The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-01
In mn KINanom ior auAY.

IN THE KINGDOm UE GUAT. \ If begins to look very much as if there is or will. soon be- something doing in Pennsylvania Democratic politics. For almost dozen years they have practi- cally allowed Quay and his gang to run things their own way, elect any ticket they wanted. and loot and rob 70 their entire satisfaction. Republican majorities or pluralities have ranged anywhere from a, b0o to 295.o0o, and would have been larger if there had been need for it. The Democrats have kept up sort If per functory fight without accomplishing sny- thing.
 It looks now as if there is to be real and intelligent fight made in Quay's State. and that 1t will be made with the object of winning. The nomination of Robert E. Pattison for Governor is a good sign. for. while he is not a great man. he Is capable and intelligent. and. what Is very important just now, he is honest and that is point which should tell largely in his favor That he is popular, and that he has about him the faculty of winning votes is another strcng reason why his Party may hope to elect him. They nominated and elected him in 1882, when the State was thought to be safely Republican. and in 1s3o the same thing was done. changing the votes from a Republican piu- rality of 79.452 two years before to a Democratic majority of 16.534 show ing change of nearly one hundred thou sand votes This was due partly to dis satisfaction with Republican rule. partly to confidence in MT. Pattison and partly to Democratic harmony. The first reason exists now to greater degree than ever before, the second is still present and if the third Is lacking it will be a great misfortune and great fault.
 But the Democrats of Pennsyl sania have done another eminentiy sensible thing in that they propose to nake the fight strictly on State and local issues. At their convention they declared that they waive "all expression of opinion on questions of national policy that might divert attention from the pressing prob iems that confront the people of oGr own State."
 This is the most sensible political move ment that the Democrats of enyi State have made While there are national questions of vast importance TOW before the public. and while the Democ.lts of Pennsylvania are as vitally interested in those questions as their brethren in any other State can be. there Is something for those of Pennsylvania for more vital and pressing than any outside matter can be. and that something is the good name and moral and material welfare of their owl commonwealth.
 It Is doubtful if there Is as much cor ruption in the political and official af- fairs of any portion of the Union as there is in Pennsylvania. Perhaps 1t would hardly be an exaggeration to say that the balance of the Union combined could not exceed the rascality prevalent in that one State. It has become a stench in the nostrils of honest men everywhere, and has brought discredit on popular government. The open, un- blushing venality and corruption past and present under the rule of Quay. Elkins, Pennybacker and their colleagues and tools Is so notorious that it has almost ceased to excite wonder. People all over the country have come to regard rascality as indissolubly connected With State and local government there. and look on 1t as a mere matter of course, for which there is no remedy.
 Knowing and feeling that there was enough at home to occupy them, and determined that nothing should be done or said to interfere with q harmonious home campaign. the Democrats ignored all questions of finance, and references to tarin. trusts. imperialism, foreign policies and everything else but the one thing of cleaning up before their own doors. If they succeed in that they will be in good shape to take hold of national issues in 1904. If they fail now their in- fiuence in a national campaign will be nil
 They ought not to fail The Republi- cans have a majority in the State. it is true, but there must be many honest men among them. There must be large numbers who have no sympathy with Quiy or his methods, and who will be willing to sink their political feelings for the purpose of ridding the State of the most rascaly crew that ever disgraced any government. If this is done, and if the Democrats will forego their own fac tional and cut-throat differences. and all believers in honest government will work together, there can hardly be any doubt of the result. That the election of Pat tison may or may not make him a Presi- dential possibility is of secondary inn portance, the vital object is to purify their own State and relegate everything else to the rear.
 The Leavenworth Times takes the skin off some of its Republican brethren for the failure of Cuban reciprocity legisla ton in this style:
 The reports from the island are all one