The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-09-30


Gel.
Several attempts were made during
the session Of 1908 to create a mo.
nopoly with control of the water pow.
ers of the state. Such an iniquity would
be scarcely less in evil consequences
than the Grady enterprise Two Of
these were in the form of senate bills
and another in the shape Of a house
bill which came over to the senate for
concurrence. Sisson and Stober sup.
ported all these sinister schemes.
There were a number of insurance
bills introduced during the session in
pursuance of the plans OF the insur
sncc lobby operating in New York ard
Pennsylvania. which subsequently led
TO investigations in both states. sisson
and Stober voted for all Of them.
The judicial salary bill. which in.
creased the expenses Of the courts
more than half a million dollars a year
was enacted during the session of
1903, Sisson and Stober voting for it.
though it clearly violated the consti.
tuition Of the state. and they were
sworn to support obey and defend"
that instrument Senate Journal. 1903.
page 1927.
Another attempt was made TO raid
the treasury through the courts by
law retiring judges at a certain age on
full pay This would have cost the
people quarter Of million dollars a
year if it had passed. On final passage
in the senate Sisson and Stober voted
for it, Senate Journal. 1903 page 1913.
There were also three bills creating
new judges considered during the ses.
sion of 1903. and Sisson and Stober
voted for two Of them Senate Journal.
1903. pages I'LL and 1712. The other
didn't reach a roll call or. it is safe to
say. they would have voted for It.
During the session Of 1903 there
were introduced into the senate a mum.
Der Of labor bills or measures in the
interest Of organized labor. The coal
regions were especially concerned in
legislation Of this sort. These bills
were referred to the committee on
mines and mining. of which Senator
Heidelbaugh. Of Lancaster. Senator
Stober's colleague, was chairman. Hei.
delbaugh consigned the bills to his
'inside pocket" and couldn't be pre-.
vailed on TO present them for consid.
Grafton until the session had nearly
come to an end.
During the period that the bills were
kept in concealment efforts were made
TO pass a resolution to discharge the
committee from consideration OF
them" but without avail. Among the
senators who gave moral and material
support 10 the practive of Heidelbaugh
were Sisson and Stober. It was the
policy OF the Republican legislative
machine and that was paramount to
justice and duty to them.
There was no trick too trifling fer
the machine during the session of 1903.
Any expedient which worked to the
advantage of the gang and made trou.
BILE for the opposition was adopted. In
Philadelphia and some other cities. the
machine had been having trouble with
men who. resenting frauds at the pri
mary elections, would file objections
that was all that it amounted to. That
is to say. in Philadelphia, for exam.
pie, in most cases the court being in
sympathy with the crooks, would dis.
miss the petition. Like the late Mr..
Tweed however. these leisurely gen.
tlemen don't like to be annoyed and
they conceived the notion that if theil
obliging friends, the judges, were au.
thorized TO put the costs on the peti.
toner in such case the annoyance
would be minimized, if not discontin
ued entirely.
Accordingly a bill was introduced
into the senate during the session of
1903 putting the costs of all such OBJ
iections upon the petitioner. The pur-
pose to foster fraud was so apparent
in this measure that it is surprising
that any one would be willing to intro
duce it. But such a person was found,
and among those who voted for the
bill were Sisson and Stober. Senate
Journal, 1903 page 1913.
The bill to increase the salary of the
state treasurer, enacted during the
session of 1903 was another party ne.
cessity. While the building and fur
nishing OF the state capitol was in
progress a man of their own kidney
was wanted in the Office of state treas
urer They are not found in every
nook and corner, but William L. Math.
ues. of Chester, filled the bill to per-
fection.
But Mathues was a high-priced man
and he wouldn't take the Office unless
the salary was increased from $4,000
10 $4,000 year. Accordingly the ma
chine managers agreed to his terms,
and a bill for the increase was intro
duced. There were objections, of
course, and it was shown that the
compensation for other services to the
state, equally onerous and exacting.
were no more generous. But the looters
had 10 have Mathues, and the rabbe
were driven to consent. The bill