Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-09-20
Gov. Bigler on the stumn.

Gov Bigler On the Stump
When it was announced, with a grand flour
ish of trumpets, that Gov. Bigler had deter
mined to take the stump, and discuss the
questions at issue in this campaign before the
people, we were led to believe that he had at
last forsaken his non-committal policy, and
had determined to go before his fellow citi-
zens and make clean breast of it. But we
discover that we were egregiously mistaken,
that he had no such intention, and that he
still continues his futile attempts to preserve
an equilibrium by carrying water on both
shoulders. He has recently visited the Nor
thern portion of the State, for the purpose of
comciliating the anti-Nebraska democrats of
the Wilmot region, and very coolly stepped
upon their platform, notwithstanding he en-
dorsed, in his speech in Fulton county, the
Nebraska Bill as the leading measure Of the
National Administration.
At a democratic meeting, held at McCon-
nellsburg, in Fulton county, Gov. Bigler said,
eve quote from the democratic papers.)
ssThat the people desired to know his views
on the Nebraska Bill. Like an honest and
fearless Democrat, he then frankly and fully
avowed his misunderstanding that the
measure referred to was, in his opinion, both
Constitutional and eEpedieHt, that it was a lead
ing measure of the National administration,
and, as such, 1t receired has hearty support
This was his sshonest' and ssfearless" opin-
ion expressed to the regular democrats of
Fulton. But when he comes to Susquehanna
county, and gets among the Free Democrats
he alters his tone. He says there, if she could
have csntrolled it, he would have organized
the territories under the act of 1850, and NOT
disturbed the Missouri line -
In Fulton county, the repeal of the Missouri
Compromise is perfectly right, and s.receives
his hearty support but in Susquehanna its
all acrcng, and if he had control of the terrific
ries, he would have Ssorganized them under
the act of 1850, and 1could not hare disturbed
tAe Missouri line 20 Who would have thought
that a Governor of Pennsylvania, could have
so sbeIittled' himself to beg for yotes2
In his speech at Montrose, on the 31st ult.,
he said (we quote from the Platform, which,
as il has been gratuitousy distributed through
out this neighborhood, is accessible to nearly
all our rcaders) that ssif democratic members
of Congress had voted trrong, that was no
reason why Democrats should strike down a
Democratic Governor if he had done right
He besought them not to hold him responsible
for the acts of the s'party." Now, in Fulton
county, the s:measure' was constitutional;
and ssexpedient,'' and ssreceiUed his hearty sup
port but he says virtually, to the Free Soil
ers of the North, that the members of Con-
gress, who voted for the Nebraska Bill, done
s.trrong,'' and prays them not to visit the sins
of Pierces Administration upon his head!
Such is a specimen of ssGov. Bigler on the
Stump, ,''-such the manner in which he meets
the issues involved in this contest. He en-
dorses the Administration in one portion of
the State, and repudiates it in another. Such
double dealing, political dialectics cannot
fail to disgust all honest democrats, whether
they be the advocates or the opponents of ssthe
BILL and we may safely look for his defeat in
October by one of the most overwhelming
jorites ever thrown against the 'Janus-faced'
candidate of any party or clique.