Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1902-02-07

needs such q man to redeem It from
the odium and the reproach brought
upon it at Harrisburg by the ripper"
regime Of which Attorney General El-
kin has been and is an important
factor.
WHAT THE CANDIDATES STAND
FOR.
The two candidates now in the field
are Colonel Watres and Attorney Cen
eral Elkin. Mr.. Elkin stands for the
administration Of Governor Stone. lie
stands for the iniquitous ripper"
act the trolley grab, and the various
other measures that have run rough
shod over the constitution and ignored
the rights OF the people in the ciies of
Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Allegheny
and Scranton. In all the history of the
state there has not been a more un-
scrupulous setting aside of long-cher-
ished rights and traditions than dur
ing Mr. Elkins' incumbepcy of the Of
fee Of attorney general This is no
ex parte impugnment of his official
career, but a plain statement of facts
corroborated by the record and within
the knowledge of every intelligent
man in Pennsylvania. To expect
that such a candidate would receive a
popular Endorsement would be to pre-
sumo that the people are degenerates
who are ready to reward with still
higher ofnce those who have abused
their confidence. The people have not
sunk SO low in the scale of humanity
a. a
and proof Of this will be forthcoming
in Overwhelming volume should the
machine persist in Mr.. Elkin's nomi-
nation. The worst feature of such an
unfortunate nomination would be its
effect on other Republican candidates
who deserve better than to be dragged
down to defeat through an unworthy
and undesirable standard-bearer.
Colonel Watres has been tested by
many years of public service at Har-
risburg and elsewhere He stands
tried and true" before the people Of
the state. His stainless record, his
executive ability and his manly
worth are generally recognized. He
stands for honest government. for the
vindication Of the constitution and for
the Just rights of the citizen, from
the richest to the poorest in the com
monwealth. Should he be nominated
and elected there would be no cause to
fear that the organic law Of the state
would suffer violence during his ad-
ministration, to promote the special
interest of any clique or cabal. His
record Of many years service at Har-
risburg gives ample assurance that
the confidence reposed in him would
be rightly placed. AS between Colonel
Watres and Mr. Blkin the Republicans
Of the state should have no difficulty
in deciding whom to choose for their
standard bearer. Colonel Watres rep
resents popular rule in accordance
with the genius and the spirit of our
free institutions, and Mr.. Elkin stands
for a machine as relentless as the
Juggernaut.
TIME TO SPEAK AND ACT.
1t is the opinion OF all who believe
in the triumph of right principles and
the success of the right candidate,
that this is the time for the Repub-
lieans of the state to speak and act.
The selection Of delegates should re-
feet the popular will, and the rank
and file of the party throughout the
state should express their preferences
in the choice of delegates to the state
convention It is in the initiative af-
ter ali that ultimate success rests.
If the people wait until the machine
selects delegates who are favorable
to it they will be too late. This is
the time, therefore, for all who wish
to have Republican principles per-
petuated in Pennsylvania to organize
and see to ii that only such delegates
as truly represent them are chosen to
the state convention. With such
man as Colonel Watres at the head Of
the ticket for governor this year the
party would go into the campaign
confident of victory from the begin
ming His candidacy would need no
apologists. It would not be necessary
in his case to have to defend ripper"
laws, trolley grabs or kindred acts of
Infamous legislation.
Is it not worth while, therefore. for
Republicans to take a hand now and
elect only such state delegates as they
have confidence in? It is a mistake to
assume that the machine will be all
powerful in debating the nomination
no matter who may be chosen to the
state convention. The machine is all
powerful only when the people neglect
their duty to themselves, and permit
delegate elections to go by default
When this is done and delegates
who are merely mercenary are allowed
to go to the state convention they
gravitate as naturally to the machine
as bits of metal to the magnet. The
need Of the time is first Of all for the
selection Of delegates, in every legis-
lative district, who will have more re-
gard for party than for faction. and
who win not subordinate principle
to the well-known methods of the
machine.
There is a wholesome spirit abroad
in favor of better things. and II II
asserts itself in the choice OF dele
gates who win support a candidate
like Colonel Watroa, Of Acknowledged
integrity and party regularity, there
need be no doubt as to its success.
With proper and timely effort the
nomination and election OF Colonel
Watres can be secured, and c0ntem-
plation. Of the alternative should con
vince every honest-minded Republican
In the state that the effort is worth
mekIng. sTREPHON
When you wake up with a bad