Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1876-10-19
a CirIL NERO IN PENNSYL
HANIA. f

Win lne tcrriuic story ol INC Moii)
Maguircs" in the Pennsylvania Goa
, regions, which has recently been re
vcalcd in all the length and breadtl
and height and depth OF its amazing
+ wickedncss BY citizen Of Pennsylva
f mia, the Hon, Franklin B. Gowen, in {
speech delivered by him at the tria
for murder of that association. The
point made by the Times is well worth
!. making, for ii local conflict in some
Southern State between black men and
white men is to justify the suspension
of local sclfgovernment in that State
by the federal power much more ought
local scii-government to be suspended
in Pennsylvania by the federal power
when it is proved, as Mr.. Gowen has
proved, that in at least one county
of that great State an organization
founded upon murder as means
OF terrorism "has for twenty-five
years hung like pail over the
people, an organization actually pow
eriul enough to put its members, stain
ed with innocent blood into political
Offices Of trust and importance, and to
make red handed assasslns "high CON
stables, chiefs Of police and candidates
for seats on the judicial bench itsolfl''
But there are other aspects also
in which this extraordinary apocalypse
Of crime deserves to be brought more
FULLY TO the attention Of the country.
Considered simply as dark romance
Of real life, enacted almost at our very
doors, the tale is of the most thrilling
interest and Of the most momentuous
significance.
The evil that men do lives after
them" Ont of the tyranny and in
justice inflicted upon Ireland in the
worst periods Of English rule over
that unhappy island, grew up the Sc
crct association OF the Irish Ribbon
men, formed to intimidate the agents
and bailiffs Of non resident iandhold-
crs, and the constabnlary called in 10
aid them in collecting the rents of tho
land, and out of this association, again,
grow up in the Pennsylvania coal re
gions the dark conspiracy of the Penn
syIvania "Molly Magures,V bent on
obtaining control by terrorism ind yio-
lencc Of all the interest of the region
in which IT was established. 1t Is
startling now to know how great a
succcss-and for how long o time--this
nefarious conspiracy attained. "Let
us look, said Mr.. Gowcn, addressing
jury in Schuylkill county, only six
weeks ago, while yet the jubilee Of the
American Centennial was celebrating
"lct us look to society in this county
as it was three months ago, when men
retired to their homes at s or o'clock
in the evening, and no one vcntured
beyond the precincts of bis own door (;
when every man engaged in any en-
terprise of magnitude, or connected
with industrial pursuits, left his home
in tho morning with his hand upon
his pistol, unknowing whether he
would again return alive; when the
very foundations of society were being
overturned when the administration
OF justice, which should always be re-
garded with reverence, had almost
sunk into contempt when men doubt
cd whether it was in tho power of or
ganizcd society to protect their lives
and secure their property"
And this was said, remember, not of
Mama in the peloponncsus, nor OF the
land OF the Thugs, nor of Sicily, cursed
with the atrocious malta, but of the
Commonwealth founded by William
Penn, and of the earliest historical
scat of American independence and
American nationality. ="
What credit and respect does not
the man deserve who, finding himself
insuch community, and knowing well
that his own position and connections
marked him out for the special watch
iulncss of the Williams by whom crimes
like this were planned and executed
to tcrrify il into submission, coo.ly and
rcsolutely set himself ut work to pun.
ish their authors and to put stop TO
them forever?
This Mr.. Gowcn did-qaietly, silent.
", withan unialtcring purpose, guided
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