Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-05-02
VIII Be Needed by Senators II
They Again Defeat Popular
Vote for Senator
LYDICK BILL COMING ALONG
Contains Similar Provisions, Which,
# Knocked Out in Senate, viii
Necessitate Still More Explaining
Than Has Already Been Done.

senate by majority of three
votes killed the McCord bill
providing for popular vote on the
United States senatorship it is not yet
through with the proposition. The
sepators now have the Lydick primary
election bill to tackle. This bill has
the same senatorial feature as con
tanned in the McCord bill but differs
from the latter in lat it merely al
lows the expression of opinion on the
part of the voters and does not make
their action binding upon the legisla-
tors.
The senators who opposed the Nc
Cord bill, in explaining their action,
declared that as that measure made
it binding upon the members Of the
legislature to vote for the candidate
for United States senator indicated by
a majority of the votes of the peo-
pie ii was unconstitutional as well as
unreasonable and unjust. Since the
Lydick measure is not as drastic in
this respect there is some prospect
that it will go through, although a
bitter fight is in anticipation. The
bill already has passed the house
and if it gets through the senate it
is thought that the governor will
sign it.
No bill has caused the senator's
more concern than did the McCord
BILL which was defeated. The sena-
tors have had to make lengthy ex-
plantations to their constituents re-
garding the provisions of the measure.
Some OF those from the country dis
tricts who opposed its passage are
still explaining.
Although the Lydick bill provides
only for an expression" of the voters
on the senatorship question an ex-
preston is regarded just as binding
as If it were set forth in stronger
terms such as contained in the Nc
Cord bill. Now it will be up to the
senators who voted against the Nc
Cord bill to find some other excuse
for voting against the Lydick bill, for
the Lydick bill is looked upon as en-
tirely constitutional in this respect.
Fight Between Factions.
The Committee of Seventy Of Phil
adelphia, strong reform organiza-
tion of the Quaker City, opposed the
Lydick measure because it required
those who voted at the primaries to
state to what party they belonged
However, the members of this organ
ization were much in favor of the
popular vote provision on the senator
ship question. AS it is simply a fight
between the Penrose and the Elkin
factions of the Republican party the
outcome is awaited with much inter
est
One by one the political party plat
form pledges are being redeemed.
Two of the bills, the trolley freight
and the two-cent fare bill, have been
signed 5y the governor and other leg
islation affecting the railroads is on
it's way through the legislature. The
signing of the trolley freight bill last
week by the governor concludes a
fight that has been waged for years
by the Changers of the state. Es-
pecially interested in this movement
were the rural and suburban COM
munities, but as long as the railroad
interests controlled things politically
in the state it was impossible to give
the people what they wanted Now
that two such important measures
have been ordered upon the statute
books the prospects are that the COM
monwealth will experience a growth
and prosperity, especially in the farm
ing communities, such as never before
has been realized.
Great Boon to Farmers
A great many trolley lines pass
through districts far removed from
the big railroads. Yet the farmers
have been obliged to ship their pro
ducts to the city market and get
their goods from the city by the ex-
pensive route of the steam lines sup
plemented by long hauls by wagons,
while trolleys whizzed by their very
doors.
The Clarency building and loan
bill in the house and the Grim build
ing and loan bill in the senate are
likely to meet an early death. The
building and loan associations
throughout the state, of which there
are about LOO, are uniformly and
aggressiyely opposed to these meas
ures. The bills are precisely alike
and their purpose is to restrict the
business of those associations which
seek business beyond the immediate
districts in which they are located.
In addition to the $6,000,000 which
the legislature will probably appro-
pirate for good roads a bill appro-
priating $1,000,000 for the improve.
ment specifically of roads extending
from one city to another, to be known
as main highways" is likely to be-
come law. 1t already has passed
the senate and is not likely to meet
with any opposition in the house. 1t
is predicted that with the improved
highways and the improved trolley
systems throughout the state the