The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-06-16
JUSTICE is BIND.
And She May Be Thankful For IL, Other
wise She Would Have Seen Things
to Bring the Blush of Shame to
Her Cheek.
BEER AND POLITICS.

If there had been a statue of the
Goddess of Justice any where about
the Court House on Friday night, she
would have shed tears from her blind
eyes, and hung her head in shame,
could she have known what was going
on in Bloomsbury to influence votes
in favor of the men who we're seeking
the nomination for the high and
honorable Office of President Judge
of the 26th Judicial district. Stand
ing on the tower of the Temple of
Justice she could have torn the band
age from her eyes, and looking to the
east she would have seen beer going
out, not by the bottle, nor by the
dozen bottles, nor by the box, but by
the hnnareas Of boseS, to be dlstribut-
ed broad cast among men and boys
for the purpose of influencing such of
them as were voters to vote for
certain candidate for Judge at the
primary election on Saturday. After
becoming dlsgusted with this disgrace
full sight, she would have turned her
back upon it, and looked in the other
direction, only to be confronted with
the same spectacle in the interest of
the other candidate.
The Goddess of Justice would have
seen these things because they were
happening. Never before in the his.
tory of the corrupt politics of this
county has there been such quantities
of beer used to debauch the voters.
Its distribution began early on Friday
evening, and before ten o'clock boys
not of age were staggering along the
streets, and shouting for the candidate
whose beer had filled their tanks. All
along Main Street groups of respec.
table citizens stood discussing the
proceedings, and freely expressing
their disgust. There was apparently
no effort at concealment. Boxes of
beer were openly carried from the
bottling establishments to the back
streets and alleys, where they were at
once attacked by the crowds waiting
for them. Vehicles from the country
drove in and carried many more
boxes away with them. The suckers
and heelers were ali out in force and
it was great night for them. One
man was overheard to say that he
had already succeeded in getting two
boxes of beer in his cellar, and he
had an order in his pocket from the
other side for another box.
Oh, shame, shame, shame How
long will the people of Columbia
County continue to submit. to such
thihgs2 How long will they permit
men who resort to such disgraceful
methods, to influence and control the
politics of this county
There is a time when patience
ceases to be a virtue, and from the
general expression of the people it
would appear that that time is not
far distant. For forty years this
county had Judges whose names were
known all over the state, and whose
reputation for ability, honor and inte-
gritty added lustre to the bench. Ten
years ago beer and Doodle for the
first time in the history of this judicial
district became factors in the contest
for successor to Judge Elwell, but
what was done then pales into insig-
nifcance IN comparison with the per-
formances of last week. There is too
much at stake to permit such methods
to go unrebuked, and the journalist
who fails to notice what is known by
everybody simply because it may re-
fleet upon his party, is recreant to his
duty.
For some years the Democratic
majorities in this county have been
falling off, and Doodle politics is more
responsible for it than any other one
thing. In the name of Democracy,
in the name of honesty, in the name
of common decency, let halt be
called