Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-08-23
LEAR'S TALK ON POLITICS.
STRONG INDEPENDENT
gIETaRANGE


General Lear was down on the pro-
eramme for the grafton. The subject
that had been given him by the soci-
etv to speak upon was The Legal and
Political Maxims OF William Penn, as
Viewed in the Light of the Present"
Before the General had been on his
feet ten minutes people began to open
their eyes. The orator who spoke
from carefully written manuscript, did
not launch cut into the customary
rhetoric eulogistic OF
Penn. He admitted at the outset that
Penn had faults. That historic bar
gain with the Indians, whereby he got
of Pennsylvania, General
Lear thought would not bear the
closest scruntiy Of his admirers if they
desired to repose in the belief that he
was faultless. Edmund G. Harrison,
member of the Stalwart Republican
State Committee, listened curiously to
the criticisms of Penn for few
moments and then turned and iccrlarly
asked q friend whether General Lear
wasn't suffering from toothache. AS the
speech progressed, however, the view
of Penn began to change and General
Lear gave him credit for much wisdom
and Judgment in the establishment of
in his colony.
STIRRING UP THE PARTY ELEMENT.
From a review of the condition of
Pennsylvania in Penn's time General
Lear proceeded to comparisons of the
past with the present, This brought
him square i4t0 the discussion Of the
political methods of to-day, resulting
in bis making one the strongest Inde-
pendent speeches the people of Bucks
have listened to, for many a
day. Questions, he said, relating to
selection of rulers and law makers
should be discussed ny tue people as
freely and calmly as any subject per-
taining to their business pursuits.
But for some inscrutable reason this at
present could not be done. "If |
were to announce here my intention
TO deliver discourse on the relative
qualifications OF the several candidates
now before the people for Governor, !"
said theGeneral, "this audience would
be convnlsed with horror, and with
hands uplifted and eyes dilated every
one of you would exclaim; Why, he's
going TO ta,k politics. A sensation of
alarm if not panic would seize this
assembly and you would disperse in
five minutes" This point excited
much laughter. General Lear de-
clared that this was not natural
state of affairs. People should seek
after the truth in politics as il every
thing else, and punish their faithless
repr esentatives in public life the same
as they would in private life. He
spoke of the power of the political
machine for EVIL He said it was one
OF the most dangerous systems that the
people of the country had to deal
with 1t would stiie all free speech
and free thought 1t would placate
dangerous opposition with petty ap-
pointments or by money bribes. Free
end open discussion on matters per-
to the rights oi every citizen
could not be had without branding
the participants as sore heads and
Cries at this point were
heard among the Stalwarts "Why,
Lear's turned Independent"
STAPLE STUMP STORIES.
In political campaigns arguments in
favor of men or measures, as rule,
were neither calculated to inform or
convince sensible men. Stale anec-
dotes, which had done duty through
dozens of campaigns, used by oratorsof
all political creeds to illustrate contra
dictory propositions, and the same
stories repeated to ridicule candidates
in every respect dissimilar, were the
staple commodities with which polite
al teachers pretended to enlighten in
telligent voters whose suffrages they
seek to obtain.
"Public duties" said General Lear,
are prostituted for personal and po-
Iitical ends, and the local politician is
rewarded for his disobediance of the
public will and the betrayal of his
Designing men obtain
heir first hold of political power,
md, once inside the threshold, they
proceed to entrench themselves as a
general does an army. BY q discrlm-
mating use Of patronage they secure
he most devoted fuglemen in every
department. of the public service. Po-
itical intrigue assumes the disguise OF
craftsmanship and official jobbery bodi-
Y wears the livery Of patriotism.
The chances for the success of an
outrage upon the people increase in the
ratio of its enormity. Editors of
,arty organs are bribed by political
and subsidized by the
patronage of prohigate officials, and woe
o the man who presumes to assert his /.
manhood by questioning the methods
,r qualifications of their masters. He
nay expect the whole pack of subser-
-ient ours, Tray Blanche and
Sweetheart and the mongrels of
over degree to open upon him with |
he ribaldry and scurrility which are
heir favorite weapons both for attack
nd defense"
A BRoADsIDE AT THE sTALwARTs.
The speakers TRADE against the
polls system and the misuse of patron
ge, the removal of competent. officials
0 reward others for political services,
ad peculiar effect upon the Stall
warts present. One or two suggested
hat be be stopped, as the occasion
vas not political and, in their minds,
hould not admit Of political speech.
ir. Harrison, of the Regular State
was one who took the
peech good naturedly He rather
eemed to enjoy the vigor with which
ieneral Lear attacked the machine.
ome of his points provoked universal
,ughter. He said, for instance, re-
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