Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-10-02
the CAMPAIGN.
SPEECH OF
HON. R. MILTON SPEER,
Chairman Of the Democratic State
Committee.
DELIVERED AT McCoNNELLsBuRu, Pa,
SEPTEMBER 6Tu, 1878,

OOAulllbtOCf
DELIVERED AT McCoNNELLsBuRu PA.
SEPTEMBER 6rn. 1873.
By tho peaceful power OF the ballol
the people OF Pennsylvania are called
upon to choose their executive for tn,
next four years. TO be the Governor
Of this great State is an honor worthy
the ambition Of her purest and ablest
citizens Three political parties, by
their platforms and their candidates
challenge the peoples recognition and
claim their suffrage One OF them
born Of the distress that hangs
like pail over the State and
tho nation--has neither record or his,
tory, and hence cannot be judged by
what II has done, but only by what il
promises 10 do. The other two-thc
Democratic and the Republican-ap.
peal not only TO the assurances OF the
present aud pledges of the future, but
TO the achievements Of the past. With
judicial patience and fairness, let the
high tribunal of the people hear and
determine,
From 1861 until this hour Pennsyl-
vania has had a Republican Governor
and the nation Republican President.
From 1861 to 1875 all departments OF
the Federal Government-legislative,
executive and iudicial-have been Re
publican, and the same is practically
true ofthis State. That party had but
to speak and it was done; to utter its
decree and it became law. With the
purse Of the nation in the one hand and
the sword in the other, it bought or
beat all opposition into the dust. No
political party since the birth of free
government has welded such power or
enjoyed such opportunities. No pesti-
lence or famine has desolated the land,
but the earth during all this period,
with luxuriant bounty, has yielded her
wealth and her harvest to the touch tf
toll. Why, then, should we not TO day,
in Statoand nation, beahappy and pros
porous people ? Why should not the
air be vocal with tho music OF our in
dustrics ? Why should not the mill
ions Of hands this moment oLtstretched,
willing and anxious to work. find ready
employment Z Why should this land.
blessed by heaven and rich in all the
elements Of productive labor. be turned
into vast almshouse. whose only echo
is the cry for bread and against whose
portals the tramp stands Knocking dav
and night Tor admittance q? These
questions and many others like them
the people ask, as they have a right to
ask. and they turn with anxious and
resolute purpose to the Republican
party and demand on answer As
their servant, charged with high duties
commanding untold resources and OK
ercising, legally or otherwise. imperial
power, il is called for iudqmont unon
the record made by itself. If either
iathless or incompetent, its CLAIM to
public confidence should perish.
Nor is the test an unfair one. "Ev.
cry tree that bringeth not forth good
fruit is hewn down and cast into the
fire" Government exists for the peo-
pie, andnot the people for the govern.
ment. Its duty Is protection, not plun.
der; and when the rulers of free peo.
pie fail in this high duty. either from
weakness of head or corruption of heart.
the only safety of the Republic lies in
their overthrow. Thank God. no man
or party was ever born on our soil
with crown upon bis brow. Withlus
the dadem of power rests with the
people. No hereditary succession from
father TO son is written in our constitu.
ton Of laws, and if our people guard
their liberties with vigilance and yir.
tue, this badge of monarchy shall never
shame their escutcheon In Pennsyl.
vania it is worth. not birth, that makes
the man.
What is our condition today. after
almost seventeen wears of unbrolSen
Republican rule 1t is not too mucb
to say that values have decreased one.
third and tho debtor class unable IN
meet their obligations after n long and
desperate struSgle have Welded n The
inexorable logic of events and zone
down TO homeless ruin. need NOT
point YOU TO the endless list of applica.
lions for the benefit of the banlSrupt
law which is now repealed For The
last five years, every hour that the
clock has struck day and night has
tolled the financial ialiure of an A meri.
can citizen Like death The IRON heel
of disaster has crushed both higb and
low The manufaeturer giving ON.
ployment TO n thousand men nnd the
country merchant providino ior him.
self and family an humble snnnort
have alike bowed beneath the fury Of
the storm and now lie powerless OK.
ccpt TO mark the patb of its desolation.
Dfiyen by the Sheriff from The homo
of their childhood and from the Graves
of their dead. in the bitterness of their
agony and beneath n starless sl,v thew
summon their oppressors TO lbe indg.
mont hail
Morothan thirteen vears haveelansed
since the close of the war The south
prostratcd and exhausted addressed
herself TO REPLACING The ravaces of war
with the iruits of neacc but State oflcr
State was overrnn with cormoran,s
andadventurers who fed unon dirorder
and fattened upon plunder Tbey
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