The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-08-24

ming Utferanco or a shrewd Jury
Lawyer. who Realizes That the
Facrs Are overwhelmingly Against
Him, and 50 Induiees in General
fties which Do xot Even Glirter,Let
Alone Hurt-Ris speech Anaiyzed.
Special Correspondence
Philadelphia. aug. p. : Candidate
George A. Jenks' speech at Bedford,
accepting the Democratic nomination
for governor. has decidedly fallen N
distinctly fat.
As a keynote Of an aggressive cam
palen. Il is note that has already gone
TO protest. OF course everybody
knows that Republican defeat in Penn
sylvania cannot be accomplished oy
Democratic votes. None but Repuoii-
cars can defeat Republican candidates
in this state, and a Democratic candl-
date, at the beginning Of hopeful can
didacy. must somehow appeal 10 GER
tain element of the dominant party
This Pattison was cunning enough 10
do in 1SS2 and in 1890. and this Mr.
jerks, with all his skill and experience
spicuously failed to do in 1888
The dissatisfied element among Re
publicans here. 50 far as Twists.
which represents the disappointed am
bitions Of men to whom the very name
Of any successful Republican leader is
as a red rag to a bull. hailed the speech
with instant resentment, because
was simply a reiteration In general
terms OF old charges which had been
threshed over and forgotten, and said
nothing specific, and nothing persor i
ly offensive. against Senator quay,
While they We're sore and disappointed
straight backed Republicans were
pleased that even so slSiilful an advo-
cate could make no better case against
them. A prominent pubic man from
the northwestern part Of the state put
the feeling very pointediy in the fol-
lowing words:
7 have read Mr.. jerks speech OF ac-
ceptance with much interest naturally
Even II It had no relation to the cam
paign. / should have been interested,
because his reputation as an adrot and
skillful lawyer, cunning before jury
In making the best possible plea In the
face of adverse evidence. IS celebrated
wherever he is known. His Bedford
speech is worthy OF his reputation
It sSillfully avoids specific statements.
The word Democratic does not ap-
pear in It at all. and the word 'Repub-
Iican' only once. and 10 one who reads
il without thinking the impression
might be conveyed that both these par
ties had in some miraculous manner
been syyept beyond the borders Of the
state.
The fatal weakness Of his speech is
not in the pleader. but in the case. He
probably put it as shrewdiy as any
body could. But when even the most
cunning master OF language is forced
to appear as the hopeless spokesman
OF a party which has no record in pub
lie affairs to point to. and a record in
national affairs which It is compelled
TO point away from. he is at great
disadvantage.
The gist Of Mr.. jerks speech Is the
special plea that 1t is quite consistent
for anybody to vote for him and his as
scciate Democratic candidates upon the
state ticket and at the same time to
vote for Republicans FOR congress II
this were so it would include. OF course.
IIlt AlHL 0A NALlANAAtS tAlElIAN AR-
Democratic votes the two Republican
candidates for congressman at large
and the Republican state senator's and
members OF the legislature. who will
elect a United States senator.
1T would be absurd 10 vote one way
for members Of the one branch Of con-
gress and vote the opposite way for
members Of the other. especially when
the United States senate is as cl Sc as
IL Is now.
This theory. that the record and
purposes OF the Republican and Demo
cratic parties can be conveniently
hung up behind the door. the mean
ing OF the vote this year forgotten, and
the campaign narrowed down 10 a
promiscuous guerrilla conflict. VIII not,
i think. commend itself to the Demo-
cratic party any more than to the Re
publicans. It would mean disaster TO
any organization. One cannot follow
one flag on one wing Of the battle and
carry a hostile banner on the other.
any more than he can serve in the
American army and the Spanish navy
at the same time. The line must be
kept consistent and intact. The man
who attempts TO ride two horses go
ing In opposite directions will go no.
where but TO fan. and he who tries
10 belong TO two churches Of different
creeds WI probably lose his stand
ing IN both. II Is before all things the
party creeds which are at Issue In this
campaign Aside from their personal
friends. the greater part OF the people
of Pennsylvania do not much care
which of them. Mr.. jerks or Colonel
Stone. Is elected governor. so far as
either Of them is individually concern.
sd. But the people Of Pennsylvania are
deeply interested and determined. IL
We can judge the present by the past,
tc see 10 it that the principles and pur-
po-es OF the Republican party shall not
be repudiated and set aside to give
place 10 those which Mr. jerks can
eidaey undeniably represents before the
state and the country. however Gun
ningly he may seek to disguise the
fact. Like good lawyer he has made
the best Of a bad case. but the jury in
this trial has time to think before the
verdict. and I have no notion that il
VIII be mislcd.''
There are few men in Pennsylvania
better known than Jerome b. Niles, Of
TiOga, ex-audItor general Of the state.
He is recognized as one Of the strong
est men in the northern tier and his
long and distinguished connection with
public affairs makes his utteranees al
ways timely and valuable. While not
referring directly to the speech OF tbs
Democratic candidate. what he said
yesterday wss evidently Inspired by IL.
Mr. Niles SAID;
Our Dem lr5tic friends cannot shirk
the naticnai issues in which our pres
ent and future welfare are so vitality
concerned The voters Of this most in
teiligent state win not. by them, be de-
ceived. In 1886 they went before the
country contending for the free and
unlimited coinage Of silver and plead
ing for tariff for revenue only They
are, in this state. seemingly anxious to
abandon their position taken in the last
campaign. They do not like TO have
anything said about free silver or about
free trade. The marvellous and mys-
teriOus connection which they had Cis-
rovered between wheat and silver dis
appeared Immediately after the elec-
ton OF Mr.. Mckinley. In thousands OF
speeches they cried out that we would
ruin the American farmer by Insisting
upon a currency founded upon gold
basis. They insisted that when silver
went down in the scale OF values that
wheat went with IL. That upon the A.
nsncial question they were a sort Of
siamese twins. And yet. in this. as In
all things else they have heen mis-
taken AS soon as it was ascertained
that our currency was to be continued
on solid basis. wheat began to go up