The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1903-10-22
ShNAlOR NNlDhRS
PUBLIC RECORD
He Supported Every Vicious Meas.
ure of Legislation Introduced.
su5sERVlENT TOOL OF MAcHE!E

Republican Candidate For Auditor
General Supported All Kinds Of
Grabs, Pinch Bills, Corporation
Measures and Rippers Find Favor.
A summary of the vicious legislation
Z the past ten years would be an ac-
41rate record Of Senator William p.
ayder's legislative career. No in
-uity was too rank for him, no in
fIny too atrocious. He has been the
1ost subservient tool of the machine
1T all times and urier all circum-
stances. The interes Is of the people
have never challeng d his attention,
while every measure of spoliation for
the benefit of corporations and politi-
cal clfques has had his active support.
To give the list of infamous bills
supported in the legislature by Sena-
tor Snyder from the beginning of his
service in that body would occupy too
much space. Such a summary would
fill volume. But we may take the
record of the sessions of 1901 and 1908
and find room for the most conspicu-
ously bad bills he supported. In the
session of 1901 the storm centre of
corruption was the bill known as the
Pittsburg ripper" The purpose of
that bill was TO legislate out of Office
public servants chosen by the people
for no other reason than that they re-
fused to yield willing obedience to the
mandates of the boss. Senator Snyder
was one Of its most active supporters.
He appeared to take delight in the in
fanny of his action.
Some Other Vicious Bills.
But there were dozens of other bills
reeking with corruption which had his
earnest support during that session.
Among them were the Philadelphia
ripper" subsequently, declared uncon-
stituional by the supreme court; the
measure creating another court in
Philadelphia against the protest of the
bench, bar and vast majority of the
people, the franchise grabs, which be-
slowed upon a lot of political adven-
turers property of the people Of the ag-
gregate value of millions of dollars,
and the Steinman canal grab bill. For
the Philadelphia part of the franchise
grab Mr. John Wanamaker offered the
cash consideration of s2,500,000, while
the Pittsburg end, which went to
Quay's son and the Bigelows, was
equally valuable.
The Erie land grab was one of the
,ost unique swindles ever perpetrated
corrupt legislative clique. Pres
re Isle is large body of land which
orms one side of the beautiful harbor
Lake Erie at the city of Erie. A
yroup of landgra bbers have been striv-
ing for years to get possession of that
lovely spot. In the session of 1901
they swooped down on the legislature
laden with Doodle. The measure was
pressed with impudent vigor and per-
sistency 1t was defeated in the House
OF Representatives, reconsidered and
passed by fraud. The next day the
fraud was exposed and the measure
put back upon the calendar where it
remained for some weeks and was fin
ally defeated. But II passed the senate
and among its most earnest support
The Multiplication of Offices.
One of the petty swindles of that
machine governed and boss ridden leg
islature was the measure increasing
the clerk hire allowances of the SUI
preme court judges Under a previous
law for which Snyder had voted each
supreme court judge was allowed
nIa 10 80
that 1t was a most desirable position
and you couldn't have driven any occu-
pant out with a battery of Gatling
guns. But the machine wanted to in
crease the reward for party services to
those gentlemen and a bill increasing
their salaries to S2500 a year was in
troduced. Some of the judges protest
ed against the extravaganza, but the
machine legislature disregarded the
protest and railroaded the bill through.
One Of the active leaders in the trans
action was Senator William p. Sny-
der.
Senator Snyder has always been, not
so much for the old flag and an ap-
preparation, as for new Offices and an
appropriation. During the session of
1901 there were several bills Of that
kind considered. Among them were
bills creating new courts and addi-
tional judges. We have referred to the
new court in Philadelphia and his vote
on that measure. A bill was also in
troduced for new court In Allegheny
county and Snyder supported it with
all the earnestness and zeal tnat hun
cry man puts into consuming a palat-
table meal. The people of Pittsburg
protested vehemently. but that made
no difference to Snyder. Finally
vast delegation of business men repre-
senting the board of trade and other
civic organizations went to Harrisburg
and frightened the machine leaders un-
til they abandoned the enterprise. But
the last TO give up was Snyder.
Montgomery County Court Bill.
The talk OF the town during that ses-
sion was the bill creating an orphans