The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-05-23
the Food and Drugs Act June 3d. 1906 No 81


to accept and transport freight.
The railroad commission bill was
likewise emasculated and would have
been made worthless if the Governor
hadn't protested. Even as 1t is, the
commission will have little power 9TH
er than to draw salaries. 1t may adj
wise the Secretary of Internal affairs to
do some things and he can do as he
likes afterwards But the commission
can enforce no order or recommended
ton. 1t il practically of no use ut all
except as an asylum for politicians who
have grown too old to provide for
themselves in any other way and it
will be a too expensive luxury for that
reason. The pensions might have been
put to better uses.
BApBLooD AT CLOSE OF SESSION.
The close of the session developed
surprising flow of bad blood among the
Republicans. Throughout the session
there have been signs of friction be-
tween the two branches and nobody
would have been surprised at an out
break at any stage of the proceedings.
Speaker McClain had three or four bills
which were understood to be in the in
terest of former Secretary of the Com
monwealth William w. Greist, of Ian
caster, who is said to be the chief of the
Justice E!kin faction. 1t is only just
to say that a Speaker of the House
ought not to have any bill in the Leg
islature. His power over legislation is
great and the temptation to exercise it
for revenge almost too much to resist.
The Penrose machine dominated the
Senate as completely as the speaker
with all his vast power, controlled the
House. The Senate killed the McClain
bills not because they were bad, and
some of them were atrocious, but for
the reason that they were McClain's
bills. In resentment McClain, on the
last legislative day of the session. slash
ed and slaughtered the Senate bills
with merciless pertinacity. He wasn't
very particular as to the character of
the measures, either. The fact that
they were Senate bills was enough. He
refused to permit any of them to be
considered with the result that more
than sixty Senate bills, good, bad and
indifferent, fell into the Legislative
waste basket that day.
AS a result of this resolution was
introduced into the Senate by Mr..
Blewitt, of Lackawanna county, on
Thursday, deprecating the "unpardon-
able position taken by the Hon, Frank
b. McClain in the closing hours of the
session of the House of Representa-
tives." The resolution was referred to
committee without debate but it is
nevertheless part of the record of the
session and in position which practi-
cally makes it impossible to obliterate
it. At least it will remain in its pres
ent position until the next session
when the committee may report it
Will dH iIlutlNc VI negative TtCOIU-
mendation and motion to expunge
will lie.
QUEER CAPERS OF MURPHY.
Political exigencies make presiding
officers cut up queer pranks at times
and the session just closed was no ex-
ception to the rule in that respect.
Speaker McClain was absolutely fair as
a rule, and though he "did thingsn
once or twice, in the main there is no
just cause of complaint against him.
But Lieutenant Governor Murphy
"went the limit" whenever such SER
vice appeared to be required of him.
For instance on the last day, but one,
of the session he ruled that motion
to lay motion on the table was not
lay a previous motion on the table was
in order for the reason tha in the
event that it prevailed there would be
nothing tangible to lay on the table.
That was the acme of absurditv