The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-06-25

/
barely any reason deep or serious
enough to cause dissertation, how.
ever brief and uuprepared, when
that subject, except possibly, a
question innocently asked by a by
stander, which it appears prompted
the foregoing declaration, made up.
on the spur of the moment and with
out any reflection whatever in adj
vance
If any one in the small group of
collected people knew any thing
about Municipal Government, it
was the speaker himself, as was evil
denced by the brief, pregnant and
vigorous speech he uttered there.
He was n lawyer of high ability
an eX-Judge of the Pennsylvania
Courts who had won long since, n
position of admitted repute as Il
lurlst among the really great lawyers
OF the State. He was quite capable
OF speaking, even after dinner. Just
rs the famous Depew would be. up
on any question. where the critical
display of intelligent information
would be certain to become the del.
icate charm of the occasion. He did
not talk to hear himself talk, for he
is a man thoroughly unaffected, with
II discrimination Of judgment and a
ready facility of speech, rare even
in men of wide learning and of "A
correspondingly extensive commerce
with the world
What the Pennsylvania Judge
said, upon that occasion was unfor-
tunately and literally true, and
should the predictions with refer
ence to the re-enactment of such
horrors as made the French Revolu.
tion one of the hloodiest wars in
history, approach any thing like full.
fillment, the penalties of the day
would be more too harsh, for the au-
thors OF perverse governmental
condition, the correction of which
wiruld eexhaaur." Centreville,
limits of retributivs, justice. A lie.
Der of the Pennsylvania Senate was
present and heard the stirring re
marks upon Municipal Government
and the conversation drifted im.
mediately tc that more common aud
better known subject viz: the man.
agement of borough and township
affairs, which is small, next cousin
to the municipality. 1t would not
require much oratory to arouse the
interest or the ire of Il country tax
payer. A lifetime of stern expert
ence III meeting tax expenditures
has riveted an lneradicable know
ledge into the blood and nerves of
any man who has mans heart
within himself. and who realizes
that the best energies of his man.
hoods career are taxed to aid in
bearing the burdens of State. The
enioyments of society are costly.
They are expensive, luxurious neces.
sites. The wants and fears of in.
dividuals are the most powerful in
centives toward the maintenance of
government and the law abiding
citizen recognizes no higher funda.
mental duty than to form part of
full commonwealth by cheerfully
contributing toward the necessary
legal expenses thereof.
Continuing the Penna. Judge
above referred to cited the recreant
deeds of Boss Tweed who fled from
New York City twenty-fiveyears ago,
Il fugitive from justice and who be.
came n refugee IN n strange land !;
and the daring, nervy acts OF Jake
Sharp who put through the famous
Broadway Deal which cost the life
of it's bold author, as conspicuous
examples of fragrant disregard of the
courses of public justice, when the
"end iustiiies the means" 1t has
always been difficult to govern large
bodies of men brought together in n
compact territory unless the strong
hand of police authority was exer,
cised with unremitting vigilance and
summary Justice or punishment
dealt out to the law breaker, but
when the custodians of law and or
der are chief among those who defy
the institutions of peace and at
tempt to set at naught the regula-
tions of municipal authority, the
condition becomes intolerable. Such
Il state of affairs prevailed for many
years in New York City under the
reign of the powerful political organ
iZation, known as Tammany, and n
situation not dissimilar exists to
day and has for many years in Phil
adelphia. Parkhurst, the heroic
preacher, fired hot shot from the
pulpit into the famous Tiger of many
stripes and did actually set in mo-
tion by his fiery eloquence and burn
ing conviction movement which
temporarily swept aside this mon
ster organization, and the reeking
filth OF Gotham gave away for little
while, to reform Mayor and to n
brainy and a vigorous Police Com
missioner, both of whom tried hard
to bring about better state of af-
fairs in the. municipal management
of Americas greatest city. They
have thus far but partially succeed
ed, in the face Of taunts and ieers al .