Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-10-08
aLet No Guilty Man Escape"

The Philadelphia Ledger shows no
inclination to let up on the leaders and
organs of its party who are trying to mis-
represent Governor Pattison's proclama-
tion in calling an extra session of the
Senate. 1t scores the critics of the
Executive in style which stamps it as
a true independent Republican journal.
In recent article its editor says:
Again and again 1t was stated, both by
direction and indirection, that the in
vestigation was a mere political trick
and device for the making of Democratic
votes. Taking all things into considera-
tion-especially taking into consideration
the adverse criticisms made by the parti-
san journals and leaders upon the
Governors recent proclamation, their
efforts to discredit his public spirited
motives in issuing the call for an extra
ordinary session, and the remarkable
conduct of the majority of the Legisla-
tive ommittee-it may well be question
ed if organs or leaders could be guilty of
greater or more disastrous folly than
they have been in connection with the
official fraud and maladministration
which have inflicted such enormous
losses upon the State and city, and which
have so greatly dishonored both.
If the dissatisfied organs and leaders
were but hundredth part as wise as
they should be, if they were not hope
lessly blind to truth demonstrated so
often as to need no further demonstra-
tion, they would know and see that they
have, both by what they have said and
done, inflicted more injury upon the Re-
publican party than the Democrats could
have inflicted upon it in a century. Their
efforts to discredit Governor Pattison's
most commendable action, their attempts
to suppress inquiry with regard to Off
cial corruption or negligence, their ar.
raignment of all those who are probing
to find the truth regarding the wrongs
done, their obstructive devices, their
special, sophistical pleadings in behalf
of those persons implicated in wrong
doing, have thus far had no other effect
than that of making the Republican
party responsible for the real or suspect
ed misconduct of a few men, who having
been elected by it, assume to represent
it. By their persistent attempts made
to hinder investigation, by denuDciation
of those who are seeking to ascertain
facts of the utmost Importance to the
great community of taxpayers, they have
simply intensified the general feeling of
Indignation against the officials implica-
ted, causing thousands of intelligent
citizens to turn in resentment and sorrow
from party that, through its organs and
leaders, is apparently determined to
prevent the discovery of offences against
the State and to shield the suspected
offenders from the penalty of their
offences.
All such efforts to mislead, hoodwink
the intelligent public are worse than
foolish they are suicidal The Republi-
can party, in the middle of State and
county campaign, can neither except nor
hope for victory, under existing circum-
stances, unless its representative organs
and leaders, acting for the party, shall
aid in every effort for the discovery of
the truth, to the end that the innocency
of the innocent shall be established to
the party's honor, or that, if guilty, their
guilt shall be proved; and again, for the
party's honor, that they shall be driven
out of it in disgrace. Every sagacious
mind will recognize that good politics is
good public policy, and that the Demo-
Gratis can make no votes out of the
present official scandals unless the Re-
publicans, by interfering with the revela-
tion of the truth and the punishment of
the guilty, aid them to do it. When, as
now, the public thought and conscience
are so active and alert in condemnation
of official wrong doing, all efforts to
shield offenders will be as vain as at
tempts to scale walls Of fire with ladders
of tow.