The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-10-15
OPENING THE CAMPAIGN.
A LETTER FROM MR.. BUCKALEw. CHAIR
MAN HENsEL's DENIAL OF THE
CHARGES OF THE ''PREss.r

A very large meeting of the De
mocracy of Philadelphia was held last
Saturday evening in the Academy OF
Music. Speeches were made by r.. +.
Monaghan, II. Milton Speer and 9th
ers. Chairman Hensel read the fol-
lowing letter:
"W U. HENsEE, Esq, Chairman
Democratic State Committee.
"DEAR SIR: / shall be unable, by
reason of home engagements, TO at
tend your meeting on the 9th instant,
in Philadelphia Were | present, it
would afford me great pleasure to urge
upon the audience the support of the
very excellent and patriotic gentlemen
named by the Democratic State Con-
vention for public office, for | am sure
that by their election the people can
secure to themselves in abundant meas
ure the peaceable fruits of good gov
ernment and honest rule.
"It is favorite declaration of side
parties and factions that our great par
ties are not divided upon important
questions of principle and policy; that
the recurring struggles between them
are mere struggles for the possession of
power and office. By whomsoever as
serted or accepted, this is a gross error,
and it is an error to be strongly denied
and repelled. We hold, and have al
ways held, that overaction by govern.
ment is an evil to be guarded against
with constant care and vigilance, while
our opponents iu the great contests OF
the past have inclined to enlarged gov
ernment action and to free construction
of constitutional power in order to Sc
cure it.
"Related to this point is another not
to be omitted from mention: On both
sides of the Atlantic home rule is a
sound rule, and it is one of the endur-
ing and distinctive doctrines of the
Democracy of the United States. They
have maintained it through good and
through evil report and are now more
strongly than ever devoted to its de-
fense. 1t is doctrine essential to the
success of free institutions and to the
welfare of nations, but it requires con-
slant support against powerful foes.
"The enforcement of the Constitution
of this Commonwealth by appropriate
legislation is subject for grave con-
Germ on the part of the people of Penn
sylyania. 1t is one of the distinctive
issues of this campaign.
Very truly yours,
G. r. BUCKALEw.
'BLooMsBURG, October 6, 1885,"
After the applause which greeted
the name of the writer had subsided,
Mr.. Hensel said 81 have another and
less pleasant duty to perform. A daily
paper of this city, the Philadelphia
Press, has editorially charged that the
Democratic State committee are en-.
gagged in making a deal with the
knights of Labor. Considerable sums
of money, says the editor, have already
been paid to the hired agents of the
knights. For my party, ,snot for my
self, | made haste to say that this as
sertion was an unqualified, unmitigated
and malicious lie. And since l caused
that statement to be printed in the
hospitable columns of self-respecting
journals, this editor has neither had
the courtesy nor bravery to retract his
statement. In this public place say
that editor is an unqualified, unmiti-
gated and malicious liar, and having
said this l might fitly leave him to the
contempt of decent journalism, and
scorn of honest men. He has since
printed pretended dispatch from
Clearfield, and he has presumed to say
in an editorial on PRETENDED dispatch,
that Mr. Black had said that two-thirds
of the labor votes are pledged to him,
and that Beaver can't get them away
to save his life. l sent copy of the
article to Mr.. Black, and he sent me
this dispatch The story printed in
Press is pure fabrication from first
to last" That is my speech and ! will
now make room for abler men,"