The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-07-07
THE COLUMBIAN.
BLOOMSBURG, PA.
THE PLATFORM.
Eue to the National Platform, But Particular
Stress on State Issues.

The Democracy of Pennsylvania,
in State convention assembled, renew
ing their pledges of fidelity and devo-
t1n to the sacred rights of the people
and State, and true to the convictions
and declarations of the party upon
national questions, realize that the
issues in the coming State campaign
relate peculiarly and transcendently
to the redemption of the State from
Republican misrule and corruption,
and appealing to the honest and pa
triotic citizens to unite in vindicating
the honor of the Commonwealth and
redeeming all its departments from
official abuses and corrupt practices,
does declare that the paramount issues
in the campaign on which we have
entered are honest government, home
rule and clean politics, and hereby
pledges itself to wage unceasing war
fare against the vicious system of po-
htical profigacy and corruption that
pervades our entire system of State
and municipal affairs.
1t charges the Republican party,
which has had unbridled control of all
branches of the State government
during the past four years, with faith
lessness to every pledge made the
people.
1t promised in most solemn declar-
ation reforms in legislation and the
betterment of municipal government,
and it has not only violated these
promises, but it endeavored to perpe-
trate the most obnoxious statutes. the
power of municipal rings and combi-
nations of corrupt politicians to pass
laws for the enrichment of special in
terests, and it has, through the system
of bosslsm, to which 1t has complac-
emily submitted in the past, elevated
these self-constituted leaders to the
highest positions of political honor
and public trust within its power to
confer.
1t has needlessly multiplied Of
hces to make place for party hacks,
and tine subservient tools of party
leaders, thereby greatly enlarging the
public expenditures and made in
creased taxation necessary to pay new
salaries, and has without Just cause
recklessly increased the salaries of
public officials in all departments of
State government and so depleted the
public funds tina: the public charities
of the State have been robbed of their
necessary appropriations.
f' 1t has not only tolerated the unjust
withholding of the public moneys ap-
propriated to common schools and
public charities that favorites of the
treasury might be enriched and the
funds for corrupting the elections
might be enlarged, but its recognized
leaders have endeavored to thwart and
defeat all legislation and every move
ment looking to correction of these
abuses.
For the purpose of maintaining
large balances in the State Treasury
and to use them for corrupt political
purposes, it has withheld millions OF
dollaY of personal property tax from
the equities which were entitled to
the prompt turn of it.
1t has created building commits
sion for the erection of State Capi-
tol, whose manifest purpose is to dis;
regard the plain mandate creating it,
to perpetrate for an unnecessary length
Of time its unfortunate existence, to
benefit the favorite contractors oil
some political boss, and the fruit ol
whose actions will be,a large increase
of the State Indebtedness.
Controlling by two-thirds vote
both the Senate and House of Repre-
r sentatives in the Legislative session
il, exhibited reckless disregard of the
rights of the taxpayers of the State, 9
shameless subserviency to the dictate.
of the party boss and most profit
gate appropriation of the public
moneys to wholly unnecessary, if no
not actually unlawful, purposes.
To the correction of these evils ant
the overthrow of the pernicious sys
tenn of which these things are the out
growth the Democratic party solemn
y pledges itself to the people of tn
f. Commonwealth.
1t further declares that if intruste,
with the administration of the State
affairs and the execution of her law
equal and exact justice shall be mete
out to her citizens, with favoritisr
for no persons or interests.
New laws prejudicial TO the intel