Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-01-02
What Has He Donef

What Has He Done?
What has Senator J. Donald Cameron
done that he ia said to be beyond the rescf
Of public criticism and public sentiment
The question ID pertinent at this time, be
cause Mr.. Cameron is quoted ss saying tha
ct is . matter of indifference to him whs
the newspapers say, and also because som'
of our weak -kneed contemporaries asser
that 1t matters not what is now brought
against the Senator, he will be reelected
"what The Press says about him is true,
Is the declaration Of one of these news
papers, and then it regretfnlly adds:-"bu'
il is too late now to oppose him."
If that 10 correct, then the situation is ar
extraordinary one, which requires ex
planstion. The Legislature which is t.
elect Mr.. Csmeron's successor has not ye'
been organised. The election does moi
take place for three weeks and over. Is il
possible that majority Of the men elected
to perform the solemn duty Of choosing q
fit man to represent this great State in the
United States Senate for the next six year,
are bound to vote for Mr.. Cameron regard.
less Of public sentiment and the interests
of the commonwealth If that were true,
then these men are not free to act for the
public good. They are either puppets in
the hands of boss, or they are bound by
obligations which they dare not make pub
Lie. We are not ready to believe that such
is the case.
1t is openly asserted that Mr.. Cameron
contributed certain sums of money to help
elect members of the Legislature, who, in
return, bound. themselves to vote for his
re election. II that were true it would
explain how 1t il that Mr.. Cameron snaps
bis fingers at public criticism and de6antly
votes with the Democrats in the United
States Senate and agains4the party plat
form of his own State. Ifhe has bought
and paid for his election in advance, and
holds the obligations Of . majority of the
members of the Legislature in his pocket,
then there is rational. though highly
discreditable, explanation of his extraor-
dinary conduct. But We do not accept this
explanation. The majority Of the Penn
sylvanis Legislature il not made up Of
shameless men who betray the State and
bargain votes for pelf in that way.
There must be some other explanation.
What il it, Mr. Cameron has been Q
->~nh~- ~r A. c>rsxa (cr ovar xvalva
years. In all that time his name has
never BEEN identified with any measure Of
i'm portance. He il chairman Of COM
mittee, but is incompetent to take charge
on the Aoor of the Senate of any measure
reported from that committee. Other
members always and invariably do that
work. Mr.. Cameron is chronic absentee.
When great tariff measures of vast import
ance to the State were before Congress he
was hunting in South Carolina. The in
terests Of the State, after being carefully
guarded in the House ct the last session,
were sacrificed in the Senate because, in
part, Of his absence, Indifference, and lack
Of ability to defend them. But, not con-
tent with sacrificing the interests Of the
State in that way, he ds6antly voted with
the Democrats to allow every owner of
silver bullion to take 70 cents worth Of it
to the Mint and get back from the Govern
msnt one dollar, and thus helped to bring
on almost financial panic. He opposes
Legislation demanded by every Republican
National Convention held since the war
and by the conventions of his own State.
Without ability or influence with his own
party in the Senate, he is nevertheless, a
disturbing factor, and is largely responsible
for the defeat of important and needed
both At this session and the
last, becanse of his intimate relations with
the Democrats and refusal to act with his
own party.
No one can point 70 Q single important
oct Of J. Donald Cameron during his long
service in the Senate which reflects credit
on his county, his State, or his party. In
National and State campaigns he has never
lifted his voice for his party. He was, as
usual, silent in the last campaign in. this
State, though now claiming the chief fruit
of Republican success.
What is the reason that it is assumed
that he win. Is matter of course, be re-
elected to the Senstei The only explain
alton yet offered is his wealth; and the as
sertion that he has bought and paid in sd
vance for the privilege Of misrepresenting
his party and His State. But we repeat
that We are not prepared to accept that
explanation, and We ask again, What has
be donsi In . future issue The Press may
be able to throw further light on the
matter.-Philadslpia Press.