Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-11-03
laB RIGHT MAN
TOR GOVERNOR
Why q Palmer and Buckner Leader
Supports Mr.. jerks.
Dickson, Leader Of the Philadelphia
Bar-Facts For All Honest Citi-
zens to Ponder

The strongest men in Pennsylvania,
regardless of partisan, factional or
financial views, are rapidly getting into
line for jerks and reform. The Phila-
delNhia Ledger, Notwithstanding its
large proportion of Democratic readers,
has been hitherto very unfrendly to
he Democratic nominee for governor,
being inspired to this course by certain
well known influences which were
against the Democratic party two
years ago. But the tide of public in
clSnation against Quayism, and the
manifest determination of the people
to rise superior TO party and to ov r.
throw the enemies of honest govern
ment, is showing The Ledger the cr-
ror of its ways, and that journal is now
devcting every day a large amount of
| space to the jerks meetings, and edi-
torially is pursuing a much more COM
| mendable course with regard to the
state contest. Our contemporary gives
a solid column, on it's editorial page,
10 Samuel Dickson, Esq, one of the
leading lawyers of the country. who
shows in the strongest language not
only why all Democrats of his way of
thinking should support Mr.. Jenks-
and he was one of the Palmer and
| Buckner leaders in 1S96-but all other
| good citizens as well. Mr.. Dickson
thus writes:
"As many independent voters are
apparently in doubt as to whether to
vote for DR.. Swallow or Mr.. jerks, a
statement of some of the reasons which
will lead many of the sound money
Democrats to vote for the latter may
be of interest. The first is that the
powers conferred and the duties i'm
posed upon the governor of the state
ire of such transcendent Importance
hat the question of personal fitness
'hould be given predominant weight in
he choice. In point of fact, the office
# governor is of singularly little con-
sequence relative to party politics. He
mas but little patronage. and, in re-
gent years, at least, he has not been
4 party leader. on the other hand, he
has a controlling influence In the MAX
ing and amending of laws of the state.
which really come home to the people.
Every one who knows anything, knows
hat the laws which govern the tenure
# property, by which every man holds
his house and his goods, which relate
TO the effect and enforcement of con-
| tracts, taxation, to schools, to roads
and all the interests which really enter
into our daily life, are state laws. Now,
S when it is remembered that at the ses-
5 sion of 1897 over 400 new statutes were
enacted, making up a volume of over
5 800 pages, it is apparent that the in
cessant tampering with our laws is an
E imminent danger to every property
i owner and to every taxpayer.
y TT must be conceded by every one
l who pauses to reflect that the first and
fundamental questions as to the can
. li1l re for he hiuh ofi nf
G of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania
= are those of jefferson: Is he capable?
u Is he honest? Tried by this test, there
e is one candidate and one only who sat
q .sties the requirements of the office
For half lifetime Mr.. jerks has been
I known as a leader of the bar of Penn
\ sylvania. His life has been led in the
a open practice of his profession, and is
. known to his neighbors and the bench
= and bar of the state as an open book
. 1t is the common and concurrent tes-
0 timony of all that he had en-
a riched vigorous and capaci-
+ Gus intellect by unremtting and
: discriminating study, and the
4 effect of his powerful and logical argu-
4 ments is reinforced by character so
4 genuine and open and sincere that the
listener gives absolute confidence to
Y had the leading practice in his own
county, but he has been sent for to ap.
e pear in every court In that section of
the state, and his arguments before
! our own supreme court and the su-
2 preme court of the United States and
: the electoral commission have given
I nm eminence among lawyers in the en-
tire country In addition to his foren-
sic ability he is an exceptionally calm,
= wise, judicially minded mana safe and
i good counsellor as we'll as effective ad-
( vocate. 1t Is impossible that one of
such intelligence and character could
n be deceived by bad advisers or coerced
S or cajoled into doing what his own con-
e science condemned. No single voter,
n II required to select lawyer to advise
s or act for him in that part of the state,
p would fail to consider himself fortunate
t II he should secure the services of such
. man. Now that we are all compelled
a to choose one as our adviser and rep
( resentative at Harrisburg, why should
, we not do collectively what any one
/ Of us would do if acting alone?
\ without making any inVidious com
parison, 1t may be said with entire con-
= ndence that no one would engage the
= services of Dr. Swallow to represent
1 him in any private matter calling for
= knowledge of She law. or sobriety of
= judgment, or prudence in action. On
e which ever side the account between
J.. him and Governor Hastings the bal
r ance should be struck the fact is that
5 he was convicted of libel before Judge
= Simonton, as accomplished a judge as
' sits in any court of the state and when
q called before the committee of investi-
e cation, composed of men of all parties
e he offered no justification or excuse
s for his charge of incendiarism in the
, llre which destroyed the capitol build
S Ing. 1t is inconceivabe how any busi-
/ ness man would be willing to trust one
= so reckless and incautious to pass upon
= the revision of our laws, or to use the
! National Guard to enforce order. He is
Y simply impossible. AS to Mr.. Stone 1t
= is enough TO say that his political life
has always displayed the qualities be-
t coming folloWer-none of the quail
q, firatiOnS Of a loader