The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-10-19
tfop OF the real need of the situation"
--Phila. North American, Rep.
Grave 1prDcn>rAr rrrnnurx-r

ton OF the real need of the situation"
--Phila. North American, Rep.
oUAY'S personal CHOOSING.
When the curtain was raised on the
convention II was perceived how deftly
the stage, the center of which was oc-
cupied by Manager Quay, had been set.
The actors were his puppets, and
moved only when and as he pulled the
: strings. The candidates were of his
personal choosing; the platform was of
his own making; the delegates were
present not as representatives of the
will and power of the people of the
] commonwealth, but as the representa-
tives of the political fortunes of the
ex-senator. The convention was his
convention; it was controlled by him
without contention or protest; 1t made
no DEGREES, no nominations Of its own
initiative, and 1t originated no declara-
tions of principles-it affirmed those Of
Mr.. Quay. TIE convention merely exc
cuted his DEGREES, ratified his nomina-
tions and proclaimed his policies. -
Philadelphia Ledger, Ind. Rep.
TRADEMARK OF THE MACHINE.
THE Republican state convention at
Harrisburg has plainly demonstrated
the mastery of Matthew S. Quay over
the party organization in Pennsylva-
mia. The proceedings, the platform
aud the ticket all bear the trademark
OF the machine. Mr.. Quay and his fol-
lowers were easily in command of the
situation at every point, and the con-
vention, for the most part, was little
more than ratification of the pro-
gram which had been mapped out for
1t by the little coterie of bosses long
ago in their Sabbath musings by the
sad sea waves. s."-Pbiladelphia Evening
Bulletin, Rep.
QUAY RIDES ROUGH-SHOD.
"The convention went the whole fig
ure, so to speak, commencing the gov
ernor's action in looping a million dol
lars off the school appropriation, and
likewise his action in appointing to
the existing vacancy the senior sena-
tor. Some ingenious persons may
have thought that Mr.. Quay would not
press his advantage so far, that he was
In a conciliatory mood. and would
make some tangible concessions" to
the insurgent element of the party, in
the hope of keeping the independent
voters in line for the ticket at the No
vember elections. Whenever he has
had the power to work his will he has
exercised it to the fullest extent in a
dull, brutal way, regardless OF ultimate
consequences. Experience has taught
him that there is little danger in this
course, and that so far 1t has not
brought him to material grief. So he
has gone on, from year to year, shak-
Ing the plum tree and trafficking in the
lie Nf NHA 1,x to-
and displaying no fear of a possible
collapse Of the political structure which
he has reared. The old man had de-
creed that he and his henchmen in
the executive mansion should be en-
dorsed, and endorsed they were, and
that was the end of it. as far as the
convention was concerned. AS time
passes during the next ten weeks, it
will be seen whether or not it was the
end of it as far as the voters are con-
cerned. d."-Philadelphia Evening Tele-
graph.
THE MACHINE AND THE TRUSTS.
"The fact that the Harrisburg con-
vention's platform contains no anti
trust plank is bringing from sundry
quarters condemnation upon its franz
ers. But really they do not deserve
blame Men do not willingly subject
themselves to ridicule, nor do they
practice hypocrisy for mere love of
false pretense.
Had the Republican machine of
Pennsylvania declared against the
trusts it would have found nobody to
believe in its sincerity, and provoked
scornful laughter. To ask the machine
to denounce trusts is equivalent to in
viting children to pass resolutions
against their parents.
Were it not for the trusts, for cor
porations which spend money freely to
retain thieving privileges and to es-
cape the payment Of their fair share of
taxes, the machine would not exist.
"If the Republican organization that
held the convention at Harrisburg had
condemned the Standard Oil company,
for instance, and pronounced against
the criminal conspiracy which is main
tained by that and other monopolies,
1t would have drawn the sword against
the authors of its being and been guilty
Of at least appearing to wish to COM
NIT the unnatural crimes of parricide
and matricide.
"The silence of the machines con-
vention on the subject of trusts was a
decent manifestation of respect for the
intelligence of the people of Pennsyl.
vania. ."-Phila. North American.
CHALLENGE TO ANTI-QUAY RE.
PUBLICANS.
The Philadelphia Press, which prob
ably speaks with more authentic
voice for the Mckinley administration
than any other journal In the country
says of the Quay convention:
The prominence given to national
issues to the exclusion of state ques.
tions in the formal speeches and the
platform of yesterdays Harrisburg
convention would greatly puzzle for.
eigner studying for the first time
American political institutions. He
would understand it better when he
learned that In the national field the
record of the Republican party is 6
great and glorious one. In which al
its members, and. indeed, all citizens
can take a just pride, while in thi:
state all unprincipled close corporation