The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-09-16
Speechof Senator v, A, Wallace,
ISSUES OF THE CAMPAIGN.
AT BELLEFONTE.

senator wallace, OF OledTHelu, SpOhe
this evening in the Court House here
to a large and enthusiastic meeting Of
the Democracy. He said:
At the threshold Of Gubernatorial
campaign in great State like ours, in
which the results are to be potential as
we'll without as within our borders, it
might seem appropriate to discuss the
grave questions in national politics
which present themselves on every
hand. The shortcomings Of national
administration that assumed the reins
of power with flattering promises of
reform and good government; the fa-
tuity of its official head in surround
ing himself with advisers without ex-
perience and counselors without knoWl-
edge: their utter failure to create and
sustain policy in our national affairs,
either foreign or internal the broken
pledges for rretrenchmentand economy;
the unsatisfactory condition of finan-
cial affairs the increased rates of in
terest the Frustrated condition Of all
kinds of business and the onerous and
neverending weight Of taxation, are
themes upon each of which the people
think and feel deeply, and to these we
might with profit devote our attention
in the pending canvass. But matters
of serious moment claim our attention
nearer home, and remembering that
our institutions are founded upon the
principles of local selfgOvernment,
and that the protection Of our personal
rights and those lesser but important
forms and privileges which aid in max
ing mp our form Of government, is Wit
al to its. success as a whole, It becomes
our duty to closely sean the condition
ofafSirs in our State government, and
to Iearn by calm scrutiny there wheth-
or the agents we have employed in its
administration have been faithful to
their trust. and are worthy of a renew
a. afour confidence. That a wide
spread sentiment of dissatisfaction eX-
lists, nay more, that the prevailing
tone of the people and TIE press OF the
! Commonwealth, is against the officia
realty and personal purity OF the mass
of those who have made and executed
our laws in the past three years, will
scarcely be disputed, Such senti-
ment could not exist Unsupported by
facts. and it is our business IN this can
vass to test its truth.
We broadly charge, that i'll every ele-
ment of good government, in every es-
santial feoture necessary to the protec-
ton of the rights of the people, the ad'
ministration of John w. Geary has
been a failure. He is the executive
head, and the policy dictated and the
ends obtained are equally chargeable
to his account, and he is justly respon-
| sible for the misdeeds Of his subordi-
mates and of those whose policy was
moulded at his dictaGion.
He is responsible that the expenses OF
the State government are larger now
than during the war, and are increas-
ing; that the Treasury OF the State is
managed in the interests of a corrupt
ring. and the money of the people used
to fasten new burdens upon them ; that
private legislation, to the detriment OF
the public good, rapidly increases
. that monopoiies are created and given
power to oppress the citizen in his bus
iness that the judiciary are attacked
and the sanctity of the organic law
overridden for price that legislative
bOrers and corrupt officials swarm a
round the seats of power, and fatten
| on the body polite and the vast reve
nues that flow into the ccfiers OF the
| Commonwealth are diverted from theii
legitimate and constitutional purpose
in payment Of the State debt, and arc
applied to the maintenance of horde
of unnecessary hiEeiings about the log
isIatixe and executive departments O
the State government.
Th is is no fancy picture, but IS til'
portrayal of sober but startling reail
ties, and its truth will be demonstrate
by an Investigation of the subject.
The expenses of the State govern
ment during the last three years OF tn
war, under the administration of Gov
! ernor Curtin, were as follows:
For ending De cenber 1st, 1863, the.
were SAG, ,456; for year ending Deem
J Der lst, 1864, th9y were s6Oo,O2i5 70