The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-22

on its platform. Now they attempt to
excuse the action by saying there are
no national issues now. And this, in
commonwealth containing one
twelfth OF the population Of the Union.
They are not honest in this statement.
They are ashamed OF their national
issues.
But taking 1t that there are no ma
tional issues in this controversy, we
are ready to meet the Democratic
party on state issues. Take the main
issue that they would make. They say
the Republican party has looted the
state treasury. What did the Demo-
cratic party do when 1t was in power?
They left the commonwealth in debt
to the extent of $40 0000,0 without any
permanent improvements to show for
1t.
Again, when the effort was made to
permit soldiers of the civil war to vote
i'm the field the Democratic supreme
court declared 1t unconstitutional, and
when an amendment was proposed to
make It constitutional. every Demo-
cratic county in the state gave a ma
jority against II.
The same Democratic supreme court
granted an injunction against the draft
and Pennsylvania could not fill it's
quota until the election changed the
complexion of the bench.
Another thing that the state Democ-
racy are not boasting of Is the action
of this same Democratic supreme court
in ruling that United States notes were
not legal tender.
OPPOSED LEGISLATION.
The opposition of the same legisla-
tors to Mr.. Farr's compulsory educa-
tion bill: Governor Pattison's double
veto of his free text book bill were
mentioned as other things that Mr.,
jerks and his spell-binders are not
boasting Of To Mr.. jerks efforts, at
the armory meeting, to belittle the ac-
tion of the Republican party in taking
the stateI tax from real estate. Mr..
zimmerman said that If there is one
thing the Republicans of this state can
boast of 1t is the system of taxation
inaugurated under their administra-
tion
When the Republicans regained con-
troll of the state they found all real
estate taxed for state purposes at the
rate of three mills on the dollar Of
valuation. The faSmers and other
property holders were paying $25, ,OOO, 900
year in state taxes on real estate,
besides what they paid on personal
property. In 1866 the state tax on
realty was wiped out and in 1874 the
state personal tax was virtually done
away with and now under this bene-
ficient system of taxation, which Mr..
jerks makes so light of. every county
in the state receives back from two
TO eight times as much as 1t Contri-
bubtes, in Lackawanna the proportion
being $4,000 paid in and s276,OOO re-
turned.
Dealing with Mr.. jerks individually,
Mr. Zimmerman stated that this man
who now seeks to be the governor of
Pennsylvania was the only prominent
Democrat in the state to come out op-
emily and forcefully for free silver.
jerks not only voted for Mcclellan,
as Mr.. Evans, had stated, but was
member of the convention that NOM
mated him and resolved that the war
was failure and stumped the north
ern states in the interest of the can
didate and the platfrom, which had as
plank "the war was a failure"
THE ONLY INSTANCE.
He was also one of the lawyers who
represented the petition for the in
junction against the draft and Incl
dentally Mr.. Zimmerman remarked
that this was about the only instance
In Mr.. jerks legal career when he ap-
peared before the supreme court for
any client other than a corporation.
How many people here know who
was last elected governor of Oregon ?
Mr. Zimmerman asked. Or hOm many
know the name of that states single
representative in congress who was
elected two weeks ago? Yet how the
news in each instance was flashed
across the continent that Oregon had
stood by sound money! Yet the cleo
tion in Pennsylvania with its popua =
tion of one-twelfth of the whole un-
ion and its thirty congressional dis
tricts, has no bearing on congressional
affairs
Mr.. Zimmerman closed with a re-
viewal of the work accomplished by
Hon. ]. r. Farr and Hon. J. G. Waugh
an at Harrisburg and then made a
plea for spport for the whole tocket.
1t was growing on to 1890 o'clock
when Mr.. Zimmerman. who was the
fourth speaker. concluded so Mr. Farr
and Mr.. Thomas contented themselves
with very brief remarks.