The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-10-12
PLUMMER AGAINST LABOR
Miners Legislative Committee Convicts Him
of Duplicity.
He Deliberately Blocked Legislation Favorable to
Workingmen, Repeatedly Violated His Pledges
and His Friends Boisterously Applauded the
Epthet, ''The Miners Be Damned"

OF PASSING.
This Representative Smith. of In
diana, and BoultOn, of Clearfeld had
refused to do up to this time. Smith.
or Indiana, accompanied your commit
tee Just before the house convened
this afternoon to see Plummcr and en-
deavor to get the bill out of committee.
At first we could get no satisfaction.
Finally Brother Hamilton informed
Plummer that he understood that he,
Plummer, was aspiring for the nomi-
nation, and that If he was successful
In securing the nomination and in
tended to run for state treasurer at the
next election, that his attitude in con-
nection with our bills would not entitle
him to expect any support from the
miners OF District No. or the work
ers throughout the state. Plummer
then promised TO give the bill his care
full attention at the earliest opportun-
ity."
Plummer's Attitude Toward Labor
interests.
The report continues: I'm harmony
with the statement made at the COM
mencement of our report, we desire
to present n more detailed statement
in connection with the attitude OF
Plummer in the treatment of our bills.
We stated that one Of the reasons we
had In view in presenting our report
was bldl lit lIltIluS vi ldDOT anu llS
enemies, both open and concealed,
should be unveiled for the future bene-
fit OF all concerned, both to those who
might be sent in the capacity of leg
islative committees to Harrisburg and
to the voter who might inquire for the
record OF any candidate serving at
present as representative. and who
might again solicit their suffrage in
electing him to some elective Office.
Representative Plummer is aspir-
Ing for the Office OF state treasurer, one
of the most important Offices within
/ the gift OF the people OF this common
| wealth. This Office should only be fill
ed by men OF the most sterling worth
| and character. He must by all means
| be clean and honest. pure and open and
| above board. in all his dealings.
| "As MIR. Plummer was the chairman
| of the appropriations committee. he
was the principal member of this com
| mittee with whom your committee
came in contact in looking after the
measures submitted to the care OF the
| appropriations committee. Whether
| Plummer voiced the sentiments of the
majority OF the committee in the ma
| jority of the interviews with us or not
| we are unable to say, or whether his
expressions and attitude were individ-
ual and simply his own personal ex-
presslons.
His expressions, according to your
| committee, were not considered as
| friendly to the legislation submitted
| by the miners That he was not open
and above board your committee
thinks the statement already made in
connection with his offer to Represen-
tatives Smith and Boulton, Offering
| them to give this bill submitted to his
committee consideration If they would
support one of the most rotten meas
| ureS presented to the legislature, a
| measure so unfair that it had already
| been vetoed twice by the governor.
who gave as one of his reasons for We
toing it that it was not necessary, and
| thus created means for useless eX-
| penditure OF money.
VIII Continue to Serve the Machine.
"IT is THE OPINION OF YOUR
! COMMITTEE THAT A MAN WHO
WILL SCHEME AND WORK FOR
! THE CREATION OF USELESS OF
/ FiCES TO KEEP RING CRONIES'
IN LUXURY. THUS CAUSING THE
! EXPENDITURE OF LARGE SUMS
OF THE PEOPLES MONEY USE
I.ESSLY, AT ONE TIME, WILL CON
! TINUE TO DO SO WITH INCREAS-
ED OPPORTUNITIES.
"TO substantiate our reasons Tor
stating thcN we did not believe that
his attitude to our bills would entitle
! him TO fill the capacity OF n represen-
} tatiye of labor. he was a representa-
tive but he was not representative
of the people and representing other
interests I'm which the following sum-
mary review of our dealings with him
while at Harrisburg, and few cita-
tions from the conversations brought
out during our interviews will prove:
During one of our conversations af-
ter the commission bill had passed the
house on second reading and had been
tl ttnn m
priatiOns, the failure on the part OF
this committee in reporting any bills
until on or about the 2lst of March,
your committee, as before stated, real
izing the Importance of getting the bill!
out at the earliest possible moment,
sought to use every effort to accom-
plish this purpose. We were informed
that our bill would be presented in
the order in which it was received,
that this was the rule.
PIummer Disseminated Against
Miners.
Eve did not wish to devlate from
any established rule. even II 1t were
possible for us to persuade the com
mittee to do so. If this was their
method of doing business and they
followed it out unbiased, We consd'
cred their method fair: but FOR
SOME REASON UNKNOWN TO US
PLU NJ MEt WOOlLJ MI LIE - i.
COMMISSION BILL COME BEFORE
THE COMMITTEE. We demanded an
explanation from Plummer for his at
titude in connection with refusing to
allow this bill to come before his COM
mittee. and thus blocking 1t from COM
'ns HE nE'f' PfROMlsED TO GIVE 1T CON,
SIDERATION. INSTEAD OF CAR,
RYING OUT THIS PROMISE, HE
RERS OF THE COMMITTEE DOWN
WHO WERE FAVORABLE TO THE
BILL, EVEN ASKING REPRESENTA-
TIVE SMITH, OF GLEN CAMPBELL,
HIS REASONS FOR BEING SO
MUCH INTERESTED IN THE BILL.
70 this Mr.. Smith replied that he con
sidered the coal miners needed protec-
tion: that II was craft fraught with
great danger, both to health r1,dn6r and life
dustry. The miners demanded this
legislation, and in his opinion were in
a position, should II become necessary,
TO take care of themselves and get
thar demands enforced in the future.