The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-16
PACKER.
York.

How His Nomination Snri. j. Regarded in New
The New York Tribune this morning says
editorially-
Asa Packer, a smart Connecticut boy of old
fashioned Yankee stock, left his native State
when seventeen years old, with some $40 in
money and clothing of about equal value, and
brought up in Susquehanna county, North Penn
sylvania where he apprenticed himself to learn
the trade of carpenter and joiner, which he fol-
lowed for some years thereafter; marrying in
due season, and buying tract of wild land,
which he proceeded to clear and till. At length
he pulled up stakes and struck for Mauch
Chunk, the heart of the Lehgh coal region,
whence he ran q coal-boat to Philadelphia, then
started store, and soon engaged extensively in
buying coal lands, building railroads. ETC. etc,
whereby he grew rapidly and enormously rich.
He is now worth at least twenty millions OF dol
lars, and we believe he came honestly by them.
Though we do not belong to his thrifty class, we
appreciate them as useful men, and believe the
world is better for their existence.
And yet we don't like the idea of making
Governor out of one whose chief distinction is
the ownership of twenty millions OF dollars.
Mr.. Packer is citizen of respectable abilities
and good characters yet there is no one &C
quainted with him who can honestly say that,
if the net result of his past eXertions had been
$40, 900 instead of $50 OOO,O 600, he would now be
a candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania. He
is nominated because of his great wealth, and
with an expectation that he will devote part of
it to greasing the wheels of the Democratic
machine.
This is at once baleful and perilous. Since
we have no aristocracy by blood or patent,
money is rapidly becoming the fountain not
only of social distinction but of political honor;
Whoever will look intelligently about him Will
be surprised to note how many are filling sta
tions to which their wealth alone has elevated
them Especially sweet on those who, begin
ming penniless have made their piles we are In
danger of confoundng wealth with WORTH and
fancying that a millionaire must OF course be
eminentiy wise and able, when in fact the talent
which rapidly amasses wealth is of low order,
and often dissociated from the higher qualities
indispensable in the statesman or legislator. 1t
is high time that keener perceptions had estab-
lished a better standard of fitness for exalted
public trusts.
What will Swamp Him.
The New York Herald editorially remarks:-
The Democrats in Pennsylvania have nominated
Asa Packer as their candidate for Governor
Asa Packer would make good Governor, but
the convention that nominated him have hung u
bob to that kite which will swamp him. They
have pronounced against negro suffrage, prn-
ciple the conservatives of Virginia accepted as a
positive fact, and by the help of that vote not
only elected their candidate for Governor, but
gave death sting to the oarpet-baggers and
scalawags The Pennsylvania Democracy, in
smouldering Hester Clymer, their old candi-
date, have only presented a new victim to be
placed upon the political scaffold for the Geary
DAVIS to peck at