The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-17
CAME OUT IN FULL. force
Large and Enthusiastic CrOwi At.
tends the ArmOry Meeting.
PONDERLi on BOTH PARTIES
Tells Something About Himself and Why
y. lie Is q Republican-Add by
John X. Jones. Everett War.
rcn and \. J. Colborn.

Even the most sanguine promoters
of Saturday nights mass meeting were
agreeably surprised at the vastness OF
the attendance. Every seat in the ca
pacious hall was taken and hundreds
stood up around the door and along the
sides of the wall. 1t needed no band
to attract them or to stir up enthusl-
asm and besides. 1t was not the Kind
of an assemblage to be attracted or
enthused To any great degree by such
Il means. 1t was Il sensible. SOBER
thinking collection of citizens who
came To be convinced of what they
already believed or to lend encourage
ment by their presence to the men or
the party who had planned the gath
cring.
1t was an extraordinary political
meeting in one respect That IL. that
Notwithstanding the infamous mud
singing campaign carried on by the
opposition not detracting word was
uttered against the personality OF any
Of the Democratic candidates. ana
they We're not even mentioned
derogatively. except in fair cOnpari-
sons made tn show the superior fitness
of the Republican candidates. The
speakers tried to impress upon the as
semblase that, unlike the enemy. the
Republicans have arguments and do
not have to StOop to caIumny ana sian
der. the only weapons used by the
Democrats and their disgruntled rule
or-ruin allies. That they succeeded in
impressing this fact upon their hearers
was evidenced by the sympathy of the
audience. which found frequent vent
In cheers, CALCULATIONS of endorsement
and other like manifestations of ap-
proval
The meeting was opened by A. Il. Ste
vens. chairman Of the Republican city
committee In his introductory re-
marks he said they had not come there
to abuse anyone, not to throw mud, not
to reply To falsehoods in ungenerous
terms. but to discuss in fair. open
manner the issues of the municipal
campaign. In his forty years expert
ence in politics. he said. he had always
found that calumny redounded to the
hurt of the caluminators. If there
was any doubt. ten days ago. concern
ing Republican victory. the mud
singing of the opposition had settled
that doubt. This, therefore. Is moth
ing more or less than Il ratification
meeting. AS chairman of the Republi-
can city committee he would say to
the party that the battle was already
fought and won.
Was Greeted with Cheers.
This announcement was greeted with
vociferous and continued applause and
IL was some moments before he could
make himself heard in introducing the
first sneaker of the evening, Hon. Il.
V. Powderly. Mr.. Powderly's appear
ance was the signal for another burst
of applause. When it had subsidized he
launched forth in his usual straight
from-the- shoulder fashion into one OF
the most ca Z est speeches that he has
probably ev,N delivered from Scran-
ton platform.
Our chairman has told you truly"
said he, that we are not here to throw
mud or to villify others by personal
filings. good cause is never made bet
ter by bad arguments. We come here
to ask you to consider carefully and
well the issues of the campaign. do
not view them from n factiOnal or Sec
tional standpoint. but carefully scan the
field and vote for the man who will
add to the city's interests and therefore
to your own / have an opinion as to
which of the men will do this and ! in
tend to give you my opinion. I was not
asked to come here. My friend was as
sailed and in pursuance of the duty
which one man owes to another |
asked the privilege to come here to
raise my voice in defence Of my friend
and to say that which the assailed him.
self can not say.
Before proceeding to do this intend
to do something which is out of my
usual custom. that is to say something
about myself.
Why lie Is a Republican.
IT am a Republican because it; is the
better party of the two. l do not say
that it is the best party we could have,
but it is the best party for Northeast
ern Pennsylvania. I tried awfully
hard to be Democrat. but | couldn't
continue to vote one way and think
another. That's why i am Republi-
can.
II am charged with having been
Democrat with having been a Dem
ocratic mayor. I was elected mayor in
opposition to the Democrats for two
successive terms by the Labor Green
back party of this city and the last
time ran for mayor it was on Dem
ocratic nomination. Before six months
of that term rolled round l saw my
mistake. | could not agree with the
leaders of that party: they could not
agree with me: they themselves said /
was not Democrat. and l agreed with
them in that. If In nothing else.
But after two years of Democracy
7 vowed | would not accept another
nomination from them and l did not.
BY consulting the newspaper files of
Aug 3, 1872. you will find my name en-
rolled as a member of the Grant and
Wilson Republican club. l was Il Re-
publican then and ! have believed in
Republicanism ever since. If was not
class me as Il Democrat.
II have carefully read the conStitu-
tuition and have studied the statutes
and fail to find thai they contain any
provision that gives the Democratic
party claim on an 1rishman. We
will be told tomorrow. as we have been
told every Sunday of late. and i'm fact
every other day, that Irishmen have
been debauched because they have been
asked to vote for Republican candi-
dates. Irishmen have fought for in
on many a field and they
have right to exercise their independ-
ence. We have right to vote as we
please The Democratic party has no
mortgage on us.
Ism They Have Before Them.
but enough of self. You have be-
fore you tonight an 'ism.' known as
Connellism. Men have been accused of
being slaves of Connell. If it is wrong
to work in q cause headed by. such
man. is it right to work for him in his
shop. his factory. his mill or his mine?
But go to the South Side and ask the
men working for Connell II any of them
have been told to vote for Colonel Rip
pie. Is there man within sound OF
my voice who can say that any em-
bloye of William COnnell has been
hand. go to Briggs shaft. The fore
man there made a personal canvass Of
his men and told them to vote for Bal
ley. There Is bossism for you."
Some one in the audience expressed
doubt at the truth OF these statements,
whereat Mr.. Powderly volunteered to
go to Briggs shaft on Monday morning