The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-05-23
HARRISBURG LETTER.
Special Correspondence.

tive session made one fact clear. There
must be change in the Legislative
methods. This is not the dream of al
idealist It is palpable and practica
truth. The Legislature which has just
finished its work was not bad. In fact
IL was better than any of its recent pre-
decessors. But it enacted legislation
in violation of the constitution and OF
the rules of the body itself. More than
that the methods employed involved
the violation of the oaths of the Sena.
tors and Representatives who permit.
ted the proceedings. 1t was pollution
of the fountain of law and order
During the last two days of the ses.
sion bills were passed through both
chambers, upon roll call vote, when
there was less than quorum present.
The constitution requires that every
bill shall be read at length three times
on three separate days and be voted for
by majority of all the members elect
ed on final passage. 1t is safe state
ment that no bill was read at length at
any stage in either House during the
recent session. In the Senate even the
titles were not read on first reading or
final passage. That this violation of
the constitution was permitted is most
alarming.
The measures enacted during the
closing hours were involved in confus-
ion, moreover. By design or accident
hundreds of bills are left until the last
few days and then are rushed through
at a rate of speed which makes under
standing absolutely impossible. Men
vote on bills about which they have no
knowledge, Sometimes the most vic
ious measures are voted for by men
who positively abhor bad legislation
and who only discover their error after
it is too late, for the courts have ruled
that it is impossible to go behind the
records and the records are always
right. The machine clerks see to that.
THE REMEDY is OBVIOUS.
The excuse for this condition of af-
fairs is that it is unavoidable. That is
not true, however. In the early part
of the session time is wasted. Take the
session which has just closed, for eX-
ample. 1t opened ON the first day of
January and immedia tely adjourned
until the 14th. The ostensible reason
for this long recess was that so much
time was required for the formation of
the committees. That is mistake.
The committees could be formed in
three days and if fitness for the work
influenced the choice of committeeman
rather than political eXigencies much
more efficient bodies would be created
in the lesser time.
Another grave fault lies in the COM
mittee work After the committees
are formed stated times for meetings
ought to be provided in the rules. I'm
der the existing system there is no fix
ed time for the meeting of any COM
mittee. Notice of meetings are written
IN the blackboard at the caprice of the
chairman. Sometimes a days notice
il given and at another time fifteen
minutes is deemed sufficient. When
the machine managers want a bad bill
reported out they arrange for meet
ing of the committee ahd probably fif-
teen minutes before the time fixed write
the notice on the blackboard. The re-
suit is that only those who are in the
leal know of the meeting and they re-
port the bill out.
During the session just closed this
agency for evil was worked to the linn
t. Some committees were never call
ID until within few weeks of the close
If the session and all bills which came
from them were necessarily crowded
into that overilowing deluge of legisla-
ion which was clogged and jostled at
The end. Other committees practiced
even more reprehensiblem methods. Take
the Game and Fish Committee of the
House. for example. 1t surreptitiously
reported the bill imposing dollar IL
cense tax on gunners n Id but for the
vigilance and courage of Representa-
tive Dersham, of Union county, that
iniquity might have been perpetrated
as Il result.
Later the same committee took ad-
vantage of the absence of the oppo-
nents of the same bill and had it re-
ported out at meeting which had
been called clandestinely, on a few
minutes notice, on the blackboard.
CAUSE OF THE NEW CONSTITUTION.
One of the main reasons given for
the creation OF the constitution of 1873
was that the legislative methods of the
time Immediately preceding were in
imical. Bills were called up, the titles
read and the vote ordered, it was said.