The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-22
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER %, 1869.
ADDRESS OF THE DEMOCRATIC
STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.


No. 9O1 Arch street is an important political
locality. There the grand sachems of the
Democracy assemble in council, and there
the Democratic Association, which listened
to many bitter denunciations of the war while
the cannon of the enemy was laundering at
the gates of the capital, has its headquarters.
At No. 901 Arch street the Democratic City
Executive Committee sits in solemn conclave,
under the leadership of that subservient slave
of slavery, John Hamilton; and there the
notable bargain was recently consummated
by which the roughs agreed, for valuable
consideration, to make way for the respecta-
bles on the city ticket. No. 901 Arch street
also contains the rooms of the Democratic
State Committee, and this body has just
issued an address to the people of Pennsylva-
mia, in which the Democratic State ticket is
warmly advocated
- The address is signed by William Mutchler
Chairman, q gentleman from Northampton
county, unknown to fame except as one of
Andy Johnson's internal revenue officers in a
district containing a number of distilleries.
A large portion of the appeal to the voters is
made up of complaints of corruption and of
ga general lowering of the moral tone of pub
lie life below the level of former times"
The point is well taken, but is Mr.. Mutchler
Johnsonized Assessor of Internal Revenue,
exactly the man to make it ? Does he mean
to intimate that the ''moral tone of public
life" has fallen since he was a satellite and
supporter of the great favorite of the
whisky ring Can the people have
faith in the sincerity of an
apostle of reform who was at once favorite
and champion of Andrew Johnson? Public
confidence in MIR. Mutchlers candor will also
be shaken by the second paragraph of the ad-
dress, for therein we are told that ''by the
election of Mr.. Pershing to the bench of the
Supreme Court we will ''secure Judge of
ability and high character" Heretofore it
has been rare thing for either party to nomi-
nate q candidate for this Office who had not
gained very high position at the bar, and
frequently the nominees have been distin-
gulsneo eminent Judges as well as great
lawyers. But Mr.. Pershing's claims to the
nomination were based on the doubtful honor
of service in the State Legislature; and he
has given none of the decisive proofs of high
ability which have hitherto been demanded.
The bulk of the address is made up OF
praise of Packer. In him all the hopes and
aspirations of the Democracy are centred.
He is to become the deliverer of an oppressed
people; he is to introduce and uphold reform
in the State Government; his election is to
rebuke all that has ''been amiss in legislative
and executive action at Harrisburg in recent
years." she is above all baseness, and inca
pable of injustice, or of unworthy sub
serviency to political friends" and his election
is to point ''to reform and improvem ent in
our affairs, and to ''go great way towards
securing them"
Mr.. Mutchler thus invites the people to a
really attractive entertainment, and we have
no disposition to detract from any of the
praises of his favorite which are just. But
before voters are carried away by these eulo-
gies, it would be well for them to inquire
whether Asa Packer is in veritable truth, q
man we'll fitted for the herculean task of
cleansing the Augean stable of Pennsylvania
politics. 1t will take something more than
wealth, responsibility, or honesty to accom-
plish this task. The true reformer of this
day and generation must be bold as a lion,
wise as a serpent, and industrious as bee,
as well as innocent as dove, to work the
mighty changes which Mr.. Mutchler predicts
from Packers triumph. The Democratic
Gubernatorial candidate has held Office be-
fore, and if he is gifted with the
miraculous powers ascribed to him, the public
should be furnished with some official evil
dence of their existence. But what is the
plain truth? Scarcely man ever sat on the
floor of Congress, from the day the Govern
ment was founded until the present hour
who has such an absolutely barren and USE
less record as Asa Packer. OF his career as
Congressman the best and about the onlv
thing that can be said is-he held the Office.
He did nothing particularly wrong, except
when his party required him to obey its man
dates but he did next to nothing at ALL
During large portion of his term he was not
even present at the sessions. His head and
heart were in his business operations. AS
money-maker and railroad-builder he has
magical powers. If the people were
called upon to elect q candidate, not
to guard and promote their interests,
but to exhibit superior sagacity in advancing
his private fortunes, Asa Packer would be
pre-eminently the Pennsylvania best worthy
of support But the ability to amass riches
does not carry with it the power, and it is not
often accompanied with the desire, to manage
governments we'll and wisely. If Packer
is elected, we shall be agreeably surprised if
he gives any considerable amount of attention
to his official duties, or if he spares to the
State anything more than few hasty mo-