The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-05-23
REVIEWS THE DEMOCRATS.
Hon. W. /. Nesbit. Of Northumberland. Says
Personnel OF House Was Above the
Ordinary.

Northumberland county, writes an
interesting letter to the Milton
Standard OH the legislature i'll which
he reviews the personnel of the De
mocratic side of the house. The
letter follows:
The regular session of the legis-
lature of 1907 has passed into his
tory. 1t is possible, though hardly
probable, that there may be an
extra session next winter.
In any review of its work that is
fair and uhprejudiced it would, |
think, appear that much good work
has been done, and on the other
hand there have been failures and
shortcomings. Speaking for tie
house l think it may be fairly said
that in personal character no pre-
vious house has presented higher
average standard in its member
ship. l believe l might safely make
this statement much stronger than
that. So far as came under my
own observation there were but
three or four cases of fragrant drunk
enness, on the part of members,
during the sessions, and these with
one exception were not i'll the hall
of the house, but i'll the corridors.
On the other hand a very large
proportion of the membership was
composed of men taken from the
best citizenship of their respective
districts.
On the Democratic side a dozen
conspicuously able, capable and
faithful representatives could be
picked out of their fifty members.
Several of these came from more or
less strongly Republican districts
as, for instance, Sterling, of Fay
ette: Gearhart, of Clearfeld ;
Minehart, of Franklin Davis, of
Chester, and Dersham, of Unicn.
These are all men who have made
records Of which their friends may
be justly proud,
Without intending any dispar-
agement to any former representa-
tive l feel justified in saying that
| do not believe that our neighbor-
ing county of Union has ever been
more honestly, faithfully and capa-
bly, represented in the house than
at the late session by Hon. Frank
| l. Dersham.
| Questions of national politics cut
no figure i'll the late session and if
it were possible, as it could be by an
amendment to the federal constitu-
ton, to take away from the legisla-
lures of all the states the election
of United States senators and elect
them directly by the popular vote
it would be great gain not to the
senate itself, but also in raising the
standard of the membership of our
State legislatures. The voters
would then be more ready to dis
regard party lines when question OF
the personal fitness of the candid
ates arise.
The acknowledged leader on the
Democratic side was of course
Farmer" Greasy. No more valu.
able man, to the people of the
State at large, has ever sat in the
house. His retirement, if that were
to happen, would be great loss to
the people of the entire State. 1t is
not likely to happen. The good
people of Columbia county who
have stood by him for so many
years, to their great credit, are not
likely to commit the folly of super
seding him now. For twelve years
he has been regularly returned from
| Columbia county as one of her
representatives and now, since that
county has LIST member under the
new apportionment. her sole repre-
sentative. He has been a hard and
faithful worker during this, as in
previous sessions, and the fund of
information that he has acquired
on all subjects upon which the legis-
lature is called upon to deal with
in the ordinary course of business,
is of the highest value.
Ably supporting Mr.. Greasy and
sitting by his side was Blakeslee, of
Carbon. He was the humorist of
the Democratic side of the house
but withal a most diligent, efficient
and faithful worker. This was his
first term; but he rapidly forged to
the front as one of the most valuaa
Bile members of the house. Ammer-
man, OF Montour, was kept out of
the house, most of the time, by his
service on the capitol investigating
committee. This of course inter
fered with his opportunity to take
much active part in the legislative
| work of the hOuse