Iron County News

A BILL IN THE BOX

Story of a Legislative Prank In the New York Assembly.

DILEMMA OF A TIMID MEMBER.

Though His Name Was Signed to the Measure He Was Not Its Author and When Ordered to Withdraw It What Little Courage He Had Failed Him.

There was a fake bill introduced in the assembly of New York state during the session of 1902 that really became a famous piece of legislation before it arrived at its formal finish, although it has never until the present time been chronicled in print.

The act was placed in the assembly bill box by two jokers of the assembly. It was drawn up in the regular form, beginning with the necessary verbiage, "The people of the state of New York in senate and assembly represented," etc. The provisions of the first two or three sections were also very plausible, and, in fact, the entire measure was put together in such a way that only a technician in legislative matters could have discerned the joke.

The assembly bill box is a receptacle placed for the measures of the legislators who may wish to have them introduced at the next regular daily session subsequent to their deposit. The box is only used "between times," for when the assembly is in session the bill may be handed up to the clerk for reading. Bills are introduced in duplicate and must bear, of course, the introducer's name.

The jokers dropped the fake bill into the box on a Thursday night. They attached a member's name whose district was in the crowded east side section of New York. It was what was known as a machine man and had little initiative or individuality. He never waited over for Friday morning sessions, as they lasted but a few minutes, and it was easier to take the train to New York Thursday night, returning after recess the following Monday night.

The fake bill with the east side member's name was duly taken out of the box Friday morning and its title read. It was referred to its proper committee and ordered printed. Its purpose was made very plain. At every crossroad throughout the state of New York there must be placed at once by the state engineer and surveyor a signpost with a sign of exactly described dimensions, and lettering measured to a dot, directing travelers to the nearest place for entertainment of man and beast. The angles of the crossroads were specified in their exact degrees with respect to the proper placing of the sign.

No sooner was the title of the bill read than the afternoon newspaper representatives at Albany pricked up their ears. They were on the alert always for New York city legislation, but here was a bill making it mandatory to erect signposts throughout the state, and essentially of rural benefit. Yet a member from a congested New York district had introduced it. Something strange. They searched around for the alleged introducer. He was in New York. They took no chances, however, and telegraphed a column to their papers telling of the attempt to signpost the state by an east side legislator.

The morning papers took it up. Reporters hunted up the assemblyman at his home. He roared out his denial. But nobody believed him. He got a hurry telephone call from his district leader, to whom he swore he had introduced no such bill. He was ordered to ask for the privilege of the floor at Monday night's session and compel the withdrawal of the bill. He had stage fright over the idea. He was almost too bashful to raise his voice when voting at roll call. Meanwhile the news of the bill spread, and from all quarters of the city the luckless assemblyman received telephone messages asking to be "let in on the signpost graft."

The following Monday night the alleged introducer arrived in Albany almost in a state of collapse. All during the ensuing week he was ordered to demand the withdrawal of the bill, but would not rise in his seat and ask it. Finally a member in the secret told the facts to Speaker Nixon. The speaker called the assemblyman to his desk and questioned him. He was satisfied that the legislator was altogether too timid to introduce such a radical bill and exonerated him.

But the bill had been printed. When it was supposed that it had been killed in committee the first thing known was a request for a hearing on it by some good roads workers, who saw in it a blessing and who sent the alleged introducer a congratulatory letter for his public spirited act. The bill of course died in committee, but its memory clung to the east side legislator for many years—New York Sun.