Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-11-10
A VICTORY
OF THE PEOPLE

nL l1lANbS dio tulHou uJSluS
V down in State politics and
the filth is being swept out.
The people are now asserting
themselves and looking forward
to good government. Tuesdays
election proves that we will not
stand corruptnts any longer, but
that the unclean and defl,d must
be separated.
This was not a gran Demo
cratic victory as may be express
ed, but victory forpure govern
ment and righteous less.
That the revolt of the people
should not have come sooner is
due, perhaps. first of all, to the
fact that the evil politicians con-
trived to involve Republican prin-
ciples, in some degree, with their
cause. The impetus given to Re-
publicanism by the Civil War and
by the fact that the party has rep
resented protection to home in
dustry has not spent its force.
That the mass of the people
should have been steadfastly loyal
to the symbols which represent
an indestructible Union and per-
manent prosperity is creditable to
their patriotism, even if their
good sense was unequal to percep-
tlon of the fact thai the knaves
were picking their pockets while
hurrahing for the Grand Old
Party. Comprehension of the
facts has been tardy, but nobody
can accuse the awakened and in
formed people of leaving the work
of reformation incomplete when
they resolved to act. Every poll
teal knave in the State covers
before the storm of popular fury
that swept over the Common
wealth Tuesday.
This great victory has momen-
tous Importance as d vindication
of the Republican principle. 1t
proves that the American people,
slothful and careless as they may
be at times in the performance of
their political duties, are, in fact,
completely capable of governing
themselves. When they are OPP
pressed by wrong, when men in
high places become corrupt, when
grievances are many and the
machinery of the law is employed
to promote and maintain lawless-
ness, they need turn to no "man
on horseback" to no ruler with Il
strong arm, to no Caesar or
Napoleon. Stalwart with conlid-
ence in themselves as froemen,
and with no weapon but the ballot,
welded under shelter of the law,
they can smite down the oppress-
or and the usurper and resume
control of the powers of their
government.
The statesmen who founded
this republic upon the basis of
the intelligence, the capacity and
the patriotism of individual citi-
Zens did not mistake the character
of their countrymen. Americans
have freedom because they are
worthy to be free. The citizens
who conducted the late campaign
against felony and infamy, and
who Tuesday swept to destruction
the crlminalp political Organization
which for so long Il time has
maintained reign Of terror in
Philadelphia and In the State,
proved themselves deserving of
their inheritlnce. No band of
robbers, no Gang of political des-
peradoes, no audacious usurpers
of the peoples rights can main
tain themselves against the assault
of an aroused and indignant COM
munity, resolute for the restora-
tion to their public affairs of the
principles of justice.
OF course this great fight for
pure COVE !nment had its effects
on local elections and Montour
Democracy was one that ,tfered
at the hands of the voters knife,
for much cutting was done as will
be seen on another page.