Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-27
THE CONTEST IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Why Not Take tho Republican Wolfe for
Senator

Why Not Take the Republican Wolfe ioz
Harrisburg Correspondence n. Y. Sun.
1t NO longer seems likely that the Dem
Ocratic members of the Legislature OF
Pennsylvania are going to assist Mr.. Cam.
erOn to elect a senator. Thus far nobody
having a vote to give-except patriot
from Allegheny, whose seat is contested
has offered to be responsible for the
scheme, and there is no evidence that Mr..
Randall or Mr.. Wallace has ever given it
the slightest countenance. 1t is difficult
to see what interest Senator Wallace
could have in it. With Mr.. Randall the
case is different. The ring men threaten to
| cut up his district in the apportiOnment
bill, and throw him out Of Congress,
unless he agrees to buy them off by hand
ing over Democratic votes for tho Cam
erOn nominee for senator.
The people who circulate the stories
! that the speaker is ready to succumb to
this pressure gauge his character by their
own. But they are totally mistaken in him.
He has been threatened with defeat in his
district by the ring, by the Pennsylvania
railroad, by the John Reach lobby and by
other great powers. But he never yielded
AN inch. He is not that kind of man.
Nobody here believes the idle reports
that Cameron has succeeded in bullying
him. There have been efforts made to get
him to come here. But feeling, probably,
that that the Democratic members we're
fully competent to attend to their bust
ness he has declined to meddle. Should
he be called upon to speak on any proper
occasion, venture to say that his advice
will be stern and strong against dickering
with the ring. And should the latter un-
dertake gerrymanGer intended solely to
get rid of him. it would be such a tribute
to his incorruptiblc character rs falls to
the lot of few public servants. lie could
we'll afford to retire from Congress Oh such
terms but the country could by no means
afford to spare him, and would very soon
make Mr.. Cameron sensible OF that im-
pOrtant fact.
The truth is that, except in the case Of a
few individuals of i very bad type, there
has never been any disposition among the
Democrats to sell out to the ring. The
moral average of this Legislature is much
higher than usual. The methods Of 81
and SO will not win in it. The storm that
passed over at the close of the last session,
and made such sad wreck of the riot bill
bribers, has purified the atmosphere.
SHUcN3 tuO DShOSA1So Ashu AueNH~AA>s-
ents command the situation. Is it not
their duty to use the power which unfOrc-
seen events have cast upon them, instead
of throwing away forever this providential
opportunity to redeem the state from its
long slavery to the Cameron ring? What
matter about party names if they can Sc
cure senator who.will be upright, to the
people, against rings and mOnOpOlists, the
third term conspiracy, and the evil power
of the Camerons ? Mr.. Wolfe would be
eminently acceptable to nine Democrats
out Of ten in every part of the state. He
would be with the Democrats upon the
majority of questions that will arise at
Washington, as he has been with them for
years on the most important questions in
the Legislature A vote for him would be
readily vindicated to any Democratic con-
stituency. No people of any party are likely
to censure member for voting for the
man who but recently saved to the COM
monwealth round four millions Of dol
lars by rare exhibition of personal indie
pendence of party trammels, and who in
cidentally broke up the whole system Of
legislative bribery which has prevailed
under the auspices of the ring. But for
that feat, this present contest would have
been impossible it would have been set
tied long since by the work of hard cash.