The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-06-26


disguised and declares his intention TO
have nothing more to do with Office or
active political work. He has unques.
tionably acted the part of faithful
State Senator during his term just
closed.
unfortunately there is too much cause
for high minded men TO become tired
of politics and holding legislative of
flee. There was time, and we well
remember it, when the voters made
their own selections and generally
succeeded in securing Senators and
Representatives of the right stamp
But the general rule is now, and for
years has been, the election of profess
ional tricksters and corruptionists
But few men who mean strictly hon.
orable business are willing to comply
with the conditions of election to either
branch of Assembly, which is to make
nominations by buying up delegates
to nominating conventions and in close
ly contested districts to 20 among
voters of the lowest degrees and resort
to every imaginable way to win them.
1t is an open secret that a very large
percentage of our sovereign people"
including the wearers of good clothes
and movers in respectable society are
always con the make" and ready to be
bought like pigs and calves in the
market. We venture to say that fully
thirty-two per cent. of all the Penn
sylvania Senators and Representatives
spend fully the amounts of their salar-
les to win their nomination and elect,
ion, and "to make them selves whole"
they join the band of iobbers and cor
ruptionists at the State Capitol, and
the right minded, conscientious and
honest ones cannot fail to find them
out because they have eyes and ears
| as well as common sense.
The real trouble is with the home
voters themselves. If public opinion
could be brought back to a more
healthy state, we would hear but little
if any more of the disgraceful trading
and bargaining and buying up among
nominating delegates in conventions.
The prevailing doctrine Of Everything
fair in politics is infamous and dam
nable. We firmly believe that the
POLITICAL fraud and swindler cannot be
anything else than social and
business frAld and swindler. The one
who by any sharp methods will steal a
vote, would only refrain from stealing
pocket book because he fears the
penitentiary. The individual who is
capable Of telling bareface POLITICAL
lie is liar in any other relation to the
community. No honest man can be dis
honest in politics.
We know men who would be willing,
at the fair compensation which the law
provides, to serve in the Legislature,
and who would truly and faithfully
represent the best interests of the COM
munity, but who will not resort to the
methods necessary to assure success,
and these remain in private life.
The evils to which we refer are
much more serious in the large cities
than in the rural districts 1t is a no
torious truth that, as rule, only the
professional beats, corruptionists and
barefaced frauds stand any chance
to win legisl i've seats from Philadel.
phia constituencies, and it is not at all
surprising that when Kennedy coon
gets in among the coteries OF Phila-
delphia skunks he can't stand the odor
with which the Legislative atmosphere
is impregnated. If only the solid, in.
telligent business men would take hold
of primary elections and run them in
the interest of public decency, and act
the part of Independent men by vot-
ing solid against offensive nominations,
the evil would soon be cured. But as
long as the citizens permit the roosters
and dead beats to run the party machin-
cry, and continue to vote merely as
party automatons, so long will corrupt
ion and fraud continue to prevail in
the Northumberland Chunk DEM
Ocr0t.
We heartily endorse the above.
What the writer says of the Legisla-
ture is unfortunately applicable TO al
most every political office.