The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-10-23

proper hands. To think of more than a
half million of the peoples money Civ.
en- oyer as bonus TO convict telon--
who tempted the representatives of the
people to rob the state, whose bounty
he enjoyed, of four millions Of money,
to jeopardize forever their citizenship,
('make them foreuer disqualified from
holding any office of trust or profit
within this commonwealth y is a
monstrous reflection beyond express
ion. The disciple of "addition,divisio
and silence" whom the candidate of
the Republican party voted to set at
liberty forty hours after conviction had
placed him where he belonged, is not
proper agency at the hands of his
benefactor to continue a trustee of the
peoples money. This vast corruption
fund handled by men like Kemble and
Magee, and controlled by men like
Quay is the burning disgrace of the
manhood of this commonwealth. 1t
has been for years the handmade of
oppression. Its use in times past
stimulated the assembling of the con-
stitutional convention of 1878 and the
institution of the iron-clad oath whose
humiliation every member of assembly
must undergo--an oath that will re.
main a standing reproach to repre-
sentative government while civilization
lasts.
The young Democracy, untainted
by the era of corruption which follow
ed in the wake of war, come fresh
from nobler heritage than that be-
gotten by that long crusade of greed.
On them the redemption OF the com
monwealth devolves. An active, earn
est, working effort will put to flight
the demoralized cohorts of rascality
and plunder The instinct of common
honesty is no weaker in Pennsylvania
than in her sister states, and that
powerful champion fights by their side
and leads the fight. Fresh hearts and
hopes are those which must the long
est live and upon the vigor, courage
and intelligence of young and sturdy
manhood the future must depend. The
decline of public virtue is the greatest
curse of social life. Indifference and
supineness cultivate a callous heart /;
nothing can save from future ruin a
country Indifferent to reform. When
the country gave to Mr.. Tilden popu-
lar majority of more than million of
its white vote, it said in thunder tones
its heart was on the side of public
honesty. The future of peace is on
the side of public honesty. and the
future of contentment and of progress
The future of youth and childhood is
all with public honesty, the future Of
every development guaranteed by a
free citizenship is there.
The issue of honesty in Office was
never more sharply presented to the
popular will than it is to day. The
election of Quay would be one of the
darkest hours the commonwealth has
ever seen it would show the public
are indifferent to the character of their
servants. and put premium on dis
honesty in high places, from whose eff
ects perpetuated the state in the end
could not recover. 1t would be a
premium upon bad faith and show that
the people have forgotten their own
efforts at redemption. 1t would ignore
the organic law and all the wise re-
forms their patient representatives en-
grated upon that instrument for the
protection of the people against the
tyranny of cooperative greed, the
plunder of cooperative control, the law
lessness of this majestic evil that goes
striding through the land, regardless
of all the obligations the society holds
sacred.
1t rests with the young Democracy
of this mighty commonwealth, which
that pure patriot and useful public ser.
want, ex-senator Buckalew, affection
ately termed, 'the mother of us all"-
in the course OF the constitutional de.
bates-it rests with the active energies
of this flower of our honest citizenship
to begin the era of reform in earnest
in Pennsylvania. No labor could be
worthier of human hands in the long
train cf the blessings it would bring,
everything men hold dear would be
affected. No fireside would fail to
feel its influence no life but would re.
joice in its ultimate effects. We trust
that seizing the opportunity before it,
the young Democracy may strike a
blow for honesty in Office and respect
for the obligations of the sacred cove
nant of the supreme law, that will be
the beginning of better day in this
tortured and punder-ridden common
wealth There is no duty more press
ing, no business more important-no
work worthier of our common manhood
than such work would be.