The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-09-20
MIR. BUCKALEw's SPEECH.

burg, Mr.. Buckalew, spoke to the
following effect:
F6l'oU. citizens Of ANegheny county -
| haYo to thank you, and do 50 most
sincerely, for this friendly and most
magnificent greeting upon my first Wis.,
IL to Western Pennsylvania. II has
been my duty, and often my pleasure,
to address the people in their SOW
ereigu capacity 80 electors in the
elections which have been held dur
ing the last twenty-five years,
but until the present week, it was never
my privilege to address an audience Of
Western Pennsylvaniansa Though Ircp-
resented you in common with your fel.
low.cilizons throughout the slate in n
position Of great dignity and import
ancc by the favor of those who repre-.
sented the people Of the state in the
legislature.
ME-. BUCK ALEw's MISSION.
And now, gentlemen Of the West,
'come among you with a cause, 1 come
among you with purpose, each Of
which, In my judgment, recommends
my mission. [Applausol 1t ia now
many years since complaints very loud
were made concerning the action of the
government of the state in its legisla-
tive and executive departments. You
have heard these complaints, aud some
of you have joined in making them.-
The press of this city has given them,
rs ii were, wings, and sent them abroad
through the whole west complaints
that legislation was not Just and hon
orable; that it was perverted from
public to private objects upon many oc.
casions that sometimes oven the integ-
rity Of men who represent the frccmen
Of Pennsylvania in the senate and
house of representatives WAS not un-
questionable.
These complaints were not limited TO
the legislature. You nave heard them
concerning several of the heads of exc.
cutivO departments. You have been
told and told by your own press that
state troa5urers have been chosen in i'm.
proper ways and by the use of improp.
er influences. You have been told that
the public moneys Of the commonwealth
have not always been applied or used
for public purposes that they have
sometimes, at least, boon diverted in
their use to purposes of private profit
and gain. You have been told that the
department where the public accounts
of the state are settled has not been
managed with ability and has not been
free from reproach, and these com.
plants have even been sometimes di-
rCctcd against the chief officer in the
executive branch Of the govern
ment.
THE QUESTION OF THE YEAR.
Now the question Of this year is not
50 much whether these complaints
were well founded, were made upon
good cause, for with reference to these
questions there can be but one answer.
The evidence which has been submitted
to the people and which Is familiar to
all intelligent members of our political
society is decisive. These complaints
We're just. The management of affairs
in the government of our state has been
wrong, and the proper question for us
tonight Is this: Is it not high time to
amend what is wrong, and to take to
ourselves securities for the future
| Applause.
Impressed with this conviction In
common with others, 1 accepted the
| pnInin "a inp n
ton for the Office of governor of this
commonwealth. A voice, "You will
be elected, toO," and applause. A gen
tleman who | am glaisto sec Is here
with us this evening also accepted from
that convention a nomination for the
post of auditor general Of the common
wealth, and to our hands was commit
ted by that convention the banner OF
+ reform, and we were told to bear it aIoft
proudly and untlinchingly in the face
of all opposition in the contest.
: APPRECIATING THE SITUATION.
We comprehend somewhat the duty
that was charged upon us. We knew
that the men whom it was our purpose
and, we thought, the purpose of tn,
people to dislodgo from the places o
public power would meet Us in this can
vass with no fair argument /; with NJ
Just means of opposition, but that W
were to confront bitter and unjus
abuse. We knew that we We're to NEE
I in this contest the use Of most unscru
pulous means, the importation of vote
). from abroad, the purchase of vote
= within the state and beyond this, eve
r the miscounting Of votes after the
should be given. Applause.l
= ACCEPTING IT.
But gentlemen we undertake thi
task, and we are before you and befor
your fellow citizens throughout tn
commonwealth asking your confidence
your friendly aid and support in tn
undertaking upon which we have en
n tered not because it is at all importan
that zee should ill the particular offic
< for which we have been nominated
There are plenty of other men with ad
u mirable qualifications to undertake tn
!, duties of these offices in our common
) wealth. There are plenty who woulC
r be willing, and if the opportunity pre-
y sonted ITSELF anxious, to fill them. -
There are persons already holding ther
/. who would be content to return to then
= WecOme before you discussing no pen
II sonal question, the claims of no man c
+ men to their public positions. w
come to you and we ask your aid an
assistance, your friendly support, b.
II cause we believe in the depths of on
d hearts that the interests of this con
Is monwealth, and the honor of our stat
i | demands a chanpn In its poyarnmen