Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-06-02
Extract from Wanamaker's Last
Speech.

This may be my last political speech
before the Republican state convention,
which Will be held at Harrisburg on
June 2. The campaign. though filed
with erduous labors, has grown more
interesting and attractive to me every
day The explorations of the labyrinths
of machine secrets and iniquities have
fascinated me. l close the speechmak-
ing for the present with but one regret,
viz: that the time has been too short
to discuss one-half Of the abuses have
discovered and the damaging facts
have gathered l promise you l have
been saving the choicest morsels for
dessert. but there have been so many
courses that ii cannot be reached be-
fore convention time. The meal may
be only temporarily interrupted, and
perhaps we may be compelled to finish
- later 1t has been said that Wana-
maker IS a very poor politician, and
believe the statement Is entirely cor
rect. | became candidate against the
advice OF my political friends at time
when I could not count upon the vote
Of single delegate in the state.
TRUTH TELLING RISKS.
when l told the people, and told them
honestly. that I did not want TO be
governor, my political friends said
had made an awful blunder. When 1
made speeches In counties that l knew
would elect delegates against me my
political friends said my course was
| well nigh suicidal. When i criticized
laws that unjustly Disseminated
| against the weak and in favor of the
| powerful my political friends said 1t
was poor policy.
| When 1 said that the great corpora
| tions of the state were usurping others
rights and robbing the people my po-
! Iitical friekds said that brewers would
| expend millions to defeat me.
| When 1 said that the great news
| channels Of the state We're under the
! Quay censorship my political friends
| said the newspapers would no longer
! print my speeches.
When l refused to entertain any sug-
| gestion Of compromise, and declared I
| would be bound by no deals, my polit-
| ical friends predicted that l would find
| myself standing very much alone be-
| fore the end of the canvass.
When ! struck at every ugly head
| that found exposed. without fear or
| favor, my political friends said that
| politicians would become afraid to trust
4
J their support. When l showed that un-
| der Republican Quay rule the people
| were paying over one-third too much
taxes, and that an ordinary economical
| administration would save the taxpay-
| ers s15O0,O00 annually, my political
| friends said tket my enemies would
| make the RepubNeun voters believe I
was trying TO wreck the Republican
| party. My policy has been at almost
| constant variance with my political
| friends. According, therefore, TO mod=
ern political science and methods. !
| must have made an awful mess of this
| campaign.
| TO FREE PENNSYLVANIA.
But II l have made mistakes that will
| cost me the votes of delegates 1t is all
| right The election of delegates for me
has been secondary to the real purpose
| of my campaign. / can truthfully say
that l cannot tell within % of how
| many delegates will vote for me In con-
vention. l accepted the commission
| from the hands of the Bourse meeting
| and that commission did not command
| me to advance the political fortunes OF
| Wanamaker, but to try to free Pennsyl-
| yania from a reign of political tyranny.
| anu nSlp 10 save tAt fNtEublitdii Pshi -
| from threatened destruction.
If have not succeeded in gathering
| delegates that will stand for me in the
| state convention l certainly have pre-
| sented startling and uncontroverted
| facts that will stand against Quaylsm
| in the future. / was mustered In to
serve until June 2, and if the battle ID
| not then won promise you that shall
enlist again, not for time, but until
| the war is ended.