Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-08-08
Not an Asset.
Extracts from Ex-Governor Hasting s
Speech)

to be bought and sold as the drover
buys and sells herd OF cattle. The
true Republican party is an association
of free men, having for its purpose the
advancement of the best interests OF
every condition of humanity throughout
the land Whatever tends to the happi-
ness, upbuilding and prosperity of all
the people is part of our creed. This
has not been, am sorry to admit, the
rule followed by those who claim to be
our party leaders. The record of recent
egislation and the work of these self
appointed leaders have been fraught
with baleful results. The best interests
of the people of the State were lost sight
of in dishonest and cruel efforts for per-
sonal gain. to advance individual ambi-
ton and to make iInpregnable the con-
troll by few men of political machine
organization, which they wrongfully
call the Republican party. Last fall
when Pennsylvania gave her splendid
majority to William Mckinley the
voters of the State were inIocently
turning the grindstone to sharpen the
knives which were to carve the funda-
mental law of the State to atoms and
to rip into shreds laws, elections and
constitutional rights, to despoil local
and home government and to sell out
for profit the great party of Lincoln
like flock of sheep.
"Have you ever stopped to think who
they are who have thus trampled under
foot their party's principles, its plat
forms, its traditions and its great
achievements Can it be laid at the
doors of the men who make up the Re-
publican party in Centre county? No,
not one-excepting one. Can it be
charged to the great body of voters wno
have made the Republican majorities
in Philadelphia, in Allegheny, in Ian
caster and other strongholds of Repub-
lcanism2 No, it is directly chargeable
to those who have trifed with their
pledges and promises and have hood
winked the great Pennsylvania army of
Republicanism until securely seated in
place and power, where the dignity,
the honor. the efficiency and the author
ity of official station have been pervert-
ed to the basest uses for personal emol-
ument and official security.
ssYou have seen men, elected to repre-
sent the people and their best interest,
basely sell their birthright for mess of
pottage secretly paid them by those
who assume to be the sages and prophets
and the leaders of Republicanism
s.You have witnessed the adroit use of
legislative machinery, caawling like a
reptile by devious ways and into the
darkness of assumed ignorance of the
general public, to draw forth the money
in the public reasury to pay the price
Of official perfidy.
You haye witnessed the betrayal of
a publicly expressed pledge to give to
You a ballot law that would correct the
evils of the existing statute and provide
surer protection against election frauds
and ballot box suffers This pledge
you have seen wilfully ignored by the
authority of its maker, moreover the
attempt made by the honest Democratic
members of the recent Legislature to
carry out the will of their party for
ballot reform was by the same au-
thority persistently opposed and finally
thwarted
sYou have witnessed the consumma
tion of legislation to overthrow the gov
ernment of great municipalities, and to
deprive citizens of the just fruit of their
l. Ia al 41~ %hn nr
ing q friend, furnishing an enemy, or
OF advancing selfish interests or political
ambitions. The precedents which have
been thus established, if not oyerthrown
but carried to their logical result, may
any day return to plague the people who
permit it by substituting the will of a
single official for the inalienable right of
self-goyernment. 1T is revolutionary
and among the boldest efforts of recent
years to overthrow free American gov
ernment.
ssYou have beheld the legislative sale
of almost invaluable franchises to self
constituted few, whereby millions of
dollars have gone into their individual
pockets instead of the public treasury
where it belonged.
ssYou have witnessed the legislati on
which has created judges where the
people of the counties themselves pro-
tested against the alleged necessity and
the expense. Do you ask why? Be-
cause there were political debts to pay
those debts, regardless of expense, neces-
sity or the will of the people.
"You have seen courts and judges and
judicial patronage, the rural postmaster
and other Federal office-holders hurried
to the support of the central power by
specious promises of better and other Of
fees or threlts of removal from those
held. You have seen a judicial and
Congressional apportionment, which
outstripped in intricacy the famed
puzzle Of the Chinese, solely for the
purpose of rewarding friend or punish
ing an enemy.
IF you have watched the recent
course of legislation you have seen le-
gislators compiled to vote for measures
at which they revolted, in the fear of
offending a power that could deprive
worthy local charities of the usual and
necessary State support. The present
system of State support for charities
should be corrected. 1t places every
such charitable asylum or institution at
the mercy of the designing politician
and constitutes every unfortunate in
mate club to compel those who stand
sponsors for them to yield to the de-
mands of an arrogant boss or endure the
consequences of refusal.
These are but tithe of the whole
lamentable recital which has continued
until the fair name Of Pennsylvania has
become by-wOrd in her sister States.
Is it possible that the public sense of
right and justice has become 50 blunted
or SO calloused that the true Republi-
cans in Pennsylvania will not rise in
their sovereign might and drive from
place and power those who have profit
ed by this domination, who are respon-
sible for it, who manage it,
and who claim that they
themselves are the Republican party of
the State? They do not constitute one
half of per cent. Of the great Republi-
can host Of Pennsylvania, while they
and their adherents all told are not
more than 10 per cent. of the full
strength Of the party.
THE three tailors in Tooly street,
London, who issued proclamation in
which they heralded themselves as We
the people Of England, were not more
swelled with the sense of their impor-
tance than the self-consiituted coterie
who proclaim themselves as We. the
Republican party of Pennsylvania
In my judgement there is but one
remedy for these wrongs: Let the great
body of Republicans in Pennsylvania
rise in their might and elect tried aud
true representatives to their conven-
tion; let these representatives select men
of unimpeachable Republicanism, per
sonal character and fitness for the