The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-09-30
Legislation Session Of 1903 an
0rgi] Of Corruption.
SISSON kHD STOBER TOOLS
= rIbliean Nominees Supported All
t1e lniquitous Legislation introduced
IN the Interest CT the Party Bosses.

oH3 opened auspi-.-ua,y iar the ma
chine managers. Tn insur-ent force
which prevented th- election of Quay
in 1898 and a remnant OF which caused
some annoyance during the session OF
1901 had been entirely obliteratcd in
the election Of 1902 when P6nnynaok.
er fooled them all; the Democratic
minority had been reduced almost 10
a negligible quantity and the outlook
for good stealing" was eXceptiOnally
bright The machine traders were pres
ent in full force. moreover. and the
promise was that everything would 50
their way.
Probably no measure considered
during the session attracted as much
public notice as the Salus-Grady libel
bill. commonly known as the press
mueller" read in place in the senate
by Mr. Grady. OF Philadelphia on April
:. The echo OF Quay's voice pleading
the statute OF limitations in a Phlla
Gel1hia criminal court had scarcely
died out All the machine leaders
ascribed quay's trouble TO the newspa.
pers and they were resentful But
press net courageous and consistent
opposition al every stage. and the bill
had % be amended twice. postponed
once and recommitted once before IL
got through the senate finally. on
April g. however. this sinister result
was achieved. both Sisson and Stobel
voting for 1t In every form and at
every stage. The final vote is recorded
on page 1917 Of the Journal Of the Sen
ate, though falsely indexed. for the
purpose OF confusing inquirers. no
doubt, as on page 1928.
The session Of 1908 was conspicu.
Gus for its raids on the treasury in
the shape OF multiplying Offices and in.
creasing the salaries OF public officials
Among the incursions along those
lines were the bill TO increase the sal
!es Of judges. in contempt Of the con.
-u-iOn. Sisson and Stober both vot
in the affirmative. Senate Journal.
3. page 1927. The bill TO increase
number OF clerks and other EN-.
yes and the salaries in the office OF
I-e attorney general. Sisson and Stober
both voting for the measure. Senate
Journal 1903 page 95S. The bill 10
create a bureau of elevator inspec-
tors, which was simply a device TO
create a number OF new and expensive
Offices to be filed by party pension
ers. Sisson and Stober voted together
for this measure. Senate Journal, 1903,
page 662.
The bill appropriating $4,000 TO
erect a monument on the capitol
grounds 10 perpetuate the memory Of
the late Simon Cameron excited more
contempt than Indignation. because the
public was confident that it would fail
II passed the senate on Jan. %, how
ever, with the votes of Sisson and
Stober in favor of il. Senate Journal
1903, page 343.
The act of 1901 having served its
purpose Of permitting the machine
politicians TO acquire such electric
railway franchises as they desired or
could handle, for the time being. a
bill was introduced during the session
of 1903, modifying that measure. The
new bill provided that before a char
ter for an electric or trolley railroad
should issue from the state department
the governor, secretary OF state and
attorney general should certify that
it was necessary. That absurd propo-
sition passed the senate finally on
April o. Sisson and Stober voting for
it. Senate Journal 1903 page 1927.
The Pennsylvania railroad had been
carrying white elephant for a num-
Der of years which was increasingly
troublesome. When it acquired the
control Of the canals of the state, con.
ditions were imposed under which it
might have been required 10 maintain
these waterways, and il had tried in
various ways 10 relieve itself OF this
burden and menace
During the session of 1903 two or
three expedients were invoked. One
was an act TO authorize corporations
10 sell and transfer franchises and
property 10 other corporations. Sisson
and Stober voted for the bill Senate
Journal, 1903, page go. II was subse.
quently vetoed by Governor Penny.
packer who liked To keep fresh in the
corporate mind the fact that he had
power.
Inc result was achieved subsequent
ly in another bill, entitled "A further
supplement TO an act TO authorize the
formation and regulation of railroads."
which passed the senate finally on
March 81. Sisson and Stober voting in
the affirmative. Senate Journal, 1903.
page 1865.
One of the pet iniquities of the ses.
sion OF 1903 was Senator Grady's re-
frigerator bill The purpose of that
measure was to enable a syndicate of
machine politicians to acquire a mo.
nopoly of the refrigerating business in
ehe cities. No man can estimate the
evil OF such a condition. Butchers,
dealers in vegetables and in fact men
in every line OF business would be at
the .mercY of such a cOrDOration and