The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-05-20
VOL. 80
John WANAMAKER SAYS THERE
WILL BE REVOLT AGAINST RE-
PUBLICAN MISRULE.
ASSAULT AGAINST BoSSISM.
Ringing Protest Against the Inscriptions
Domination OF Present Leaders.

maker, at a banquet of the Business
Mems league in Philadelphia last Fri
day evening, made remarkable
speech on national and state politics.
He was the principal speaker, and
said:
"The number and character of the
men who have met here to-day is at
once a witness 10 the dissatisfaction
throughout the state touching the
existing political conditions. 1t is
also an evidence of your deep deter
mination to do something to give to
Pennsylvania better government. l
believe this gathering at this time,
when the air is full of patriotism, will
stand as proof or pledge that the
battle begun nearly two years ago is
still in progress, and going on without
limit of time, strength and money
until the foes Of good government are
compelled to ground their arms.
"The country is not prosperous
Since the outset Of the last presidential
campaign the party, press and politi-
cal leaders, generally, fixed the Nov
ember election of 1896 as the date of
the beginning of good times. A full
half of the year has expired since the
will of the Republican party was de-
clared. Thus far but one of the i'm
portant issues Of the campaign is near
ing settlement, and hardly any notice
able improvement Of the wretched
times is manifest. This tide will soon
set in strongly against the Republi-
can party unless the depression of
business is altered. Idleness and
want breed bitter discomfort which
will never be overcome until there are
ample employments.
PEOPLE ADRIFT FROM PARTY.
"The foes America has to fear are
not the sullen, savage Turks nor the
insurrectionists of Cuba nor the terri
tory-grasping British, but they are
our own patient and heart-tired peo-
pie, our own suffering, much-promised
people, who, betrayed and dishearten-
ed, no longer have faith IN their party,
and will turn to any leaderships that
offer promise of better times, believing
that worse times can never come than
those now existing. 1t is terrible
thing to observe public sentiment
adrift and unexplained and the people
sweeping away from their affection to
the old party.
"rhe young men are growing up
Indifferent to Republican principles,
with no respect for parties of broken
platforms, who use national and state
patronage in payment of election con-
tracts. The political religion of the
nation is falling lower and lower under
insults to intelligence, violation o.
law, reckless daring Of unscrupulous
bosses. There are immeasurable
depths of misfortune for this natior
and state if the continued use o
corporation and public moneys ant
the dispensation of federal and state
patronage continues to be controlled
in the interest of officeholders to hole
Office for themselves and to benef
those who desire to keep government
contracts or maintain particular pro
tections through the money given b.
which elections are decided.
NEW PARTY BOIJND TO COME.
"There will most assuredly come
day when there will be a mighty re
volt and resistance, resulting in
revolution that will give birth to
new political party. Laws continual
despised and disregarded, ,egislatio
conceived for blackmailing purpose
speculation by public officials in trus
and other stocks, while tariffs an
other financial bills are pending, mus
surely and irrevocably ALLEVIATE tn
people from their party and awaken
disposition and desperation to subst
tute almost any wild and untrIe
leadership with the hope of possibl
relief.
"From some points ofview it migf
seem that there was not much to b
done except to suffer and wait. T
see sixty-seven counties play stat
convention, to make platform an
nominate candidates for Office, whi
all the time it is one man that const
tutes himself the convention, himse
adopts platform, himself adop
resolutions, himself nominates cand
dates, and himself adjourns, is pitt
BILE and discouraging spectacle; eve
1t two generations of our people hay
become accustomed to this condtic
OF things. The newspapers, with vel
few exceptions, and those not in II
metropolitan cities of this state, hay
accepted the situation and are silel
IN the face of the gravest issues tn
have ever confronted the people.