The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-23
Exposing False Pretences.

his own Weulclne Is siHnpiy iuuiCiouS
1t makes a difference whose OK is gored,
Exposing False Pretences.
That the candidacy Of Colonel Ripple
for mayor does not please ]. A. Scran-
ton can be accounted for in many ways
chief among them being the fact tina,
Colonel Ripple is an honest man, who
never would or could be used by Mr.
Scranton as a tool. 1t was Ripple's
original election as mayor that broke
the backbone of Scranton's long-pOw-
erful political monopoly in municipal
affairs and made it possible for Re-
publicans to aspire to Office without
paying tribute to one or the other OF
the then partners in bossism who be-
tween them ruled both parties with an
iron hand. 1t is, of course, a lie that
Ripple made the mayors Office Dem
ocratic headquarters; but 1t is true
that during his tenure of that office it
was open to all the public and not held
as the chattel of any boss or clique.
Scranton has always opposed Ripple
for mayor and always will. His atti-
tude is the natural consequence of the
difference between the men: the one
honest, brave Inc implusive, too noble
to stoop to trickery and too straight
forward to beat about the bush: the
other ~furtive, suspicious and domineer-
ing, with a nature warped to any act
CT meanness. and a selfshness which
would stop at no sacrifice. The same
spirit which caused Scranton to hurry
home from Washington at the end of
Kipple's first term and put up Major
Penman as a candidate against him
animates Scranton in his present
course. Then. Penman got one vote in
convention. 1t emains to be seer how
much better the present opponent will
The cry is made that Ripple fought
Williams and Brooks. That he fought
Williams is. true. and the people sis.
tained him ip it., But for, a jugglery
with the returns. concerning which
Scranton gould perhaps tell a tale, Mr..
CohnelI would have been seated as
county commissioner. to which Office he
was fairly elected. The facts with ref
erence to Brooks are we'll known. For
one defeat Brooks has twice received
an election. The very generous emolu-
ments Of his Office have In the years of
his incumbency probably fully recon-
pensed him Tor his original chagrin.
Let Brooks compute his profits and see
how his account stands.
But II Ripple is so Objectionable to
Scranton because years ago he fought
a corruptly-nominated candidate for
county commissioner and afterward
crossed the party line rather than de-
sert a lifelong friend, how comes it
that Scranton is at home with ex-
Mayor Fellows, an open bolter, and
cheek-by-jowl with a roomful of men
who. not later than three weeks ago,
were leagued together against a regu-
larly nominated Republican candidate?
Why is 1t that the thing which damns
Ripple in Scranton's judgment makes
OF Fellows. ct. al, hale fellows well
met?
The enmity of Scranton is a compli-
ment which Ripple doubtless fully ap-
preciates, for 1t is an involuntary testi-
monial to Ripple's manliness. The
Tribun will support the nominee of
NE next Republican city convention,
be he Moir or Ripple. VIII scranton's
paper dare to make the same pledge?
The Scranton Republican Ond.-Rep.)
urges the Republican voters of Scran-
ton to Inform themselves of the rec
ords, the methods and the purposes of
both sides in this struggle for control"
And yet when The Tribune makes a
start toward showing up Joe's record,
the Mugwump Republican at once be-
gins to whine.
An Unenviable Record Of Crime. ~
The Lebanon Report, a paper pub
lished In the midst of a pacific, conser-
vative and orderly people, is shocked al
the story of lawlessness and crime
which comes to its ears from the lower
part Of Luzerne county. The presence
at one time. Of twenty-one murderers
In the Luzerne jail Is a circumstance
which 1t finds difficult to account for,
while even more perplexing are the al
most daily reports of highway robberies
and criminal assaults which emanate
from the wild places on Buck noun
tain.
"One must conclude" 1t thinks, ''that
there u something radically wrong in
Luserne county or there would not be
such a carnival Of crime within its
borders. Ones first IMPULSE might be
70 attribute II all to laxity Of officers, |
yet the fact that twenty-one murderers
have been arrested and are now in
PRISON y not {. very bed record for the