Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-13
NEW POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE

A novel development in State politics is
afforded by the Philadelphia Press, which
comes out in formal declaration that Penn
sylvania is misrepresented by both its Sena-
tors. A good many other people have made
assertions to this effect; but when we dis
cover the journal which only few weeks
ago was in the forefront of the fight as a,
Republican organ, attacking the political
attitude of both Senators Cameron and
Quay, it awakens in the mind distinct
"reminiscences of the days of 1882.
The reasons why our Senators are regarded
by the Press as misrepresenting the people
of Pennsylvania is the rather unique one
that they do not support the Federal elec-
tions bill, and that Senator Cameron
supports free coinage of silver. II might be
supposed that issues could be raised on
which the appeal from the Senators to the
people could be taken more successfully.
The little matter of corporate supremacy in
this land, the questions Of conducting public
affairs in the interest of the people and not
of favored classes, and the removal of the
offices from politics, are all matters on which
an outspoken journal could criticise its own
party leaders with the assurance of party
support. But our Philadelphia cotempo-
rary is not jumping on Messrs. Quay and
Cameron for any such barren localities as
this. The counts of its indictment are that
Q) "the elections bill was defeated at the last
session through the Vaccinations of Mr.. Quay
and Mr.. Cameron, and (2) Mr.. Cameron
lu hrf ia
ported to be cooperating with free coinage
Senators to defeat the elections bill and get
through free coinage measure" On these
grounds the Press jumps at the leaders and
proprietors of Pennsylvania Republicans, in
the following savage style:
Is this the leadership which the foremost
Republican State in the Union accepts as
representing its interests2 Is it not enough that
Pennsylvania is silent in the Senate when the
tariff question is up, and that Senators from
other States are left to defend its interests7
Are our Senators to go further and actively
conspire to defeat measure to which the
party is solemnly pledged and which the Presi-
dent of the United States has earnestly
recommended in two messagesf 1t is time for
the Pennsylvania Senators to halt
The first criticism which we have to make
on the Press deliverance is as to the fitness
of its concluding figure of speech. We do
not think that even from its own view it
really wants the Pennsylvania Senators to
halt They have been halting on the elec-
tions bill, and that is what the Press is
pitching into them for. If our cotemporary
will select its political metaphors little
more carefully. we will consent to let it
fight out with Senators Quay and Cameron
the question whether there is that passion
ate hankering for the Federal elections bill
or that indignant repugnance to free coin
age that it imagines to exisrs among the
Republicans of Pennsylvania.
But we must urge upon our cotemporary
the reflection that it makes this arraignment
of Pennsylvania Senatorial representation
at the wrong time of the year. If 1t really
believes that Quay and Cameron are repre-.
senting the State of Pennsylvania, q very
effective time to have said so was last fall,
when one Senator was trying to win vic
tory for his personal and political machine,
and the other was seeking to secure State
legislators in favor of his reelection Other
iunctures of the same sort have occurred at
biennial periods for the last six years or so,
when an outspoken paper could have i'm
pressed its disciplinary views with refer
ence to the Senators very forcibly on the
public. But the insurrectionary Republican
organ has been faithful to the work of pre-
serving the Quay and Cameron power, and
only delivers itself in this fighting style
after the battle is over. If the article
quoted from had been published last Octo-
Der, it would have been very much more
effective.
Our cotemporary in this way assumes
solitary, gloomy and peculiar position. 1t
has recently abjured Independent Republic
anism, forsworn the Mugwumps, and al
ways reviled the Democracy. Now it turns
around and jumps with both feet imparti-
ally on the leaders of both wings of Penn
sylvania Republicaiism. We do not assert
that there is anything derogatory in its ina
bility to find anyone of the politicians of
this State to whom it can tie. We always
had a feeling of sympathy and admiration
for the man who found eleven obstinate men
on the jury with him.