Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-09-21
State PoIice2 We Told You So.

,
disregard OF the machine legislature
majority for the warnings given by
Representative Greasy, who, when the
bill was under debate, said:
when this bill was up for sec
ond reading | offered an amend
ment to carry out the suggestion Of
the governor, that If we passed this
bill 1t shall do away with the coal
and Iron police, and that bill was
voted down by this house. ! want
20 say that there Is no man upon
the floor of this house that has
stood to defend the governor more
than | have but here is a measure
that has been robbed of every es-
sence that he has laid down in his
measure, and that is to do away
with these coal and iron police.
Just few days ago when this bill
was under consideration the great
and mighty corporate interests OF
this state were arrayed against II,
but when they found out that they
could have appointed Just as many
policemen as they formerly had
they said 1t is all right. Yet | don't
believe that the governor will ap-
point a single policeman for these
great corporations.
This IS a question that involves
the right OF the people, and as /
said before that If II carried out
the recommendations of the gov
ernor l don't believe there would
be single vote on this side against
IT, But az IL iB " aocompl ishsS
nothing. After the present govern
or leaves his chair they will have
just as many policemen appointed
as they want. If this body is so
anxious to obey the mandates and
the recommendation of the gov
ernor, why was this bill amended?
1t originally put out that clause
that is now in the bill and did away
entirely with the appointment of
these policemen. The governor
said in his message that 1t should
take the place of the game and fish
wardenS. Is there anything In this
bill that shows that these police
mon are TO take their place? Not
one word, and that Is why | am
against it, and | don't see how any
member from the country can vote
for this bill in its present shape.
1t appropriates S425, 900 for lot Of
policemen. How many? Have yoa
figured 1t out? Suppose you count
$4,000 for the expense OF this de-
partment, and then count for the
value Of the horses and the accOutre-
ment, and | suppose the policeman
will have to have a gattling gun,
and there will be another $3.50
gone. and you will have $50 police
men about to 20 over this state.
This bill is behind the times.
In many of our communities the
country is overrun with telephones
and II Is fact that no thief or any
person that commits a depreciation
can get away. Up in my county,
where the rural telephones are es-
tablished Just partially, last Satur-
day four or five boys wandered
away from a neighboring town and
one Of the little boys, the smallest
one, only years old, was lost, and
this boy came to my residence and
wanted to know if l saw the other
little boys and | said | did not.
went to my telephone and inside of
half an hour | had that little boy
located. | want to know if you
would have had % of these police
men II you could have done bet
ter than that?
Il don't believe that a single
country member can 90 from this
house and explain TO his sOnstitu-
ency why he voted for a measure
that took S425 900 out of the state
treasury when the other day we
passed o bill permitting these very
towns and townships near the great
cities to elect by vote of the peo-
pie whether they wanted police
men or not The bill was vetoed.
If this thing starts the next legisla.
ture will ask for 400 policemen,
and the Lord only knows where
this bill OF expense will stop. Wa
ar. appropriating nearly milliOe
Of dollars every two years to the
National Guard. We are voting
$425. 900 to state constabulary.
One-eighth OF our revenues that we
are getting from the corporations.
If we keep on awhile longer 1t will
take the entire revenues OF the
state TO maintain the National
Guard"
Charity Department" Blocked.
Mr. Greasy himself was surprised
~ his success in knocking dead the
oil. which the machine failed to make
law.
creating the department of state
charitable institutions providing
for the appointment of a commits
sioner. who shall be the head
thereof. defining his duties, fixing
his compensation. designating the
number and salaries OF his assist
ants and making an appropriation
therefor
Mr. Greasy said OF the measure vher
1t was before the house:
Just a few days ago | talked
with one OF the leading members
on the other side of the house, who
said he thought II was about time
to stop this increasing salary busi-
ness and this creating Of new de-
paItments. Here We are creating
q department that will cost at least
between $36, 900 and $4,000 a year.
! don't think we ought TO create q
new department, with unlimited
power to a few men. and | am sat
isfied the work this commission is
to do will be no more than what
Is being done in the state today,
and | cannot see, IL we want TO do
something, why we cannot do II
by cheaper method than this"
How They Fought the "Rippers."
Mr.. Greasy, Mr.. Harman and Other
Democratic representatives spoke Wig
orously against the Philadelphia rip
per" bills. Seeing that they could
not defeat them, they strove to amend
them so as to have the directors
elected by the people instead of bJ
the machine controlled city councils
as the bills provided. But all in vain
That struggle alone sufficed to show
the necessity for an arousing OF tho
people of the state SO as TO elect q
trustworthy majority to the next leg
islature.
Representative Flynn said during
the discussion on one Of those rip
per" bills;
Every member of this house
who votes aye on the final pas
sage of this bill lends himself in
directly to all the evils which have
been charged against the Philadel-
phia machine"
Kind Of Men TO Check Corporations
Mr. Greasy, in clash with Thomas
V. COoper over the bill