The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-02-14
HARRISBURG LETTER.
Special Correspondence.

Six weeks cf the legislative sess.
ion of 1907 has already passed anf
there has hardly been enough work
accomplished to form a basis of an
estimate of the character of the
body. Public expectation was high
It may be remarked, probably toe
high. The dominant party had
promised a good deal while passing
through the valley of adversely from
the election of 1905 to that of last
fall, and a good many intelligent
people imagine that the present
session would be a sort of reform
ratification meeting. The first
days proceedings gave this notion
q hard jolt. The election of Nc
Claim as Speaker of the House aud
Woods as President pro tenn. of the
Senate was bad beginning of re-
form work and the re. election of
Clerks Garvin and Judd confirmed
the bad impression that had been
thus created.
There was deep-seated popular
notion that the absence of the pass
es would keep the legislators 10
their work fairly we'll at least, and
that without materially increasing
the length of the session there
would be ample time to take up,
consider and enact such legislation
as the party platforms had promis-
ed. But this hope has been entire
ly disappointed. The first day of
the session was followed by a recess
of two weeks and so far as practical
results go the Senate has adjourned
for the week every Wednesday.
The constitution forbids the ad-
journment of either House for a
longer period than three days with.
out the consent of the other and
owing to blunder of somebody
the consent Of the House for the
Senate to adjourn on Wednesday
until the following Monday evening
was not obtained on one occasion.
But that made no difference to the
Senators. They all went home as
usual and on Thursday Senator
Fox of Dauphin county called the
oody to order at the regular time,
declared the absence Of quorum
md announced an adjournment un-
Ill the following Monday evening.
That was a technical compliance
with the provisions of the constitu-
ion which quieted the consciences
Of those concerned.
PLENTY OF BILLS INTRODUCED
Considering the frequent and
prolonged recesses, however, for
the House has held no Friday or
Saturday sessions, and the Monday
evening session is not for purposes
of legislation but are to support the
legal fiction that the constitution is
being obeyed, good many bills
have been introduced and referred
to committees. These cover every
conceivable subject and include all
he promised reforms. But this
act simply exemplifies the Biblical
,dage THAT many are called and
ew chosen" In other words a
asst. proportion of the measures
read in place" are Implications,
rs many as a dozen different bills
being submitted on one subject.
Most of these. moreover, are "artful
Iodaers. That is to say they are
Mlls upon subjects on which public
opinion has asserted itself which
more or less vehemence or consider
sble earnestness, intended to placate
The demand without accomplishing
he desired result. They are "leg-
slative jokers" which serve the
purpose of diverting the popular
mind from the reform desired.
They contain language of double
meaning which can be construed in
one way to the ear of the layman
'ut convey different notion to the
nind of the lawyer.
The one hope which encouraged
the thoughtful observers of events
about the Legislature was that the
customary and iniquitous pinch
bills" would be cut out of the pro-
gramme for this year. "Pinch
bills" are the most prolific source
of revenue to the "grafters" in the
lobby. They come in all forms
but mainly in the form of tax and
insurance legislation. For exam
pie a bill to levy tax on some
subject not hitherto taxed was a
certain producer. Usually they
are directed against corporations
with plenty of money anu as soon
as they are introduced the corpora
tions concerned are notified that
they can be "killed in com
mittee" for given sum. The fig
ure is generally hiph hnt less than