The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-09-05
AN APPEAL TO VOTERS.
ISSUED BY THE STATE DEMOCRATIC soor.
FTIEs OF PENNSYLVANIA.
THE NEED OF REFORM In POLITICS.
THE MANY WRONGS OF THE woRKINeMEN

| IHE hhN1 WhONGh OF THE WORkfNGMEN
The following circular has been is-
sued by President Chaucey +. Black,
OF the Democratic Society of Pennsyl.
vania.
To the Democratic Societies:
AT the meeting Of the executive
committee of the Democratic society
of Pennsylvania, August 13, the next
annual general assembly of the Demo.
cratic societies was called to meet on
Wednesday, September 16, at the city
of Reading the place having been de-
termined by the last general assembly.
The annual general assembly of the
Democratic societies at Philadelphia
in October of last year, was one OF the
most imposing representative meetings
ever held in the state. 1t was compos-
ed of nearly 1000 daily selected deput-
les of the primary societies--the flower
of the earnest and aggressive Demo-
cracy Of Pennsylvania. The proceed
ings of that great body and their in
fluence upon the Democratic sentiment
and organization, need not be recited.
1t was day to be long remembered
in the political history OF our state.
The first representative assemblage of
popular Democratic socities, instituted
under due authority of the regular Or
ganization of the party, and brought
together but year previous under the
constitution adopted at Harrisburg, it
exhibited, in the most striking manner
the devotion of our people, not only to
the political principles but to the polit-
ical methods Of the Democratic party.
THE PARTYs PAST RECORD.
The Democratic society is but the
open parliment of the democratic people
in their several neighborhoods. When
the federalism of the last century, seek
ing centralized, corrupt extravagant
and splendid government, at the ex-
pense of the masses of the people,
threatened subversion, more or less
complete, of the constitution then but
recently established, the Democratic So
cieties sprang up in every part of
the Union and by conceiated voice and
effort saved American institutions for
that time. They elected Mr.. Jefferson;
they saw him seated, in spite OF cor.
rupt and lawless plot to count him out
and the popular triumph of that day
was followed by half century of con-
ssltutional governments peace and
prosperity, under Jeffersoniau policies,
administered by Jeffersonian statesmen
Such societies are the natural resort of
freemen whose liberties are endsnger-
ed. They are open to all who accept
the immortal principles enunciated by
Mr.. Jefferson and illustrated by his
administration. They would preserve
the rights of the many, not the privile-
ges of the few. In them the people
meet, unoorrupted by money, unawed
by bosses to defend their own rights
and to protect their own interests.
The political situation in Pennsyl-
vania to-day, more than ever before,
invites, if, in truth, it does not require,
the voluntary organization of the
people for self-defense in the form
which descends to us from our FORE
fathers along with the principles of
free government which they employed
it to protect. If ever there was time
when every good citizen owed it to
himself, his state, his country and his
posterity, to repair to the Democratic
societies and to enroll himself among
the organized defenders of popular
liberty, that time is now upon US.
WAGE FARMERS WRONGS.
Systems of taxation, states and fed
eral, grossly unequal in their operation
almost avowedly designed to pillage
the many and to enrich the few, to
grasp the hard earnings of the scatter
ed and unorganized masses and turn
them over to the incorporated, or
otherwise closely associated, classes,
are not only boldly maintained by the
party in power, but we are threatened
with specific aggravations of them.
At Harrisburg, as at Washington, the
rights and the needs of the great mul-
titude of wage earners and land tillers
are disregarded. The same political
rings, which have pushed aside our
state constitution, denied every petit
tion of land and labor, strangled every
measure of reform, promoted every
scheme of oppression and corruption,
and inflicted upon this commonwealth
every wrong and shame it has endured
for more than century, is again seek
ing, under circumstances of special
and wanton insult, further lease of
power. 1t is expected and believed
that the great concourse of independ-
ent citizens and deputies at Reading,
on September l6 and II, will present
the unmistakable answer of the body
of the people to this remarkable as
sumption on the part Of the common
enemy.
While elections are free, the people
retain the power of defense aud redress
in their own hands. But are they free
heres Is he freeman who approaches
the polls in fear of another at the su.
preme moment iD the year when his
will is TO be made potential by his
vote! Is he freeman, who, when he
comes to deposit his ballot, must pause
w NoheiNO' uOb hu uOUeBt
vote will cost him bread and home,
and, casting his family into the road,
make him, instead of a respectable
labor, wonderer in search of work,
A SECRET BALLOT FAVORED.
Many thousands of Pennsylvania
electors vote under this dreadful ap.
prehension at every recurring election,
and it is upon his power that monop.
oily and bossism principally rely in
their struggles to maintain themselves
with their special privileges. against
the true interests of the people. Shall
this continued From every quarter of
the state we hear the stern demand of
labor, organized and unorganized-the
multitudionous victims of this shame
full correction-that it shall not con-
tinue. They asked to be enfranchised,
that the right to free vote shall be
restored, with ample safeguards, so
that every man in Pennsylvania shall
be AS independant as every other in tha