The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-02-08
BEDFORD Pa FRiDA8s MORNING FEBRUARY 8s74.-.ss@
e7kn efecua reckoning age
mist

MS mistress woven IN his sword KNOT
defended her to the death. Such he
ro is sadly needed to drive off the har
pies that hover about the capitol a
Harrisburg.
For several years, rumor with hel
thousand tongues, has associated the
name. of the author of the article in
question with much of the evil which
has existed at Harrisburg since the adj
vent of the Know Nothing Legisla-
ture of 1855. We know how easy a
matter it is for slahder and the envy OF
defeated rivals to make the accusations
of which Mr.. Mcclure has been so fire.
quently the victim. In the tainted at
mosphere that has for years surround
ed the capital, it was impossible that a
man of his mark should escape detrac-
ton, the cry being often started by the
gang that infested the lobby after find
ing that their victim was proof against
their Establishments or their bribes.
But this irrelevancy apart, there is
another accusation against him, which
resting upon more substantial founda-
tions affects more nearly his character
as reformer. Tono other man in the
State are the Democracy more indebt-
ed for the unjust and grossly partial
apportionment that has been made in
Pennsylvania. While thoughtful and
earnest men in America, as well as in
England, were anxiously seeking for
remedies to protect the minority,
while these efforts of statesmen can
not have failed to attract the attention
of so sowatchful an observer, we find him
in the Pennsylvania Legislature, using
all the means that partizan ingenuity
could devise and the unscrupulous
power of the majority could apply, to
deprive the Democratic party Of the
rights to which their numbers entitled
them and in which they were guaran-
teed by the Constitution. By his in
fuence Bedford county is defrauded of
a separate representation, being tied to
Somerset to give the party to which
he belongs two members. Instances
can be multiplied all over the State,
to show the utter wantonness with
which, under the lead of Mr.. Mcclure,
the rights of the minority were tram
pied upon, so that in Pennsylvania,
with popular vote standing, in round
numbers 800, 600 Republicanand 285s-
900 Democratic (the scale so evenly
balanced that it might readily decline
either way) the Republicans have man
aged to secure nearly two-thirds of the
Legislature. To him, then, belongs
the grievous fault that so much of the
bad material of which he complains,
has been precipitated upon the Legis-
lature; and we must say that it is a
bad start for political reformer. No
wonder that he shrinks back appalled,
from the consequences of his own work;
Like the bewildered magician in East
ern legend, who released the genie
from the vase sealed with the seal of
Solomon, in which he was confined, he
now calls upon the people to drive from
the Capital the harpies whom he had
let loose. Had he and those who fol-
lowed him, maintained the Constitu-
ton, and had they shown a proper re-
gard for the rights of a minority, they
would not now be red uced to this ex-
tremity.
The author of that paper must not
complain, then, if people manifest some
caution in accepting his propositions,
no matter how plausible they may
seem. They have some reasonable
ground for making inquiry whether
his present course is dictated by zeal
Gus, sincere and patriotic desire for re-
form, or whether it is inspired in the
heart of partizan suffering the pangs
of baff1ed ambition and wounded self
love. In the very paper which we
quote, he cannot conceal the track of
the demagogue, in telling the farmers
and business men that his scheme will
send them to the Legislature, instead
of the kind of men that have been
heretofore elected! There must be
some reform wrought in the constitu-
encies before it can have a very saluta-
ry effect upon the Legislature. And
there are some people who think that
under Mr.. McClure's plan, those who
ply the trade of bribery will only have
to get smaller change for their bills!
If the Conventions to be called, it is