Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-08-15
OLD BERKS AROUSED.
THE COUNTY MEETING IN READING

ULD BEKkS AROUSED. 5
THE COUNTY MEETING IN HEADING.
Sounding the Keynote OF the Campaign
Speeches That Enthussd the Crowd
Black ON JeHersOnlan Democracy.
The annual Democratic "county meet
ing," always held On the first day of
the August court, convened in the court
house in Reading on Monday afternoon.
There were representatives present from
every district in the county, and Chair
man William Harris, of the county COM
mittee, presided ex-OfficiO and outlined
the plan Of the campaign as it is being
effectively prosecuted by the local organi-
ZatiOn. After the appointment OF secre-
tarics, vice presidents and 4 resolutions
committee the president introduced Mr..
ErmentrOut, congressman from that dis
trict, who rendered to his constituents an
account of the last session and severely
arraigned the Republican majority for
their failure to provide relief to the pub.
lie from the oppressive burden of taxation
and denounced tho river and harbOr bill.
He was warmly applauded and his course
in Congress met tho maifest approval Of
his people.
Chauncey F. Black, candidate for lieu
tenant governor, who ever since his ar
rival in the city had been the subject of a
good deal of social attention and was
warmly met by hundreds of the Berks
county yeomanry, was introduced as the
apostle of pure Jeffersonian Democracy
and was received with great applause,
but said that he had come to see
rather than to DO heard. He pro-
posed to cut his remarks almost as
short rs Dean Swift, who, when told to
preach briefly in the presence of the king,
announced his text, "He that giveth to
the poor lendeth to the Lord, :" and simply
said elf you like the security down with
the DUST" The candidate for lieutenant
governor said he had no security
to offer except life long devotion to
those old-fashioned Democratic prin-
ciples which Thomas jefferson had crys-
talized into a political system that had
been faithfully applied by long series of
ErmentrOut's speech was an appalling in
Democratic platform ever promulgated
pen of jefferson himself-thero were
doctrines laid down that fairly met the
living issues of to- day, extravaganza and
corruption in tho administration Of gov
ernment. The boss system, the spoils
system and the shameful waste of public
money by such measures as the river
and harbor bill were tho results
of the doctrine and practice of
centralizatiOn, against which 4 sound
Democracy must be arrayed. What
ever evils exist from which wOrkingmen
suffer are the results of an assumption of
powers by the governing classes that tho
constitution has never granted them and
which every congressman when he takes
his Office solemnly swears he will not as
sumo. The doctrine that that country
is governed best which is governed
least is as true now as three
quarters of a century ago and is as true in
Pennsylvania as in the country at large.
Our greatest political and social evils result
from superfluOus and oppressive legislation
enacted in behalf of favored classes. The
indulgence of these tendencies to q stretch
of power has resulted in the boss system,
which would have been as impossible even
in the Wing party of forty years ago,
as it is in the Democratic party Of to-day.
There has set in a counter tendency, aud
ono place where things arc being righted
is in Philadelphia, where Pattison stands
with both hands and one shoulder inside
the gate of the city treasury, protecting it
against the desperate gang Of thieves who
have assailed it." MIR. Black paid high
eulOgy to the candidate for governor, and
predicted that tho people of the state
would call him to be their executive
head.
State Chairman Henscl spoke for about
4 half hour and walked his audience to a
pitch of enthusiasm, briefly discussing the
general issues of the campaign and i'm
pressing upon the workers of the party the
Importance of close, efficient organization
by detail in every school district AMI town
block. He declared that if he could be
assured by the 7th Of September that
every Democrat was registered lie would
be better satisfied than to receive two per
cent. ON the Office holders salaries, and ii
he could be assured by the 9TH of October
that every Democrat had his tax paid and
was naturalized he could assure his party
then that PattisOn was elected and the
effort made from then until November
would determine only what the majority
should be
Tho resolutions were then passed and
the meeting adjourned. They indorse the
representatives Of the party in Congress
and the Legislature, ratify the state
ticket. and denounce the extravaganza and
inefiiciency of the Republican Congress.