The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-12-05

D'iIbIlOiA, NoS IlOJ d. IdIRo dS IL WOu.u
have been if Court had not adjourned in
the morning, thereby giving those i'll at
tendance an opportunity of returning to
their homes to attend TO their private bus
ness ; nevertheless there were as many
present as the Court room would comfort
ably accommodate. The meeting was COM
posed of the thinking men of the neighbor-
hood, and we never was present at any
assemblage where bigotry and selfishness
ruled TO less extent, aud where reason
and a desire to do RIGHT was more mani
fest.
r. /. Johnston, Esq. called the meeting
to order and in q brief speech explained
the object. That it was not n political
gathering, but meeting of the people, ir-
respective of party, who had met together
to exchange views in calm, dis passionate
manner, and discuss the propriety or i'm
proPliety of adopting the new Constitution,
and suggested that the meeting come to
order by the election of officers.
Mr.. c. T. Roberts was unanimously cho-
sen as President, and John Singer, II.
Kinkead, john Bears, David Lewis and
| DIR. ID. w. Evans were chosen Vice Presi-
dents. J.W. Logan and A. Y, Jones were
made Secretaries.
Geo. NJ. Reade, ESD, was first called on,
and made very ABLE speech in favor Of
the adoption of the new Constitution. He
dwelt at some length on that part of the
( new Constitution relating to corporations
and seemed to Ice entirely familiar with
the subject. He said in substance That
corporations i'll this country might be said
/ to have originated with the United States
! Bank, and spoke at some length of the
evils that grew out of that institution. He
claimed that corporations are greedy,
I grasping, and have no soul, and that unless
/ they are restrained they will work great
/ injury to the people. lie admired that
/ part of the Constitution which said to
/ Rail Road Companies, you shall not grant
7 passes to our legislators, to our judges. or
/ to other officers, and thereby in any way
| influence them-that it was an old maxim
that ''the gift perverted Judgment" and
/ that however honest q man might be, yet
/ it was very danger Gus for him to accept
pass or other favor, because that was tie
only object railroad companies had in
granting passes to influence the recipient
OF the compliment in a mild, indirect man
ner, and in Z manner which lie himself
could hardly suspect yet it was very dau-
gerous for any officer to accept this com
plimcnt, because men are often biased
when they themselves do not know it.
Again, that railroad companies often mo-
nopolized business along the line of their
roads, AS an Illustration, lie knew iu-
stances where the officers of a certain rail
road own gigantic coal works, and when
business is brisk, individuals can do moth
ing for the reason that they can get
cars to ship their coal, as all are given to
those who by THEN official capacity are
closely related to the corporation. The
new constitution provides most emphatic
ally that officers of railroad mpauieS
shall not i'll any way engage IN any such
I business so long as they are officers of the
road. He showed that the Peuna. II. II.
charged much for shipping freight from
Philadelphia to Ebensburg, or any other
intermediate point on the road, as it did to
/ Pittsburgh. That the new Constitution
provided that the charges made by railroad
companies should be as TO the distance the
goods were shipped, and that under it Eb
cuS5urSers would only have 10 pay about
two thirds of the amount Of freight now
charged. He said there were things in it
he would perhaps like to see changed, but
as a whOle he was in favor OF its adoption.
Altogether Mr.. Rcade's argument was
J very able effort, and we would like if we
/ CO aid give his speech in full.
/ Il. l.. Johuston, Esq, was next callod
( and delivered very strong and lucid ar
/ gument in favor of the Constitution. He
/ dweiU at some length on the power given
/ the courts, and which was heretofore vest
eo in the Legislature, and spoke parttcu-
! larly with regard to granting charities to
small local corporations, claiming that the
/ courts were the proper tribunal TO decide
! upon SJlCAl ilidIlClS 1Lc llSO SbOlNG Ol lllG
/ corruption Of the LegiSlature--of the buy
/ ing and selling of members, and illustrated
| how professionals, who were known as
/ snakes, made the purchasing OF mem begS
a regular business. and claimed that the
new Constitution would destroy this bust
ness-would do for Pennsylvania what ST.
Patrick had done for rIrelard--would banisl
all the snakes ! lie said that Sam Josephs
and Bill Mcliullcn and 4 lot of Republi-
of that St3mn VOulH ms hnt
he hoped there were enough honest men
left to secure its adoption.
Mr. L. James, of the IL6rGld was called
on, but DECLINED making any remarks.
Rev. j. ". Edie was next called and in
a neat little speech approved Of the work
submitted to the people by the Constitu-
tional Convention-said lie heartily en-
dorsed that part of it which regulated the
/ granting of divorces and took i: out OF TIE
hands of the Legislature, because he knew
number OF cases where divorces had been
granted by the Legislature for trifiing eau
ses and lie felt satisfied if such cases were
left to the courts as the new CONSTITUTION
provides-thcre would be but few divorces
granted.
f. p. Tierpey, Esq, was loudly called
for and spoke at some length of the evils
of local legislation, and as the new Consti-
tuition does away with all such bills and
will thereby shorten the work of l2gisla-
tors and throw such bills before the conrtS,
he would, iffor no othUr reason, support it.
T. j. Chapman, Esq, next addressed
the meeting. lie referred to the school
law and was glad the new Constitution re-
cOgnizes the common schools and made
some provision for their support. He ex-
planned how deficient the law now is, and
thought that it was the duty of every lover
of education to give the section on schools
some thought. as lie felt satisfied that if
they did they could not refuse to vote fox
its adoption.
VIM. Il. Sechler, Esq, was the last
speaker called. Mr. Sechler made a strong
speech in favor of the new Constitution.
He explained that portion which refers to
taxation and showed clearly that 1T would
not impose a State tax on real estate, as
had been supposed 10y some. but would
equalize taxes and make it less burden