The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-06-22
REPUBLICAN STATE TICKET.
The Opening Guns.


philadelphia Press Juno 1ith)
The Independent Republicans fired
the opening guns of the campaign at
Pittsburg last night. The dignified,
trenchant and impressive speeches of
Senator Stewart and Colonel McMich-
ael sound the keynote Of the Independ-
ent canvass and cmbody the creed and
the reasons of Independent action.
These wcighty utterances will COM
mand attention throughout the State;
and even Republicans who challenge
the policy and question the wisdom of
the Independent movement must con-
cede the force of its arraignment.
Senator Stewart, as the chief stand
ard bearer, is naturally looked to for
statement of the character, justifica-
ton and purposes of the Independent
campaign. His speech is an incsive
and mastery presentation of his case.
There is but one point ut which an issue
can he made with it, and that is upon
the warrant and the wisdom OF his eX-
treme remedy. At every step until
the last his argument is as irresistible
as it is luminous and polished. 1t is
vigorous Indictment of the wrongs and
outrages that have marked the personal
rule which has blighted the Republi-
can party of Pennsylvania, and its sue.
cessive counts are presented with
consummate skill and power which
bespeak one of the ablest minds of the
State. That despotic boss rule is both
a crime and misfortune which drives
so true a Republican and 50 brilliant Il
leader as John Stewart into revolt as
the only protection against its tyranny.
His speech is a lucid exposition of
the causes which have precipitated the
party division. He shows how the
party has decayed in the State, and
lost much of the public confidence;
how this decadeuce is due to an arbi-
trary and offensive boss rule which has
stifled all free life and defied honest
public sentiment; how this arrogant
domination has repeatedly trampled on
the declared will of the people; how it
openly and flagrantly disregarded and
defeated the choice of Pennsylvania
in the Presidential contest; how it at
tempted to assert the same autOcratic
sway in the Senatorial struggle how
il has maintained itself by the prosti-
tuition of the public patronage and the
prescription of all who were not will
ing to become serls; and how it has
spurned and repudiated even the
pledges of its own recent Convention
at Harrisburg. Thus far Senator
Stewart states what cannot be Success
fully controvered. Where we must
pause, and where many others who
agree with him up to this point pause,
is where he contends that his Inde-
pendent action is the only way to re-
deem the party from this thralldon.
In his arrangement of the dynastic
control of the party, he has made one
OF twopoints against General Beaver
which, if they do not put him on the
defensive, at least required that he
shall strengthen the hands of his
friends by emphasizing his own man
hood and individuality in the most
unmistakable manner.
The cogent and effective speech of
Colonel McMichael presents the ques-
tions i'm a different way with the same
conclusions. He speaks as one who
has been the personal friend of the
Camerons, and in few strokes he
shows why public duties should over
ride all personal considerations. He
contends that the Democratic party
cannot be trusted with power, and
that this Independent movement is
the way of escape from Democratic
success. He dwells upon the neces-
sity of obliteraiing the spells system,
and finally pleads that if the issue is
postponed now, it will break out afresh |
two years hence, and that the only |
way to succeed in 1881 is to smash the
machine in 1882. We repeat that there
are tens of thousands of Republican,.
who recognize the vivid poriraiturp
drawn by Senator Stewart aud Colonel |
NcMichae of the evils of boss rule "a,
entirely Just, but who will not conceIe
that the only way to redeem the party |
is to fight out the battle in its present
form. They will seek some otherway I
which promises both regeneration and
success,