Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-09-10

After the Republican State Conyentic

| Inc Ledger In1OrseS the f1ut1Orm.
After the Republican State Convention
had adjourned the TRIBUNE republished
a lengthy editorial from the Philadel-
phia Ledger, in which the platform of
its party was severely arranged. The
Ledger rejected with scorn that docu-
ment, and bitterly criticised the pre-
sumption of those who adopted it. 1t
called the attention of its readers to the
party's cowardice in dealing with the
questions of the day, and the rebuke
produced a decided sensation, as the
| Ledger is justly considered the most con-
servative Republican paper in the United
States. Its review of the Democratic
| platform is in keeping with the indepen-
dent spirit so opportunely displayed a
few weeks since, and we present it in
full as an example Of how Republican
editors would speak if they were free
from Quayism and Federal patronage
AT the Harrisburg Democratic State
| Convention the proceedings were much
more to the point, much more business
| like and direct to the all important home
subjects now engrosslng public attention
| throughout the commonwealth, than
were the proceedings of the Republican
State Convention held a few weeks ago.
| The greatest prominence is given to the
condition of our State Revenue and State
| Treasury laws, and to the discreditable
practices under them in the Auditor
Generals and State Treasury Depart
ments-which have scandalized our COM
monwealth everywhere, and have cost
to the State the probable loss of million
and half of dollars. The Democratic
resolutions on these points are leveled
irh ,,,lt 20,
easy to understand as to what they
actually say and what they really mean;
and they are free Except in one general
resolution and one personal to Mr.. Quay,
from the interfering and distracting in
fluences of the national and personal
politics which so greatly obscured and
almost pushed out of sight-in the Re-
publican platform-these all-important
and immensely superior State issues.
The resolutions arraign and condemn
the Auditor General and State Treasurer
for the misconduct of their offices by
which the State and people have suffer
ed enormous loss and great scandal has
been cast on the State-and pledge their
nominees to correct these abuses-to re-
form these practices-and "to make such
investigations and give such information
to the law department of The common
wealth as will aid in bringing to punish
ment those guilty of malfeasance in
office"
The nominees of the convention
Robert +. Wright a distinguished law
| yer of Allentown, for Auditor General
and A. l.. Tilden, of Erie, a prominen,
farmer and business man, for State
Treasurer-are men of marked ability
and perfectly clean character, and have
been selected-just as General Gregg
was selected for Auditor General by the
Republican State Convention-not be
cause either of them sought for or desir
ed the nomination-but because the
nomination sought them as belonging tt
the style and type of men that are il
the strongest degree needed for tn,
offices named-and which are at thi
time imperatively demanded by al
opponents of the "spoils' system O
State government.
The issue is now joined, upon whic
the voters of the State are to Judge an
decide in November. 1t is an importar
J issue for them-whether the Revenu
and Finance and Treasury laws an
system of the State shall continue
exist, and to be administered as if the
were contrived for the benefit and pr
|, fit of individual pockets-or wheth,
r their rightful and sole purpose is II
. service, convenience and advantage
the people of the State.
; The idea has come to prevail that IL
1 service and advantage of the common
S wealth is a secondary matter. This
: seen in the theory and practices CO..
i nected with the administration of IL
y Auditor Generals and Treasury offices.
" and in the Mercantile Appraisers office
S 1t is seen in the miscellaneous tumble
+ resolutions adopted by the Republca
s State Convention, in which our vital
important State affairs are subordinate
to puffy personal resolutions and fa
off matters that are altogether irrelevar
, to State eNigencies, as revealed by tn
Bardsley and Mercantile Tax Appraise
exposures. 1t is seen in the cold an
formal letter of Auditor General No
, Camant concerning the serious charge
against his Mercantile License Apprase
appointees. And it is visible in all tn
half-hearted and halting expression
: touching these Revenue and Treasur
exposures-and in the absence of sucl
clear, strong, direct and energetic denun
Citations of the individual offenders a
would give some sort of earnest promis
that the spolls' system of Revenue
and Treasury Government is to be put tt
death in Pennsylvania.
1t is indispensably necessary that the
'spoils" system shall be struck by {
crushing defeat in Pennsylvania. 1t il
for the voters of the State now to judge
now that the issue is joined as to the
deliverances in the resolutions of botl
Conventions-which party and which
nominees are most likely to strike the
blow that will defeat and stamp out the
system. Is it the organization tha
shows disposition to confuse and be
little the vital issues in the State canvass
or is it that opposing party which goes
at the important work in the cleares
most direct, earnest and energetic