The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-08-28
A RETROsPECTION.

table.
In the recent campaign before the
Democratic Primaries in this county,
the only contest was for the Office of
sheriff. Five candidates entered the
field at the outset but as the canvass
pro .ress the contest narrowed down
to John Nourey and Daniel Knorr.
Both of these candidates were good
IT er and had warm friends, and these
ends left no stone unturned to Sc
cure an advantage over their oppo-
nents. The result was that ten days
before the primary election, the can
did tes were lost sight of, and the
f-ht became one entirely for factional
supremacy. In plain words, it was
simply question of who should be
the political "bosses," this year. Mat
tiers that had no more to do with the
sheriffalty than the Schleswig- Holstein
question were lugged into the canvass
and made to appear as important fact
ors. 1t is interesting to notice, too,
what effect these purely foreign issues
had in some localities, Just what
those matters were, it is not my pur-
pose to discuss, but it may be men
toned that all the talk about corpora
tions, corporation attorneys, and
agents, the "court house ring" and the
"bosses' being linked together in the
interest of one of the candidates, was
pure fiction, introduced entirely from
motive that had their origin in the
breasts OF demagogues. 1t is no lon
ger new trick for the willy politician
to drag in the corporations" on the
side of his opponents when he wants
to set the popular tide his way. Some
times it is too transparent to avail
anything, and sometimes it is jumped
at by the people like trout at fly.
In the present instance there was no
one actively concerned on either side
who can be classed as a corporation
attorney, or acting in the interest of
any corporation. In fact, it is sheer
nonsense to allege that any corpora
tions were in any way interested in the
Office Of sheriff of Columbia county,
and it is quite surprising that any in
telligent voter should have been in
fiuenced one way or the other, if in
deed anybody was so influenced, by
such ruse.
The "court house ring is familiar
name that has been heard for years.
Whenever several of the county off.
cials happen to agree on a candidate
whom they will support, and go out to
do for him what he did for them
when they were candidates, the old
cry of "court house ring" is heard, and
it was never heard so loudly nor so
justly as during the twelve years that
William Krickbaum was commission
ers' clerk, and the six years that he
was prothonotary. There was never
an election when he did not have
candidates Of his own selection, and
use every effort to secure their nomi.
nation. Then it was all right, but
now it is great crime for county Of
ficials to exercise the rights of free
men and openly express their choice
for others seeking public Office. By
the way, what is the difference be-
tween cour. house official and any
other county official? Representative,
for instance? Mr.. Krickbaum both
personally and with his newspaper ex-
presses his preference, and yet he
cri icizes other officers for doing the
same thing. This is inconsistent.
Every man in the court house who
worked actively for Knorr, were men
who when they were candidates were
opposed by Mr.. Krickbaum, whose
chief employment is to try to fill all
offices with men whom he can control.
1t is said, too, that Mr.. Mourey did
not support any of the present officials
who opposed him, whe n they were
candidates. What is more natural
than that they should do all in their
power to defeat the candidate wno
did the same thing by them I am
not an apologist for the county Off
cials, but l like to see fair play, and l
don't like to hear the pot call the ket-
tie black.
know many men who voted for
Mourey who were disgusted with
much of the stuff that was lugged in
to the campaign, and but for their
strong friendship for Mourey might
have been driven the other way by
this exhibition of demagoguery.
All this talk about bosses is growing
somewhat tiresome, especially, when
it comes from one who has devoted
his whole life to politics, and has con-
stantly endeavored to make himself
the dictator and controller of the
democratic party in this county, for
his own benefit. He has sometimes
failed but more frequently he has sue
ceeded, and all there is of crooked
methods in our party affairs here can
be !ascribed to his influence and teach
ings. He is professional boss. All
who refuse to bend the knee are sub