The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-02

guilty of it be ostracized from decent
social companionship. Bribery IS high
treason nnG I'll measures must be taken
to repress 1t. l merely U2ne, that you
eNocrate it, the crime ot those audl-
clous malcfactOva who put ropbar
hands into electoral urns, so that the
official records lie 10 the country al
silence the voice of the people.
"CitiZens of a republic are likely al
ways to divide into political parGies AMI
parties may serve good purposes. one
eXcites the emulation Of The other AID
prevents the other from wronSIoinS
through fear of exposure ana public
denunciation. \ party, however, to the
good citizen, Is always of lesser tn:-
portanCe than country, and secures his
allegiance only so long as he conScien-
tiously believes it to be the surer meth
cd to public veal. BE as you will,
Democrats or Republicans. but, first
and always, Americans. This high
minded patriotism so frequently mani
tested in America is ole of the most
encouraging signs Of the times. The
independent voter Is legion and, what
ever its triumph at the polls last year,
the party which in power is unwilling
or unable TO understand and perform its
duty, viii surely go down next year in
defeat and disgrace.
"A reproach commonly made to de-
mocraCy is that 1t is not likely TO bring
its best men to the front, that it Will
often permit the mediocre and the unit
to climb into power and positions of
trust. 1t is presumed that the crowd
will be jealous Of superiority and viii
be disposed to pull down rather than to
life up; that mcrit, timid and sensitive,
Will shrink from efforts toward self
l'sg.,t I.,,t i,,tr ti,lI
to the common and the bold; that the
more educated and refined classes will
be unwilling To accept offices which I'M
pose arduous labor and bring what to
them Is small emulumcnt, while the
same Offices are coveted by inferior
men.
III Great Emergencies.
"Whstcver weight is allowed these
several considerations, the rCproach, Of
wAich we speak. is not always appli-
cable to America. In great emergcn-
cies the national spirit Is aroused the
people do their duty and the best men
are called upon to take the lead,
whether in military or civil affairs, and
the best men are ready to so forward
to take it. In ordinary times we are
careless and we let who viii be the
rulers of city, state and nation. Let us
take care; while we slumbor mich
harm is done; evils come into The body
polite from which il will suffer for
many years GiicVOuS woes. DcmOCra-
cy is most in peril. when all is calm and
the people are deceived into calling Off
their watches. Let the country al
ways elect as it's guardians its best
and worthicst SONS; let voters seek
them out and give them honor. Never
III. tal
less yet, dishonest or immoral men.
The party placing on it's ticket dis
hunorcd names should be overwhelmed
in mglorious defeat and learn the stern
Lesson that insult is never offered with
impunity to The sacredneSS and purity
of the republic.
THE responsibility of citizenship is
dOubly great when it is intrusted with
the official guardianship of the coun-
try's interests. The oaicGhoider, from
the highest to the lowest, is a delegate
of the sovereign people, a representa-
tive OF the republic, a defender of her
liberties and her honor. The trust is
most sacred and it is to be administered
with an eye single to its veal. Private
or party ends must not be allowed q
hearing; they who debase the power of
Office TO those ends must receive from
what pleaseS the mob, not what gains
votes in a future political campaign
not what brings money. Is to be done
but that which duty suggests, which
the public interests require. Lawmak-
ers who in legislative halls of city, state
or nation receive bribcs, citizens outside
those halls who pruffcr bribas, attempt
the life of the republic in the sanctu-
aries of her authority and her majesty
IN Exccrahic Offcnsc.
at is cvecrable to use the power OF
Office to force citizens into making con-
tributiGns of money either to purchase
protection and right to which the law
entities them or to secure exemption
from penalties which the law metes out
to them. Occurrences of the kind
which we hear of in one place or an
other would cause despair Of popular
government were it not that the people
once made aware of the presence OF
such dreaded evils stamp them out
with relentless energy.
THE spoils system is fortunately
nearing its end. We may well wonder
with Mr.. Bryce, that people so emi'
nently practical as the Americans ;c'
quesce in a system which pervert'
| public Office from its public function oi
serving the public, destroys the pros
pect of that skill which comes with eX-
perlence, and gives nobody the least Sc.
curity that he will gain a higher post
or even retain the one he holds, by
| displaying conspicuous efficiency,
Law is order in liberty, and with
| out law liberty is social chaos. Tho
| highest test of "a peoples fitness for free
| institutions is their willingness to obey
| law. In monarchles and empires ply
| sical force restrains the multitude anC
maintains government. In Il democra
cy all depends on the peoples own in
| telligcnCe and conscience. Americans
| are law abiding. Occurrences Whict
| may be quoted to the contrary are in
| frequent exceptions to the rule. The
prevailing spirit of our people Is It
| observe law, to revoke 1t If they dis
| like it's provisions, but to observe L
| while 1t Is written on the pages of tn
statute book. Exceptions there hav,
| been: mObs have striven to redress by
rioting real or imaginary grievances
holders of public power have hesitateC
to enforce in such cases, the law and t.
punish those daring to violate it, anC
for the time being the pale of deatl
| hunC over democracy. If exceptions o
| this ,t,1l were to be often repeated, nj
| were over for America.
/ when riots take place in the cite
of America the adVersaries of democra
cy rejoice the world over and dcclar
q popular government incapable of Civ
| ing to a country peace and security
| When. some months ago, the prcsid an
of the United States pledged the who'll
power of the land to the maintenance
of law and order. he proclaimed til
right of the republic to live and vindi
Gated the sovereignty of the people
Democracy is political liberty, the ever
lasting adversary of despotism and o
anarchy.
Protect American Citizenship.
81 have alluded to difficulties whicl
come to us from the inpourlng of popu