The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-15
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host Of worthy public-spirited men, old
and younger, who have not ceased efforts
/ to lift up the whole city, had Just
: reached the conclusion that protest must
be made somehow against this reckless
attempt to slaughter good men, and had
actually arisen In the pulpit of American
| manhood, which l still hold In this COM
munity by the grace OF God, to speak a
piece of my mind, when this noble vindi-
| cation appeared l thank Judge Hand for
saving both myself and the public from
the speech that was just about to come
In defense OF my own and the citys ex-
celent friends, Connell and Ripple. These
gentlemen, or II that term should be in
anywise offensive, / will say industrious
! men. who try to care for their families
| while they serve the public, can comfort
themselves with two facts in the ordeal
| through which their names are dragged.
| The first Is that there Is not q word in
Judge Hands manly letter which Is not
| known to be true by all tho best thinking
and working public-spirited people I'm this
city, without regarS to race. color or
previous condition of servitude" to politi-
cal or religious bonds. True absolutely.
as so ably and kindly stated by the judge.
| moreover we all knew it before he stated
| II. ;
This "Connellism'' these people know In
their hearts to be nothing more than tho
| spirit of loyal patriotism seeking to keep
this city on the ascending grade of Chris,
tian honesty and worthy citizenship
which has been reached after twenty
years of struggle and sacrifice. 1t Is an
ism which. I'm former times. when
| Brother Barrett was a first-class reporter.
and was our worthy representative, we
depended upon the Scranton Republican to
| keep glorously before the people. Why
not now? Ii is nothing more than ''Scran,
tonism" as originated by Colonel George
and Joseph II. Scranton. 1t Is Demo-
cratic A. W. "Dicksonism," which ham
dies Boards of Trade and Christian asso9
Citations with equal facility. and albright
ism,' as kept alive and pushed upward
by the great teachers of both Conneil,
Ripple and Hand. 1t is "Sandersonism,''
which twenty years ago had to stand
under all this strange shower of abuse,
while it lifted the citys credit from zero,
and added full one-half to the greatness
and purity of the city and gave us Q
'Sturgessm" and A. w. "Dicksonism."
under which these troubled grumblers
are liable stl to suffer. These are the
''isms' which have built the houses Of
industry. which made it possible for the
poor and Industrious to live and bring up
families of worthy citizens to vote intelli~
gently; which have adorned our city with
churches where We may worship the God
OF our fatnerS IN comfort, pubic uDrdrle8
that our children may have a decent
chance; Homes for the outcast ana
"Friendless." to save those fallen by
the way. and hospitals that our self-sacri-
iicing physicians may have some chance
to take care OF our constantly-expOseA
handworkers of every race and condi.
tion. and oral schools for our affiicte6
children. 1t is an ism" which may pose
sibly get its hands befouled now and then
because there has not yet been discov-
cred a sluiceway by which the sedimsnS
of ward politics and other total depravitiee
can be made to flow up hill. They have
TO be dipped out somehow. But II Is an
ism which the great body of our peo-
pie have learned to like.
The second fact with which L wouio
have them comforted is the persuasion
that when the time comes for this great
public TO speak out II will make itsem
fully understood. Honest. reliable ana
clean city government Is what the pea.
pc want and mean to have. Ana mosS
probably the many-sided and straignt-
backed colonel will be set again 10 gov.
ern his old friend Conneil for the beneht
of the city for at least three years. ana
most Of us do not care whether 1t IS aone
after n Republican or Democratic the
ory. 1t Is n tried and trusted man we
desire for mayor. .. - Aosa"',
Scranton. Feb 13