Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-10-06
concluded From Last Week.l
The Session of 1905.


The Session of 1905.
]. Lee Plummer's abject subserviency
to the machine in the contested cleo
tiOn cases disposed of during the ses-
sion of 1893 made him a prime favor
I, ite at the beginning of the session Of
1905. During the two previous sessions,
Ward B. Bliss, of Delaware county,
had been chairman of the committee
on appropriations, admittedly the most
important position in the Legislature
from a machine standpoint, with the
possible exception of the Speakership
According to precedent, Mr.. Bliss, hav-
ing been reelected, stood to succeed
himself, with Mr.. McClain, of Lancas-
ter the fittest man in the body, meas
ured by experience and ability for the
office, first in the line of succession.
Shortly before the session opened, how
ever, Mr.. Bliss died, and Plummer was
jumped over McClain's head into the
coveted position.
Few outside Of those intimately as
sociated with legislation understand
the vast power for good or evil vest
ed in the Craftsmanship of the house
committee on appropriations. He is in
fact in control of the purse-strings Of
the Commonwealth, and supported ty
well-disciplined machine can dispose
of the revenues of the State almost at
his pleasure. For years it has been
one of the principal sources of revenue
for the machine, the rake-off from ap-
preparations to charitable and educa-
tional institutions amounting to a vast
sum each session. But to make this
graft available, it is necessary to have
an absolutely obedient and entirely
constituencies man at the head of the
committee. In the contested election
cases. Mr.. McClain showed that he
couldn't be depended upon, and Plum
mer proved that he could. Therefore,
Plummer was taken.
State Charities Perverted.
The record of the appropriations
committee of the last Legislature is
so notorious and rotten that it's hard
ly worth while 10 cite it in detail. The
managers of every charity in the
State know how their recommended
tions were ignored, the members of the
committee remember how they were
sighted, and the general public has
come to understand that political ex-
pediency rather than the merits of in
stitutions or the necessities of the
wards of the Commonwealth was con-
suited In dispensing the charities. Rem
resentative Hays, of Butler county, a
lifelong Republican and member of the
committee, openly charged Chairman
Plummer with usurping authority and
betraying public interests by shaping
the appropriations to serve the politi.
cal machine raLner than the interests
of the people. Pummer was silent
under the accusation because he knew
it could be proved.
His relationship to other vicious leg
islation Of the session of 1905 may well
be examined by the voters who are
asked to entrust him with a closer as
sociation with the treasures of the
State. II can be said without fear of
contradiction that he supported with
voice, vote or personal solicitation
every iniquitiOus measure considered
during the session, and that he didn't
vote for single measure in the inter-
est of the people unless II was some
tlifle which the machine consented TO
as sort of sop to the reform whale.
For example:
He voted against a resolution in
structing Pennsylvania Senators. and
requesting our Representatives in Con-
gress to vote for the legislation ad-
vocatcd by President Roosevelt pro-
hibitins discrimination in freight
charges and the payment of rebates
Legislative Record, pages 2OO-2O4.
Against Personal Registration.
He voted against the resolution offer
ed by Mr.. Sheat2, of Philadelphia, to
discharge the elections committee
from the farther consideration of his
personal registration bill for cities Of
the State. Legislative Record pages
97-1S. The measure had been held in
committee so long that the purpose to
smother 1t stood revealed, and the OBJ
ject of the motion was to put IL on
the calendar in order that 1t might
have a chance of passing Mr.. Plum
mer and most of the Republicans un-
der orders from the machine managers
voted against the motion and defeated
1t. =
He lodged the vote on the resoIu-
ton offered by Mr.. Greasy to put the
bill allowing trolley railrads to carry
freight on the calendar. Legislative
Record, pages 2219-22. That measure
was also being stifled In committee by
machine orders.
He voted against the resolution offer
ed by Mr. Scofeld Republican, of
Clearfield, to take the employers liza
bility out OF the committee on judiciary
general and place it on the calendar. |
Legislative Record, pages 2224-27. This |
bill was advocated by the United Mine |
Workers and other labor organizations. |
nr is already in successful and satis-
factory operation In number Of |
States.
The Infamous Vice Bills.
He voted for the atrocious Publ bill. |
Legislative Record, pages 1039-40
This measure was designed to de- |
Sfroy the Philadelphia Law and Order
Society. When the partnership be-
tween the police department and tho
purveyors OF vice became so notorious