The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-21
APPEAL FOR FREEDOM.
Democrats Strongly Urged to Units In
Oyerthrowing Bossism.

In calling meeting OF the Executive
Committee of the Democratic society OF
Pennsylvania, Hon. Chancey r. BLACK "''e's
the following sentiments
The annual general assembly OF tne penn-
ocratic societies at Philadelphia, III 'ctoDeI
OF last year. was one OF the most imposing
s,a,c II was composed Of nearly a thou
sand duly selected deputies OF the pt'uaiy
societies. the flower ofthe earnest ana az
,,r.esive Democracy Of Pennsylvania. Inc
proceedings of that great BODY ana lhei,
,nduence upon Democratic sentiment ana
organization, need not be reclted. ~ was
a day 10 ne long remembered In the poiitical
history of our State. The first representa-
five assemblage of popular Deinoclauc
societies, instituted under due authority .,
tho roy,llar organization Of the party, anu
hrouobi together but "A year previous under
me constitution adopted ut Harrisburg, IL
exhibited in the most striking manner me
devotion of Orr people not only To the polll-
cai principles but to the political methods
| of the fathers of the Democratic party.
The Democratic society is but the open
parliament of the Democratic peOpe III
several ueighbOrhOOds. When the ledera-
| ism of the last century. seeking centIailIeu'
corrupt. eXtraVagani. and splendid govern
II. n
neonIe threatened subyersion. more or less
complete. Of the Constitution, then but re-
Gently established, the Democratic societies
sprang up in every part of the / mon ana
| by concerted voice and effort saved AMER,
| Gan institutions for that time. 1hey elected
MIR. jefferson. they saw him seated, IN spite
of n corrupt and lawless plot TO count MN
out. ana the popular triumph ot that uaY
was followed by hall century OF uncOnst-
|
| itv. under JcfersOnian policies adHilHls-
| tered by JeflersOnian statesmen.
| Such societies are the natural resort OF
| freemen whose liberties are endangered
| They are open to all VINO accept the ihillior-
tai principles enunciated by Mr. Jefferson
and illustrated bv his Administration. lhey
would preserve he rights Of the many, not
the privileges Of the few. I'm them the peO-
| ple meet interrupted by money, unawed by
| bosses. TO defend their own rights ana 10
protect their own interests.
The political situation in PennsylYanlh
today. more than ever before, invites, II III
truth it does not require, tho voluntary OF
! ganlZation Of the people for sell-deiense IN
the form which descends 10 Us from our
forefathers along with the principles OF free
government which they employed 1t TO pro-
tect. fever there was time when every
good citizen owed it to himself, his state
his country, and his pOsterity to repair 10
4 the Democratic societies and to enroll NM
self among the organized defenders OF popu-
lar liberty. that time is now upon Us.
systems Of taxation, state and lederal,
grossly Unequal in their operation, ailnOsl
avowedly designed 10 pillage the many ana
TO enrich the few. 10 grasp the hard earn.
ings Of the scattered and unorganized
masses and turn them over to the incor,
pOratcd or otherwise closely associateu
classes, are not only boldly maintained DI
the party i'm power. but we are threatened
with specific aggrayatiOns OF them.
At Harrisburg. AZ at Washington. th'
rights and the needs of the great multi
tude of wage earners and land tillers arc
disregariod The same political rings
which have pushed aside ru- state 'rnsu
/ tuition. denied every petition Of land or labor
, strangled every measure OF reform. pro
NOTED every scheme Of oppression ana cor
ruption. and inflicted upon this Common
: wealth every wrong and shame II mas en-
dured for more than a quarter Of century
is again seeking. under circumstances Of
special and wanton insult, further leas,
Of power. II is expected and believed that
the great conc0urse OF independent citizens
} and their deputies at Reading on the 1911
and 18th OF september viii present the un
mistakabe answer 10 the body Of the peo-
, ple 10 this remarkable assumption on th,
part Of the common enemy.
: While the elections are free, the people
retain the power Of defense ana redress ~
their own hands But are they free here
Is be a freeman who approaches the poll.
] i'm fear Of another at the one supreme mo-
, ment i'm the year when his will is TO be made
potential bv his vote? j. be a freeman
who, when he comes to deposit his ballot
must pause 10 consider whether or not an
honest vote will cost him bread and home
and casting his family into the road. make
him. instead of "A respectable labOrer, al
wandcrer in search of work:
Many thousands OF Pennsylvania cleo
tors vote under this dreadful apprehension
J al every recurring election, and 10 Is upon
this power that monopoly and bossisn
principally rely in their struggles 10 main
tain themselves. with their special prNi-
leges, against the true interests OF the PEG
! ple. Shall this continue: From every
quarter of the state we hear the stern de-
mand Oflabor. organized and unorganled-
the multitudinous victims OF this shameful
. c0ercion-that it shall not continue. lhel
J ask 10 be enfranchised, that the right % ;
= free vote shall be restored. with ampl,
safeguards so that every man IN Pennsyl
yania shall be ~ independent rs every
other in the exercise of the sacred right o.
suffrage.
To be free. the ballot must be secret, AND
= 10 that end the OdiOus marked ballot pro
- vision Of our existing Constitution must b,
4 removed. While it remains, while we have
permanently incorporated IN our system o
r voting "A plan expressly designed Tor !i'
- Identification OF ballOts-the very prlncpl'
. of exposure as against the principle oil ST.
= crecv-therc can be- no such thing as elec
4 tons, pure or free, IN the STATE vl IchhslI
/ yania.
: This is necessarily the great issue of th'
dav. The bosses. realizing its tremendous
T. force and the irresistible appeal which D.
makes to the better instincts OF our race
confess the absolute necessity Of the rem
edv. and. in the same breath, ASK us L,
10 forcgO il and to submit meekly 10 The
, wrong for further period of at least i've
u wears. when they vaguely engage that the Re
oublican machine and the Legislature may
POSSIBLY grant some relief. But the WrOn-
being acknowledged, the remedy obvious
G the cause nothing less than the restoration
c o. the whole people 10 their right OF sell
: governments with free choice OF public ser
= wants. shall we abide the grace of the bOs
: and the pleasure of monopoly, or viii W'
= take and enjoy our rights at once?
= The road is open and straight. No on,
@ can mistake il, and no one does mistake IL
: The election Of the reform candidates fol
t state Offices and Of a majority of the reform
u candidates for the legislature. Will produce
y a call for an immediate constitutional con
= vention to eliminate the markcd-ballot pro
= vision from our Constitution, and TO es
il tablish the Australian system OF secre
i voting, making every man his own maste
= at the polls.
T.. With this free and secret ballot we meet
have no fear Of the future. Whether Penn
svlyana thereafter shall be Democratic d
Republican. or neither. it will, at least, be
C free state and the Democratic societies. ID
e spired by the faith Of their f0refathers, MAJ
S look forward with confidence 10 the com
5 pletion Of their self-imposed mission, whel
= there shall be no longer either political %
e an industrial slave within the broad limit
c of our Commonwealth.
), Among the Mills.
e The plan OF shutting down the print clotl
Il mills in order 10 curtail production wen
d into effect Monday morning. In Fall Rive
this curtaiment is not meeting with genera