Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-03-10
AN ADDRESS.

AN ADDRESS.
! To the Republican Voters OF Pennsylvania,
AS business men and as Republicans
earnestly desiring the success of cur
partv. assembled from all parts Of the
State. we deem it proper to make pub
lie expression of our views on certain
matters Of present political interest,
and. as we believe, of the highest i'm
portance to the people Of the Common
wealth In 50 tar as these views com
mend themselves as wise and patriotic,
we earnestly call upon our fellow cltl-
zens holding our political faith to take
such prompt, energetic and intelligent
action as will make them effective.
First-We call attention to the dis
graceful condition of politics IN our
State. brought about by the prodigal
expenditure of money to corrupt and
debauch the voter. Its baleful influence
has been made painfully prominent in
recent years in the election and control
of delegates TO our party conventions,
in the nomination and election OF mem
bers Of the General Assembly and their
recent election of United States Sena-
tor.
The result has been that, instead Of
the party conventions representing the
free will of the party, they have sue
cessfully defeated it, and public offi
cials, nominated and elected to faith
fully serve the Commonwealth, have,
Immediately upon taking their oath OF
office, apparently interpreted that oath
TO mean fealty tc an individual leader
and the dispenser of political patron
age. and have become neekiy submls
sive TO his orders
The dispassionate observer of the po-
litical situation is forced to admit with
humiliation that the Republican party
of our State is now dominated, control
led and used for the political and finan-
cial aggrandiZement of one man and
those whom he has chosen TO partlcl-
pate III the spoils.
Second-A large majority OF the
members of the General Assembly OF
1897 were nominated and elected by
questionable methods. the chief end IN
view being the election Of a United
States Senator in accordance with the
dominating influence in State politics,
but the corrupt bargain carried with II
the absolute control Of legislation for
all purposes. IL was not an unusual
thing during the session of last year for
the citizens Of the Commonwealth to
witness the Illuminating spectacle of
their representatives wasting days and
weeks, and neglecting public business,
because Of the delays of their chief, III
giving them instructions as to what he
wished them to do.
1t is not difficult, therefore, to fix the
the responsibility for the last Legisla
ture, both as TO what it did and what
| it failed TO do II may be profitable 10
4. g., %, b.. f,.,1a Isr
the last General Assembly.
In the organization Of both branches
of the Legislature they permitted no
member or Senator to have place upon
any important committee who had the
courage TO differ from the majority in
mis- views as TO the person who should
be elected United States Senator.
SO numerous were the places that had
been promised for the support Of their
candidate that they padded the payroll
with so-called officials without the au-
thority of any law, and appropriations
for payment of such officials only failed
Of becoming laws by the interposition
of the Executive veto.
In order to protect the State Treasurer
for such payment which they recogniz
ed as illegal, bond was given to oindem
Nifty that officer against personal loss
from such illegal payment. The history
of this transaction is recent and fresh
in thu minds Of the people.
They sought to take from the public
treasury thousands of dollars for pre-
tended expenses, for services upon pre-
tended investigating committees, Of
which the Lexow Committee is noto
rious example and for junketing trips Of
the members, and failed only by reason
Of the interposition Of the Executive.
At time of the most serious business
depression and the resultant falling off
of the public revenues they appropriat
during the last two sessions more
than 81 000, 900 for purposes either I'M
lawful or useless, which appropriations
fortunately met executive disapproval
For the purpose Of creating new Of
fees and to extend the power Of patron
age they passed what is known as the
mercantile tax bill, imposing burdens
upon and crippling almost every busi-
ness interest in the Commonwealth, al
ready overtaxed, and but for the Execu
tive veto this bill would have become "A
law.
For the purpose Of Furnishing the
Mayor Of Philadelphia whom they
could not control, they passed what is
known rs the Becker bill. which, had ii
been suffered to become n law, would
have destroyed many Of the most i'm
portant features Of the charter govern
ing that city, and as is well known was
universally disapproyed by :he people
to be affected.
TO afford great opportunity 20 make
appropriations for useless and unlawful
purposes a serious attempt was made TO
cut down the appropriations for our
public schools 10 the extent Of 81 OOO,OOO
which failed Of passing only because Of
public sentiment raised against it from
every part Of the State.
They failed TO obey the mandate of
| the Constitution requiring them TO
| make Legislative and Congressional ap-
| pOriOnmGnts.
Under q pretGnse Of reform n law was
passed with the intent of satisfying the
| people requiring the repositories Of
| public funds % pay interest, but they
were careful to omit from the PROVISIONS
| Of the bill the million or more Of dollars
| Mt all times in the sinking fund
Numerous bills were introduced for
the mere purpose Of extorting large
gums of money from the corporate and
other interests Of the State as the price
Of preventing their passage. To satisfy
public demand an investigation Of the
| Treasury was ordered, but the commit
| tee appointed was so constituted that
| instead Of investigation their plain ef
! fort was 10 concGal, and no questioning
was permitted 10 bs pfoPDaEded by any
member except such rs had bees pse
pared in advance and where it was
! known that the answers would do no
harm
The foregoing reference to the work
, Of the last Legislature is abunda1tly
: sufficient TO Indicate the character Of
! the members and influence by which
they were controlled
: The rcdeeming feature of that Lesis
lature was the firm and uncompromis
ing stand taken by tia. body of lcgisia
tors known ~ "the seventy Xix, who
did all that possibly could be done TO
..r.Ll...t LLL. 10 th.. .L.t. lruLl