Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-08-21
ENDORSING THE saOvERNoR.
A Significant Sign OF The Times.

Delaware County Record, Rep.
The Concordville Farmers 'club is mainly
composed of earnest, wide awake outspoken
Republicans, who know commendable
things when they see them, and are possessed
of courage enough to condemn pernici0us
things when they find them. The members
thereof are fullgrown men, and have .
knack of accurately gsuging men and
measures, and Of calling things by their
proper names. True it Is, there are those
who think and even say the club is very
meddlesome institution, and that it should
conf1ne its deliberation to matters of the
barn yard, crops, fertilizers and things,
and that, above all things else, It should
not naeddle in politics. The peculiar thing
about these critics is that they are politi-
clans, and evidently desire to monopolize
the whole political arena to themselves.
In their estimate of the Concordville club
they evidently measure it by their own
standard for being of no earthly use ex-
cept as politicians, they reason that far
mers cannot be good farmers if they med
die in matters political. But the broad,
well cultivated acres of Concord and vicin.
ity; the fruitful hills and smiling valleys ;
the we'll fed kline the commodi0us barns ;
tho well-equipped appliances the cosy
comfortable homes and above and be-
yOnd all else the general intelligence keen
discrimination and good hard sense of
these yoeman, all alike furnish the best
answer to the heresy that because they are
farmers and lead somewhat isolated life,
they are illiterate, unthinking and unrea-
sonable men. In this very isolation lies
the farmers greatest weakness. There is
unity of thought, of interest and of desire,
but in most agricultural districts there
lacks the necessary intercourse to crystal
lize this common sentiment. A farmers
club meets this great want, by its pro-
vision of the facilities Of freer intercourse,
interchange of thought, and contact of
mind with mind. In this way individual
views are liberalized; the mental vision
strengthened and broadened and much 70.
sultant good accomplished. such organi-
zed sentiment becomes a power in any
community, and especially where their
official doings can be publicly prOmulga-
ted.
A case in point is furnished by the Off
cial action of the Concordville Farmers
club, at the last meeting, when the fol
lowing resolution was passed
"Resolued, That in common with our
fellow citizens, alike of town and country,
we hail the period of 1883 with unmitiga-
ted satisfaction in the history of Pennsyl-
vania. SO far as the commonwealth pos
sesses governor who has the acumen to
detect and the courage to refuse his official
sanction to bills passed by the present
Legislature, unconstitutional, fraudulent
or subversive of the general rights of those
whom it is intended to succor."
We have said the members of the club
are mainly Republicans, but whilst such,
they are none the less citizens, and en-.
dowed with good, hard common sense.
They recognize that, as all government is
of human agency and control that, as
parties are but a means to given end, to
wit-good gouernmsnt, that end can only
be consummated and the public veal pro-
noted by the elevation of good, represen,
tative, we'll tried and proven men to
public place. When they find such man
they are not afraid to commend him, even
though it be not politically orthodox 50 to
do. and mortally offensive to the ma
chine" powers that be. Hence the clubs
official approval and manly endorsement
of Governor Pattison's administration
a tribute all the more worthy because the
spontaneous, unsolicited expression of
men who dare own themselves and
openly express their convictions of even
political opponent. The old dogma of
party infallibilityl possesses no longer
charms for such class of men; tho
shackles of prejudice are broken and tho
vision undimmed by partisan clanor.
There is but one true meaning to Repub-
licanism-the good of the many to the
least detriment of the few-and when
men can rise to the full statue and dig
nifty of Republican sovereignty and get
out and above and beyond the chrysalis
stage of partnership, it is a healthy sign
of the times, and plain indication that
true Republicanism possesses within it.
self the means of curing all minor and
weaknesses.