Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-10-02

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should be remembered that tho rcduc-
tion in our expenses would have been
much greater had il not been for the
action OF the Republican Senate, which
increased the appropriations in many
cases as passed by the House. No
party, intoxicated with power, ever re-
forms itself. The people must reform
it. Tho Republicans, tossing millions
as pennies during the high tide of the
war and the years Immediately sue
ceeding it, have neither the head nor
the heart TO return to the plain ways
Of peace, Their leaders all tend to the
centralization Of power and TO the op.
precision Of the people. Aided by cor
porate capital and by assessments gath
cred from ofiice-Lolders and oiiice-hun-
ters, the Republican party will neither
correct its abuses nor willingly surren.
der the high trust il has betrayed.
With quarter OF a million OF the
popular and a majority of the electoral
vote against him, we have in the scat
Of Washington and jackson a man who
represents the success OF the ioulest
conspiracy against free governmentand
constitutional liberty known to the an
mails Of time. And the men to whose
fraud, forgery and perjury he owes the
name of President, instead of wearing
chains and manacles are loaded with
rewards and honors are made judg.
es Of courts and keepers Of the peoples
treasure My friends, if a beggar, starv-
lug, takes a loaf of bread not his own,
he is arrested, tried, convicted and sent
to prison. But here band of political
desperadoes, located in three States, by
nameless crimes have stolen the Jewels
Of the republic; and instead of being
overtaken by the swift hand of the
avcnger, they to-day mock the people
in their calamity and riot IN their sub
stance. II justice has not fled the
earth, the day, the hour, is near at
hand when her sword shall merciless-
y behead these guilty wretches
STATE ISSUES.
Let me turn now briefly to State is.
sues. We are all proud of Pennsylva-
mia. Baptized in the blood of the Rev
olution, she has reared some mighty
men. Her people honest, intelligent
and Industrious her forests rivaling
the cedars of Lebanon and her soil
rich in minerals, she invites to her bor-
ders the best brain and bravn OF the
earth. Forgetting party names and
party divisions her citizens should
make her peace and prosperity their
common inheritance and their common
joy Bat State with so many diver
sitied interests and so many sources Of
wealth is too inviting to escape the
plac6man and the trader, and today it
may be said with truth that no North
ern State has been so cursed with ring
and machine politics Our people, feel.
ing the poison in the system, sought
deliverance in q radical change of the
organic law, and the new Constitu.
tion, in many respects a model, took
form and being, not, however, without
bitter struggle, for the old order of
things died by decree and not by
choice.
But more was expected by the
change than has been realized. Over.
whelmingly defeated at the polls, the
political cabal who had been controll-
ing the State, reluctant to retire from
the scene of their past triumpbs, tax
ed their ingenuity to defeat the spirit,
il not the form and letter, of the n9w
Constitution.
One of the complaints of the people
was that corporations had too much
power. Tho creatures of legislative
will, mere servants OF the people, they
were hardly out of their swadding
clothes until they assumed to be the
peoples masters. Manufacturers and
producers could find no means to mar.
ket, although railroad might pass
their door The rates were exorbitant,
or no cars could be had, or the "ring'
might be selling the same products or
goods. The grievance became intol- |
cradle and honest men, with one voice,
demanded that the power OF monopo-
ly should be broken and tho rights of
the citizen respected.
Hence it is that we find in the new
Constitution. article II, the following
sections:
SEC. 3. All individuals, associations
and corporations shall have equal
right to have persons and property |
transported over railroads and canals,
and no undue or unreasonable discrlm.
ination shall be made in charges for,
or in facilities for, transportation of
freight or passengers within the State
or coming from or going to any other
State. Persons and property trans.
ported over any railroad shall be de-
llvered at any station at charges rot |
exceeding the charges for transporta.
ton of persons and property of the
same class in the same direction to any
more distant station but excursion
and commutation tickets may be is
sued at special rates.
SEC. z No discrimination in charges
or facilities Tor transportation shall be
made between transportation compa-
nies and individuals, or in favor of
other, by abatement, drawback or
otherwise, and no railroad or canal
company, or any lessee, manager or
employc thereof shall make any pref.
erence in furnishing cars or motive
power.
And as if seeing with the eye Of
prophecy the opposition with which
these sections would bo met the con.
vention added
SEC. y. The General Assembly shall
enforce by appropriate legislation, the
provisions OF this article.
The members of the Legislature
swear to Support, obey and defend the
Constitution of this Commonwealth"
and yet with the duty therein written,
" the General Assembly shall en-.
force by appropriate legislation the
provisions" Of article IL, no law has
been passed to carry out these provis-
ions. The wrongs of the people in
this regard remain unredressed, and
the strong arm Of corporate power
continues to oppress, unrebukcd.
And when last winter the suffering
oil interests OF our State, employing n
vast amount of capital and thousands
of laborers, ventured to approach the
Legislature for relief and TO point to
the Constitution as the ground of their
petition, they were laughed to scorn
and turned naked away. 1t was fruit.
less for the present Democratic candi-
date Tor Governor, then Senator, TO
make earnest plea for the rights of the
people against the greed OF monopo
lies, for, as he spoke, one OF the lead.