The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-08-13
William A. Wallaoe's Views,

Of that period and since has been that
Of pronounced Democrat. voted
against the amendment TO the Consti-
luton giving the soldiers the right to
vote in the field, because | did not be-
ieve they could vote their opinions as
freemen, and that giving the negroes
Jhe right of suffrage. voted against
The calamity bill, and at every stage of
legislation affecting labor 1 was active
aud earnest in voting to ameliorate the
of workingmen in the mines
and elsewhere, but would not vote
for what seemed to me to be unreason-
able propositions in that direction. ]
voted for tie nine million because it
benefited the locality represented and
was a direct appropriation of State
funds to help develop that locality.
But l believe no man ever charged me
with corrupt practices, either in legis
lation or in buying votes for seat
either in the Legislature or in Con-
gress.'
"One of the most important OF those
now agitating the people of the State
is the question of railroad control and
those affecting discrimination by them.
In the sessions of the State Legisla-
ture of 1888 and 1885 | made an un-
equivocal record upon the subject of
enforcing, by appropriate legislation,
the provisions of the seventeenth article
of the Constitution by introducing bills
affecting them and speaking and vot-
ing in their favor. The Democracy
should boldly assert its defense of
those provisions and charge the
Republican party with the neglect of
its plain duty on that subject"
PROHIBITION.
81 believe the Republican party is
going to pieces on prohibition, and we
should make bold and wise declara-
tion of our opinions looking to the
future as well as the present. The
masses of the people are not for free
whisky, nor for remedy worse than
the disease. Wise legislation recog-
nizes the habits and customs of the
people to be governed, and reformation
can better be effected by that recogni-
ton than by an enactment that will be-
come a dead letter. Men cannot be
made moral or pure by statute. l do
not believe that prohibition will prohi-
bit, and l think that the Democracy
should declare against sumptuary laws
and for license system of universal
application under the control of the
Judiciary and without discretion, save
as to the fitness of the applicant but
with rigid enforcement of the penalties
now in existence and such additional
legislation as will aid in controlling the
evils of intemperance, including high
license, but not so high as to forbid
licensing. The proceeds of the licens-
es should be sent to the treasury Of
the county in which they are granted
in case of taxation there"
THE LABOR QUESTION.
at would be folly not to recognize
the existence of difficulties between
employers and employed, and We
should declare for such Legislation az
will ameliorate the condition of the
latter while we do not interfere with
the just rights of the former. Boy
colts, strikes aud lock-outs are methods
of violence and not of peace, and pay
ment of wages in anything but cash is
weapon of oppression. No man or
set of men ought to be permitted to
dictate the control of another's business
/ endeavored to inculcate the theory OF
concession and forbearance in the en-.
actment of the arbitration statute in
1883, for l believed that when employ
ers and employed were brought to-
gether as equals to discuss their diff
culties the contest was half settled
This statute was but the reassertion oil
Penn's old theory of peace, and the
point ! sought to attain was not arbi-
tration under that special statute, but
the reaffirmance of the doctrines con.
tained in the ancient laws of the Com
monwealth. Recognition by law OF
such methods teaches men the under
lying principles of the law and form
becomes of no sort of moment if the
great end-peace-be attained"
NOT MoNoPoLIsT.
81 have been and am railroad presi-
dent, aud since my return from the
United States Senate have been aiding
in the develoment of my own real
estate and of the locality in which !
live. had lands containing coal and
/ wanted transportation for it, and
and other gentlemen purchased other
lands and coal in quantity sufficient to
induce capital to aid us. The railroad
to those properties Is an accomplished
fact, and the locality in which l live
has twice the opportunity that it had
when we began the movement. ! have
never attempted to interfere with the
details of railroad management and
know nothing of them. Instead of
being monopolist my aim has been to
give additional means for transporta,
ton
THE TARIFF.
"As this campaign involves the elect
ion of members of congress and of the
Legislature who will elect United
States Senator, that question is Incl
dentally before the people, although a
campaign for State officials has moth
ing TO do with it, ! do not believe the
Democracy of Penns ylvania are fol-
protection for the sake of protection,
nor are they for free trade. But they
believe in the ancient theory which
under strict construction of the Fed.
eral Constitution, imposes taxes from
a revenue standpoint, and the latest
utterances of the party at Chicago
formulate their ideas upon that subject
If / had been in Congress ! would
have voted TO consider a bill to revise
the tariff, and when it was before the
body would have endeavored to care
for the interests of the people rep.
resented. During my term at Wash
ington tried to be faithful to the best
interests of the people of the State. |
think orr convention should declare
for a revision of the tariff and against
repeal of the taxes on whisky and
t'jbacco, for those taxes are taxes on
luxuries, and are pledged for the pay
ment of PENSIONS