The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-05-19

THE Philadelphia Record very proper
ly takes its stand in favor of the election
of a ''frst-rate" man as the Democratic
candidate for Governor, and with that
end in view strongly advocates the NOM
ination of Hon. Charles r. BuekaleW.
We do not suppose there is an intelll-
gent Democrat in the State who Will
not heartily endorse everything that
the Record says in regard to Mr.. BUCK
alew's peculiar qualifications for the
place. his eminent abilities, his great eX-
perience in public affairs, both state
and National, and his stainless charac-
ter for integrity. But the Record, III IT'S
commendable enthusiasm in favor OF
MI. Buckalew's nomination, has given
utterance. Inadvertently, no doubt, to
remark from which we most emphati-
icallv dissent. In a brief article on the
subject on Friday last the Record said
1.-THE people are tired of second-raters.
There has been a long, persistent, dead
level of mediocrity in the choice OF can
didates for both parties. The time has
come to TRY first rater." We will not
stop to inquire how true this has been as
to the candidates of the Republican par
ty. but it is manifestly not true in its ap-
plication to the nominees of the Demo-
cratic party. Commencing with 1860,
TWENTY-FIVE years ago, and ending with
1873. the candidates of the Democratic
partv for Governor have been as follows:
Henry D. Foster, Geo, w. Woodward.
Hester Clymer, Asa Packer, Charles r.
Buckalew, Cyrus L. Pershing and An
drew II. Dill. The Record will not
surely claim that any one of these seven
men in intellectual capacity ranked as a
''second rater,' or stood on the 'dead
level of mediocrity." Either one of
them was fit to be the Democratic can
didate for the Presidency, and at least
four of them were frequently named in
that connection. No State in the Union
has presented a stronger array of able
men for Governor than the Democratic
party in Pennsylvania to its infinite
I credit has uniformly done since $780,
| But even Mr.. Buckalew himself, with
! all his conceded ability and exceptional
/ fitness, went down in the campaign of
/ 1872, as Pershing did in that of 1875,
| before the great military name and
| fame of John T. Hartranft, just as ely
ner in 1866 and Packer in 1869 had done
/ in the presence of the ilustrious military
| career of John w. Geary, who, as well
as Hartranft, never rose in civil affairs
/ above the dead level Of mediocTity. y
/ If PENNSYLVANIA has not had a Demo-
/ cratic Governor since William F. Pack
/ er was elected to that Office in 1857, it
I isIclearly not because Democratic State
! conventions did not offer to the people
/ for their suffIages at each subsequent
/ election a candidate whose capacity was
/ admitted and whose honesty was be-
yond caYil or dispute. Each of the
seven candidates we have named was a
/ first -rater''-the very kind Of man
the Record now wants nominated-and
all of them were d efeated. That, how
/ ever, was neither their faultnor the fault
! of the conventions by which they were
nominated. We have no doubt the
coming State convention will do its full
duty in the premises, and that it will
repeat the action Of all preceding con
ventions since 1860 by nominating g
''frst-rate" candidate, Having thu:
performed its duty it will rest witt
{ tho alacEnrs Of tba State 70 d;Scharpt
theirs.