Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-10-19

carriage in company with William A. Gal
braith, president judge of tho courts !;
Joseph McCarter, mayor of the city, and
Orange Noble, late candidate Of the party
for state treasurer. Wealthy citizens
walked sile by side with honest
tOilers at the forge and all We'd
with each other in manifesting
interest in the canvass. Houses were deco
rated, buildings illuminated and people
alive to the occasion. Few such meetings
bave ever been held in the city and, except
in presidential campaigns, no such demon
stration can be recalled by any citizen.
The meeting itself was no less characteris
tic of deep-seated and earnest deter
mination to win. Seated upon the plat
form were three Democratic president
judges-Galbraith, of Erie, McDermitt,
Of Mercer, and Church. of Crawford.
These three distinguished jurists, called
to high trusts in Republican counties,
gave their presence to this event rs
voluntary testimony of their interest in
the cause. Besides them on tho platform
were other citizens who have been hOnOred
in the past and are rich in the respect Of
their neighbOrs. All these things com
bined to make this a great meeting.
nlr. Pattison's Address.
The meeting was organized by calling
John Il. Bliss to tho. chair and naming a
large number of secretaries. This accom-
plished, Mr.. Pattis0n was introduced:
Inspired by the auspiciOus surroundings
he excelled himself and won the highest
encomiums for his eloquent earnestness.
1t is in times of prosperity and poace"
said Mr.. Pattison, "when passion no Ion
ger exists aud reason asserts her domin.
ion, that men give the most careful and
intelligent consideration to questions Of
government. Such attention my journey
has convinced mo the people arc now Civ
ing to their affairs. This is my hope in
the present contest against tho arrogant
power of the bosses. A truly popular
government must bo bnilt up from the
people, must grow out Of them, DO con-
trclled by them and representative Of
them. The bosses reverse this rule and
would have the government Euilt up on
their will aud their purposes. Theyclaim the
supremacyOc masters and are not content to
occupy their legitimate position as public
servants. This spirit must be stamped
out of our political system. Instead
thereof there must be engraven into Our
institutions tho doctrine that a public
officer should be the exponent Of the pub
lie will. Offices are not private property
aud the revenue of the people is not the
revenue Of the individual controlling or
disbursing it, Mr.. Pattison referred at
length to tho Philadelphia reform meas
urcs and the refusal Of thu Legislature to
act thereon aud then made an exhaustive
review Of the management Of the state
finances. Upon this latter point he said
q" When, by \ majority Of ovor one hun
dred thousand, tho people adopted their
new constitution, it was provided that the
reserve fund Of the state necessary for the
current expenses should be deposited and
secured rs directed by law, and, moreover,
that monthly statements of tho place OF
deposit aud manner of security should be
made public by advertisement. This
wholesome and wise provision has, | Am
informed, been deiiautly neglected and
the information has not been given to the
people in tho manner aud at tho times re-
quired by the fundamental law. The
provision Of the constitution is necessary
and its enforcement would be salutary.
'fIn Philadelphia the necessity of such Il
law was felt and met by tho enactment Of
au ordinance regulating deposits Of public
money. Before the passage OF that Ordi
nance the Peoples bank, of that city, a
state institution, having i capital of only
$150,OOO, was the custodian of deposits
averaging $500, 1000, aud this, too, when
there We're other banks Of a million and
more Of capital and of the soundest credit
that had a mere nominal amount Of pub
IL, money III their vaults. The patent ab-
susdity and plain injustice aud danger OF
such = condition Of affairs caused the
passage Of tho law l have referred to reg
ulatiug deposits. by this law tho amount
Of deposits among banks WAS proper
toned to their capital and by its
operation the amount Of money on
deposit in the Peoples bank, tho favored
institutions of the bosses, has been reduced
to III average of about $50, 1000. In Phi!a-
delphia, too, the law compels u weekly
publication by the treasurer of the names
of the various banks in which lie deposits
and the amount in each. We find the
rule there safe and wise. Why. let ME
ask, should not the finances of the state be
subjected to similar management Least
Of all, why should not the reasonable pro
vision of the constitution lie Obeyed and
the people be given monthly knowledge OF
where their money is kept and how it is
secured 1t IS more than likely if this
rule had beeu observed 4 deposit Of many
thousands would not have been lost by de-
posit in an unsafe banking institution iu
the city of Erie. The people demand that
all tho laws enacted for their benefit and
security shall be enforced. No public off
Ger has right to neglect or pass by any
regulation written i'll the statute book.
Power OF rcpea; exists with your repre-
10, <Ln
alone. 1t is q misfeasance and unwar-
rantcd assumption of power on the part OF
al official to disregard any statute. Let
tho laws be enforced in all their prOvi- |
sions. Let the servants Of the public obey
all tho behests OF their masters, the peo-
pie, and then you: government will be in
very deed, as in name, y government by |
the people,"
Mr.. Pattison was followed by MIR. Black
in happy speech, andcJohn Il. Read then |
took the platform and discussed the issues. |
Chairman Henscl wound up the proceed |
ings by an eloquent exhortatiOn to activity |
On the part of tho Democrats and for au |
hour he fastened the attention Of the audi |
1ience.
1t was nearly II o'clock when the meet
ng broke up, yet for an hour a |
house and hundreds Of persons called |
TO give personal assurances OF their |
work in the cailse Taking it all in all, |
;ratic heart of Erie city beats with hope- |
'uI pulsatlon to night. The party left for |
" arren, thence to Bradford, where blight |
Meeting will be held, after which they will |
70 to Carlisle and Harrisburg via Elmir;.
v