The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-05-06
Cambria Freeman.
EBEKSBURG, PA.
THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1869.
Governor Geary.

There is evidently q wide spread and well
organized opposition in the republican party
to the denomination of Gov. Geary. The
wonder is not SO much that his party should
be anxious to get rid of him. that man
of such inordinate vanity and poverty OF
brain should ever have been elevated to bis
present high position. 1t was due to one Of
those capricious freaks OF popular opinion
which sometimes startle and amaze, and
which are not easily accounted for on any
ordinary principle of political action. The
political history of this State compels the
admission that her people have sometimes
elevated men to the executive chair gifted
with less amount Of brains. than perhaps
any other State in the Union certainly than
any of the original States. That this is a
matter of just reproach is unfortunately too
true. Since the first ballot was cast some
men have had greatness literally thrust upon
them, and Of this class is the present Cover
nor of our State. The political career OF
John W. Geary, 30 far at least as his sue
cessful aspirations for Office are concerned,
Justify the declaration that he was born
under a lucky star. At the outbreak of the
Mexican war he was pushed into military
position for which he had neither merit or
capacity, and returned from it with . repu-
tatiou for that which is the soldiers bright
est jewel blasted and destroyed. His brief
career in Kansas, as her third Territorial
Governor. did not prove him to be a man Of
more than mediocre talent. Whatever
military reputation he acquired during the
late civil war was mainly due to the ready
pen and fertile imagination of paid army
correspondent. AS Governor of the State
he has not given evidence Of any marked
ability, or that he possesses any large ard
statesmanlike views, but has shown himself
to be wonderfully proficient in all the small
arts of the demagogue. His attempted cleo
ton fraud at Fort Delaware, in the fall of
1867, clearly showed to what base purposes
he could stoop when he wished to conquer.
To what miserable e1pedients he is capable
of resorting in order to neutralizs the force
and effect of the legal returns of an election
was abundantly proven by his tricky and
extra official efforts in behalf of his congo
MIA; friend, John Covode. These are but a
few of his political sins, which set forth his
true character as Governor OF the State.
The opposition to his denomination is led
by Mcclure, Mann and Kembls in the sast
! and by White, Quay and others in the west
His prominent opponents are w. W. Ketch-
nm, of Luzerne county, and Gen. Hartranft
the present Auditor General. OF course we
do not pretend to foreshadow the result ol
this triangular contest. We sincerely hope
however. that he will not be defeated in the
radical State Convention. After having ex.
| perienced his want of capacity during three
sessions cf The Legislature, we desire that
the people shall pronounce judgment upon
h!W, and not upon new and untried man.
The democratic party confidently expect to
acbievs brilliant victory in the coming
State campaign, no matter who the radica
candidate may be, but that party could
nominate no man whom the democracy
| would take SO much pleasure in consigning
to merited political oblivion az the author OF
the Sam. Mcguire letter.