Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-10-07

Attempting to Introduce Systematic Cor
ruption in Politics to an Extent Never
Before Heard of in Pennsylvania.
Especial Correspondence
West chester, oct. 3.--Before one Of
the most representative and attentive
audiences ever gathered anywhere
State Chairman John F. EllSin opened
the Republican campaign in Chester
county in a manner which will not soon
be forgotten and which met with the
most ardent reception. He had pre-
viously accepted an invitation to meet
Mr.. Wanamaker in joint public debate,
which the millionaire orator lodged,
and naturally devoted much Of his at
tention to the latter's latest public ut
terance.
In the course of his speech Chairman
Ellkin said
Last week 1 received an invitation
from the Republican executive COM
mittee of your neighboring county of
Delaware to meet Mr.. Wanamaker in
joint discussion and refute before his
face and in the presence of an intelli-
gent assemblage the ISLANDERS he has
been casting on our party and people.
l promptly accepted this invitation. 1t
was my earnest hope that Mr. Wanna
maker would have the courage of his
so-called convictions and meet me on
the same platform to discuss these
questions. For purposes of his own,
however, and in my opinion, because
he dared not have the fallacies and
falseness of his statements exposed in
public, he refused to accept that invi-
tation.
For this reason, If for no other, de-
sire here and now to reply to Mr..
Wanamaker in tone and language
about which it viii not be possible to
have any misunderstanding. The po-
litical disappointments suffered by Mr..
WanamalIer have preyed upon his SEN
sitive mind to such an extent that he
has gone politically mad. John Wanna
maker is the Aguinaldo of Pennsyl-
vania politics. The Republicans of
our state stand in the position of Dew
ey at Manila. They have sailed over
mines of falsehood and torpedoes of
Misrepresentation. They have con-
fronted and put to silence the most
formidable batteries of their DECLARED
enemies who openly display a hostile
flag, and they will not hesitate now to
llidht u SubilldIlllt meet VI llie lllllt Hi
clustering squadron, led by Mr.. Wanna
maker in the rear, and seeking to dis
guise its purposes under Republican
colors.
COMPARED WITH AGUINALDO.
AS in the case of the insurgent leader
of the Filipnos, the Republican party
has made Mr.. Wanamaker all that he
Is politically and most of what he is
commercially. 1t has furnished his
arsenal. Its policy has been the means
of equippng him with the vast wealth
which he is now lavishly using to dis
rupt the party because the sovereign
will of the people decided adversely to
his ambitions for holding Office Up
until that event, only a few months
ago, if he was not satisfied with the
conduct of the party he made no sign
of dissent. During all his last term
of office, holding one of the most in
huential in the gift of the president,
he willingly, eagerly, followed the ad-
vice and guidance of the very same Re
publican leadership which he now de-
nounces as unspeakably bad and so
dangerous to the welfare of the COM
monwealth that the party must be
broken down and the state handed
over to the Democrats rather than 1t
should be continued.
He goes further even than Aguinaldo.
The latter onlv threatens to betray
those who have made him powerful in
order that he shall have absolute in
dependence for himself and his follow
ers. Mr.. Wanamaker demands not only
independence, but domination. After
being fairly and decisively defeated in
open convention, with every contested
question generously decided in his ia
vor, after free and open primaries, he
challenges the verdict of the majority
and offers his alliance and the final
weapons with which the Republican
party has equipped him to the Demo-
Gratis, the Swallowites, to any and ev-
cry political organization which prom
ises him a chance to prove his ingrati-
tude and take revenge for his disap-
pointed ambition to rule the party
councils and have his choice Of its Of
| fees.
Listen to what Mr. Wanamaker says
Almost two generations of our people
| have grown up in the atmosphere ol
corrupt public life and they have be-
come accustomed to believe that 1t il
not worth while to try to change 1t
| Strange as it may seem, colleges
| olergymen, teachers, doctors and rail
road presidents. all interested in places
| privileges or appropriations, have be-
come mixed up in it,"
/ That is to say, according to his ideas
| the colleges. churches, clergymen
teachers, doctors and railroad presi
dents have become mixed up in a cor
rupted public life. A more outrageous
unjust, untruthful assertion has neve
been printed as coming from the lip
of any Pennsylvania. What a darl
and dismal hope there Is for our peopl
If, as Mr. WanamalSer says, two gener
ations Of the citizens Of this great com
monwealth have grown up in a corrup
public life.
CORRUPT PUBLIC LIFE.
1t is an insult to the intelligence an,
moral standing Of more than six mil
lions Of as high minded and honorabl
citizens as ever lived on the face of tn
earth to say that they have been nike
up IN a corrupt public life. He charge
in express terms that the colleges
churches. clergymen, teachers, doctor
and railroad presidents have becom
mixed up In what he alleges to be
corrupt public life. This a fair sampl
Of the charges he is making against tn
Republican party. I challenge him I
name a college in Pennsylvania that
mixed up in corruption of any kind
What must the University Of Pennsyl
Vania. old Lafayette, Lehlgh universit.
Bueknell, State College, Washingto