The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-09-26

NOlullOudIy duu tIlSlSlOit tDG DGllO'
cratic leaders of the State were
obliged to sit through number OF
years, helplessly, while the party
was being betrayed, because there
was no warrant Of law for declaring
the Philadelphia organization in
valid.
During the recent session of the
legislature the leaders of the Demo-
cratic organization OF Philadelphia
participated in every corrupt job of
the manyof which General Goblin
the other day complained. Chair
man Greasy as member of the leg
islature fighting these corrupt meas
ures necessarily became aware of the
facts and after his election to the
Craftsmanship naturally protested
against association with the boodlers
He brought the matter to the atten-
ton OF National Committeeman
Guffey, Ex-Governor Pattison and
others and measures to rescue the
organization from the traitors were
at once begun. After a thorough
canvass Of the subject it was discov-
cred that the only course open was
to induce Chairman Donnelly to re-
sign in order that a successor might
be elected who had integrity and
the confidence of the people of all
parties. Ex-Governor Pattison was
by unanimous agreement chosen for
the place He was averse to enter
ing into active politics in that way
but yielded to the opportunities of
leading Democrats including Guffey
and Greasy with the promise of Don-
nelly and Ryan that they would CO.
operate with him in his plans to
rehabilitate to party.
Except for this manifestation of
contrition on the part of the distrust-
ed leaders they would have been un-
mercifully condemned and incon-
tinently expelled from the organiza-
ton by the recent Democratic State
convention. But they promised
freely and apparently acquiesced
cheerfully in the arrangement which
had been made and they escaped
condemnation. There were those
who left the convention unreconcil-
ed for the reason that they still dis
trusted Donnelly and Ryan but
when Pattison, Guffey and Greasy
vouched for the honesty of their
purposes all opposition was defeated
and the condemnatory resolutions
were withheld. But when the pledg-
es made to Pattison, Guffey and
Greasy were broken the other day,
there was no alternative but to adopt
the course which was taken. In
other words when Donnelly and
Ryan refused to preserve faith with
the reputable elements in the politics
of Philadelphia by agreeing to tus.
ion against the Quay-Ashbridge
machine, there was nothing left for
man of honor and honesty like
Governor Pattison to do but resign
and he did that promptly.
The cursory observers Of politics
might jump to the conclusion that
political reform will suffer through
the course adopted by Governor
Pattison That is to say such per-
sons might assume that Ex-Governor
had surrendered to the traitors the
citadel of reform. But there is
nothing further from the truth.
Thanks to the wisdom and fore
thought of the Democratic leaders
OF the State, provisions were made
by the last Democratic State CON
vention for just such contingencies
as have arisen. In other words the
convention appointed a committee
of eminent and able Democrats and
invested them with authority to ex-
ercise a supervisory power over the
Philadelphia organization and sup
plemented that action by amending
the rules so that a corrupt organiza-
ton may be removed and an honest
organization substituted without be-
ing revolutionary. Under these
changed conditions the resignation
of Governor Pattison will be follow
ed at once by the assertion of its
authority by the committee under
the changed rules and the immedi-
ate rescue of the party from the
boodlers and corruptionists.
In view of these facts the present
situation may be summed up in this
way. There is no Democratic
organization in Philadelphia at all