The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-04-04

tive Minehart. Of Franklin county,
to repeal the act of May II, 1905,
providing for the erection OF statue
of the Honorable M. s. Quay, on
the capitol grounds at Harrisburg,
and making all appropriation there
for" The presence of that measure
III the statute books of the State is
an outrage upon the conscience OF
the people of Pennsylvania.
1t has been said by the apologists
for Quay's iniquities that Mine
hart's bill. would put hardship on
the Commissioners appointed under
that act to put its provisions into
execution But that is not true.
There never was legally organiz-
ed commission to execute that law.
In the first place there is no provi-
sion in the title of the bill for the
appointment OF commissioners and
even if there were aud the law it.
self measured up to the legal re-
quirements, the commissioners were
never legally authorized to act and
whatever they have done is upon
their own responsibility and neces
sarily at their own expense. Sec
tion s. Article d of the constitution
Of Pennsylvania, empowers the
Governor to nominate, and by.
and with the advice and consent Of
two-t thirds of all the members of
the Senate" appoint such officers
of the commonwealth "as lie is or
may be authorized by the constitu-
ton or by law to appoint. The
Senate has never advised or con-
sented to the appointment of CON-
missioners TO erect the Quay statue.
One complete session has been held
since the law providing for the
Quay monument was enacted and
three months ofanother are passed,
yet the. nominations of the Quay
monument commissioner have not
been confirmed. Therefore if they
have purchased a monument or
gone to any other expense in order
to disgrace the State by the erection
OF an efigy of the most notorious
corruptionist of his day and genera
ton, let them pay for it themselves.
THE Two-CENT-A-MILE RATE.
The two-cent mile passenger
rate bill passed the Senate on Tues
day and is now on the hands of the
Governor. There were only three
votes against it, those of Grim of
Bucks, Roberts of Montgomery,
and Sproul of Delaware, who were
frightened at the shadow of a threat
to cut out the Communication tickets
for suburban residents. Of course
there was no danger of such a
thing, as future events will show,
aud State Senators ought to be less
credulous. But in justice to the
gentlemen 1t should be said that
their constituents were overwhelm
ing against the bill so far as ex-
preston to their sentiments was
given. 1 saw Senator Grim's mail
for day or two before the vote,
for example. He had advertised
in the local pap RS for an expression
of public opinion ON the subject and
out of bushel basketful Of letters,
more or less, there was but one
asking him to vote for the bill. Of
course such situations are perplex-
ing. The platform of his party
pledged him to vote for the meas
ure and I believe his own inclina.
lions were in that direction. But
he reasoned that he is the repre-
sentative of the people of the dis
trict rather than of his own views
and the information he had after
diligent effort to get the truth,
compelled him to vote against the
bill.
1t is practically settled that the
Legislature will adjourn finally on
Thursday. May I6. At least Speak
er McClain announced, after con-
ference with some of the Republi
can leaders, on Thursday evening,
that such would be the case. A
joint resolution will be passed, the
Speaker states, that the Investiga-
ting Committee shall report to the
Governor, on the completion of its
work, and that he shall be author
lied to take any steps in the direc.
tion of criminal proceedings he
deems advisable.
Meanwhile the reform legislation
is moving forward though it must
be confessed that celebrity is con.
tempered with cunctation.' In
other words the Greasy trust buster
which passed the House finally is
now in the Senate committee where
it will probably die and the Rail
road commission bill only passed