Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-02-06
NOTES AND COMMENT.
POLITICAL MATTERS FORM SUBJECTS
FOR PASSING OPINIONS.
Popular Sentiment Rapidly Drifting To-
wards the Democratic Candidate for
Poor Director-How the Campaign Is
Progressing In the Borough.


Progressing In the Borough.
AS election day draws near the senti-
ment of the voters Of the middle coal
field poor district becomes more and
more favorable to John Schwartz, the
Democratic candidate for director. In
fact, it is hard to understand how en-
lightened and intelligent people could
feel otherwise when the circumstances
surrounding the contest are fairly sifted.
On the one side is seen a broad, liberal
minded citizen, who has proven .his
honesty, ability and intelligence as a
business man in the city of Hazleton;
man who is esteemed and respected by
all parties in his own home, where all
men are best known; man to whom
the care of the poor and afflicted of the
community can be safely entrusted;
man in whose hands the finances of this
great district will be safe and secure,
and who possesses the judgment to ex-
pend the peoples money as the law
makers intended it should be. Mr..
Schwartz is the candidate of one of the
great political parties Of the country,
not the tool of a clique at whose bidding
men must sacrifice their manhood and
become slaves of ignorant and selfish
masters. His past record, public and
private, is as clean as falling snow, and
to secure his nomination he did not have
to take an oath against his better judg-
ment, an oath which makes men no
longer free to mete out justice to their
fellow-men, but which arrays them in
bitter strife against their friends and
come the next director he can take his
Office with clear conscience and give
his assent to the legal obligation with
the honest intention of fulfilling it,
When the cry of needy humanity arises
he can go to it's aid with aims, without
stopping to inquire into the creed or
nationality of the sufferer. His heart,
tongue and hands are not bound by ties
that shrink from the light of day. He
will have to account to no one but his
constituents for his actions, because
John Schwartz is an American citizen
who realizes and appreciates his oath of
allegiance to his adopted country and is
too manly to become the creature of
dishonest men or the accomplice of
proscriptive association.
In the borough the only Office which
is attracting the attention of all the
voters is that of justice of the peace. 1t
is position which Freeland citizens
have on several occasions proven that
they regard above political lines. AS
the-term is for five years it is one which
good care should be exercised in filling.
The Democrats have nominated for
justice a young man who possesses all
the requisites to creditably fill the office,
and the people of town will make no
mistake when they elect Hugh Shovlin.
Friends of his opponent are fondly delud-
ing themselves with the hope that the
exciting primaries which the Democrats
held would engender a bitterness which
would crop out on election day. This
bitterness, however, exists nowhere but
in the minds of those who desire that it
could be made reality. Mr.. Shovlin
was the choice of majority of the
party and his nomination has not been
questioned; therefore, since he has the
ability necessary for the position, he is
entitled to and will receive the support
of all Democrats. Were he incompetent
and unfit to become a justice the Repub
lcans would have good grounds to look
forward for revolt in his party, but as
no man can say one word against his
character or education he has nothing
to fear in his own ranks. 1t will sur
prise only the very few who cannot see
the drift of popular feeling if Mr.. Shov-
lin has less than 100 majority.
A splendid uphill fight is being made
in the North ward. There the Demo-
Gratis have large Republican majority
to contend with, but the candidates
have accepted their task like men and
the campaign they are making is bound
to-have its effect on election day. While
many others would be disheartened,
Democratic nominees have found hope
In the prospect, and not without reason,
for Republican discomfort in the upper
part OF town is now so clear that extra
efforts have to be resorted to to prevent
an open break. M. E. Fritzinger, who
is on the ticket for school director, is
one of the most popular young men in
town, and his friends are not confined
to one political party. He is equipped
to take hold of any position in the bor-
ough, but in none would he probably
have better opportunity to display his
ability and talents than on the school
board. He is young and progressive,
awake to the needs of education, and
his vote would never be lacking when
one is required to uphold honest manage
L. rho