reform measure,
and the result of their deliberations
will probably be seen this week, when
bill will be presented under Repub-
lican auspices in the senate. This bill
will be in the nature of a composite
measure, compromise between the
Quay state committee scheme and the
Focht bill. 1t was decided to hand this
legislation over to Senator Focht's
care, the latter consenting to recede so
far from his original position in rela.
tion to the circle as to accept the Quay
bill with its square.
'In thus squaring the circle" says.
Focht, eve will present and pass a bill
that will be as near perfection as pos
sible. / will be willing to submit it to
committee of high-class printers or
mechanical experts, and if they do not
approve of it's concise features will
withdraw it, Its size will be two
thirds less than that of the present
blanket sheet. The general change
from the old ballot will be that instead
Of it containing columns of candidates
Of the various parties, it will contain
the names of the candidates singly,
with thn iun fAl
them. BY the arrangement of squares
the citizen can vote with equal facility
for straight party list or he can split
his ticket. All unoccupied and wasted
space, as in the old ballot, will be done
away with, and there will be no multi
plying of columns. Another saving of
time and space and worriment to the
voter is that when man is nominated
by more than one party, instead of his
having column for each nomination,
mention of the various party designa-
tions along with his name will be suf-
ficient. Generally the new scheme
will be large concession to the Aus
tralian ballot"
Meanwhile the Democrats have SUBJ
iiisIVu q Dlll VI IuelT OWN
and personal-regisrration bill, while
the woodruff registration bill is like
wise before the elections committee of
the house. Mr.. Gaul, the bailot-box
expert of New Jersey, is here again
this session for the purpose of seeing
what can be done in the way of having
his Dallot-box device adopted by the
,Aota To-. %
becoming law.
As to the Wabash.
Senator Grady's two bills, the one
condemning unused railroad trackage
and the other denying railroads char
tered in other states the right of emf
nent domain in Pennsylvania, continue
to excite much speculation. The sup
| position that they are aimed at the en-
| croachments of the Wabash in this
| state will not down. Although there is
| no appearance of Wabash lobby at
| the capitol, there are, however, Wa
| bash officials here who are watching
| every stage of the Grady bills with the
keenest interest. One of these officials
expressed himself to me in the follow
ing language day or two ago;
at Is all very we'll for Senator Grady
to deny that these measures are di-
rected at the Wabash or any other for
| eign railroad organization, but If they
did not have such purpose, what pos
sible motive could there be for intro
| ducing them? Eliminating the Wa
bash, or any other railroad in the fu-
| ture, is altogether out of the question,
/ defy the senator or any one else to
| show me any actual necessity for these
bills. But they will not block the Wa
bash from coming east. We will get
through to Baltimore from Pittsburg,
leaving the latter place probably
through Greene county, and getting to
Baltimore by the West Virginia Cen
trail and the Western Maryland rail-
roads. In two years at the utmost we
will get into Baltimore, and the roads
| have mentioned will lose their old
| pan,ao and idapfify ond hoonnon m -