The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-04-11
HARRISBURG LETTER

To the Pennsylvania who loves
his state, pays his taxes and other
wise behaves as a good citizen should
this piling up of evidence of progress
sivism on the part of the Senate is
merely another proof that Pennsyl-
vania manages to maintain it's lead
ing position among the common
wealths that make up this nation in
social and political progress as well
as in industry, but for the political
agitators and the professional 're-
formers" it is cause of great sor-
row. In this advanced attitude they
discover a condition that they can
"deplore," albeit in secret, without
a shadow of cant or insincerity. 1t
threatens to put them out of bust
ness During the early weeks of the
present session a journalist in the
encourage of Boss Finn called the
Senate a tory body. The TORY Sen
ate" for a time became by-word in
the Flinnite newspapers which, par
rot-like, initiate the sayings and ac-
tions of the big Bull Moose organs
But of late the term has fallen into
disue. The explanation is simple:
The upper branch of the Pennsylva-
MIA legislature, while extremely de-
liberate, is far from reactionary and
for some time it has been apparent
that for purposes of practical pro-
gressive legislation it is much more
to be relied upon than the House
which started we'll, but is now, to all
appearances, hopelessly involved be-
cause of the activities of politicians
who are trying to advance their own
fortunes under the guise of working
in the interest of the dear public.
The way in which the work lags
in the House is beginning to cause
anxiety everywhere. During the past
week the rules were changed so as
to insure that the body will be in
session at least six hours each Leg
islative day, and just before ad
journment over the weekend Speak
er Alter threw out the suggestion
that members make preparations to
sit also on Friday, beginning with the
present week. But more important
even than this as an indication of
general dissatisfaction with the way
things are going in the popular body
are rumors that the Independents
are to bring Boss Finn here and the
Democrats Secretary of State Bryan,
both visits to be with view to hav-
ing the riot act read to the faithful.
1t is not among the possibilities that
either of these eminent uplifters
could do ought but harm, but it is a
fact that no unprejudiced observer
will gainsay that something should
be done. AS matters now stand the
Flinnites are leaderless, purposeless,
and absolutely incapable while the
Democrats, although they have a
more or less well defined program,
are not harmonious and their situa-
tion is complicated by the fact that
a superficial young man who read
himself out of that party at the open
ing of the session has been vaccinat-
ed with the idea that he ought to
take up the reins of leadership.
From a partisan standpoint this sit
uation ought to give complete salts
faction to the Regular Republicans.
But there are paradoxes in politics
as in everything else and the in
capacity of the two other parties wor
ries the Republican leaders because
the lack of purpose operates to re-
tard legislation.
Even John r. K. Scott, former
gangster but now militant reformer
and by far the brightest mind on
that side, grows impatient at times
over the actions of his new political
bedfellows. Last week he denounced
the way in which the new rule per-
mitting any measure negatived by
committee to be put upon the cal
endar. He charged that the new
rule is being turned into farce and
declared that in his opinion the
House should not vote to put neg
atived bill upon the calendar until
the sponsor had convinced the mem
bers that the committee had been
mistaken. He also said in this same
connection that the chairman of the
committee that had turned down the