The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-26
1.-THE rIan for Congress-"


words concerning the personal char
acter of the Republican nominee for
congress it must at least be granted
the privilege to refer to them when
said by others. One of the most dis
cerning tributes ELECTED by the pres
ent contest appeared in the last issue
of the Industrial News, and it pos
sesses especial interest because OF its
PRONUNCIATION by the official organ Of
the Scranton Central Labor Union.
"The nomination of Mr.. Connell for
representative from this congressional
district" says the News, ''is a cir
cumstance upon which all classes Of
people may congratulate themselves.
but none more SO than the working
people. His career in this city and in
the coal fields of Pennsylvania has
been pre-eminently that of working
man. who by his integrity and force
of character and patient application
to his work, whether it was the mod
est undertakings of his earlier years or
one of the greater ventures which have
been co-eXtensive with the develop
ment and the prosperity of this city
and valley, has worked his way up
the ladder to the very top round of
honorable success. While his career
has been typical of that of thousands
of other men. who, profiting by the
liberty and scope given their talents
under our free government, have start
ed with nothing and achieved wealth
and distinction, yet there are so many
characteristics seen in this man of
more than ordinary note that his can
didacy in the relation it bears to the
people of this district is worth more
than casual comment. He is an ideal
American representative and law
maker for an American people. He is
one of the common people by birth,
and he has, unlike many others whose
career has been similar to his, always
remained one of them in sympathy.
His nomination hardly means more
than the recognition of one of our
workingmen whose ability and sound
ness of judgment is already proved by
success achieved. That is practically
the only difference between his can
didacy and what would be signified
by the nomination of one Of the many
hundreds of conscientious and high
minded workingmen in this district.
The responsibility to each and every
man whom he represented in the ma
tional legislature, and the earnest de-
sire to fairly represent every class
Of people, could not be more fully rea-
lized by one of these working men
than by him.
1T would be waste of time to give
In detail even a few of the particulars
in which his association with this val
ley has redounded to it's benefit. His
business enterprises, employing direct
ly and indirectly thousands of per-
sons; his charities, distributed with
bountiful hand to any and every in
stitutiOn or religious sect whose creed
need only be the advancement of NOR
ality and the alleviation of human suf-
fering; his private counsel and ma
terial assistance extended to hundreds
Of persons in this city. but known
only to them individually, are all too
generally understood to cali for any
recounting. He needs no introduction
or recommendation to any man or wo-
man In this valley. His life and his
deeds in this community for more
than forty years have been testifying
to his character But, leaving aside
his personal worth and his claims for
recognition upon the people Of this
district, he is still the most fit candi-
date for this particular office who
could be nominated. His own business
interests are SO diversified that pos
sibly no man could be found in the
whole district who would better un-
derstand the needs of each industry.
And his knowledge of these things
would not come second-handed or be
based on any theories or generalities,
but would be the result of personal
experience, and acquired. much of it,
In the training school of actual labor.
"The very diversity of his business
enterprises peculiarly qualities him to
consider intelligently those identical
questions which would come before
him as legislator at Washington, In
the event of the Introduction i'm the
next session of congress of a new tariff
bill-and that is very possible with the
election of McKinley-who from here
would or could more sturdily defend
the interests of this district when il
came to re-arrangement of the
schedules on iron and steel or coal, or
Oh any of the numerous products i'm
whose manufacture we are interested /?
No mans voice would be heard more
quickly than William Connell's and no
mans judgment on the needs of our
district would be more valuable. Nor
can we doubt for moment what
would be his attitude on any measure
affecting the condition of the common
people. 1t would be emphatically that
the greatest good should result to the
greatest number. The man who has
been the exemplary citizen, the kind
and thoughtful neighbor. the cheerful
counsellor ot the unfortunate and the
benefactOr Of the distressed. would not
be false to the characteristics of a life
time when placed in the halls of con-
gross. With such @ man the experi-
ences and realities Of life have fur