Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-08-31
.ESPEECH OF ACCEPTANC
OF LEWIS EMERY, JR.



At every turn from Simon Cameron's
burglary of ptblic Office down to the
present day, the state and the public
have been the victims OF political cor
ruption and cooperate greed.
Recent rcvcl tions show conditions
in the Penny! ania railroad calculated
to open the e-es of the blind. The
Pennsylvania iioial VINO failed to get
his share of the bribe money or stock
distributed by .oal companies for spe-
cial favors. appears to have been an
exception.
While your state Machine Is con-
trolled by corporations, while your leg
islature Is controlled by your machine,
and It's comm tees are organized in
the interests o. the corporations, it Is
no wonder that Labor's demands go
unheeded; 1t is no wonder that the
farmers interests are ignored and their
petitions refused; it is no wonder that
taxation is unequal or that trolleys
are refused the right to carry freight
and express, or that adequate provision
for the construction of public highways
plus is piled up in the treasury, to be
used secretly lor private enterprises
and to finance corporation schemes
The wonder is that intelligent men
have so long permitted these conditions
to exist, and that they have year after
year continued the Machine In power
No fair-mindgd man has objection to
hnnaGtfHF
mately used. Big corporations are
necessary and even inevitable, In this
age; but the corporation in politics
must go. Tha corporation must be
brought under the law, and this can
be done only through an administra-
ton and legislature not in partner
ship with the Offenders.
The bead-roll of iniQuity is 40 years
long, and they ask us to extend it by
continuing the Gang in power. This
Gang under the leadership of Penrose,
induced all but a few of the Pennsyl-
vania delegation in congress to agree
to antagonize President Roosevelt's
plan to put a sop to railroad rate dis
elimination; It compelled its tools in
resolution endorsing the presidents
policy, and 1t Tossed the late Republic
can state conve ention, and compelled it
not only to name a dictated ticket but
to elect as state chairman Penrose's
private secreta ry, who had formerly
been private sacretary to Quay, and
who was and is part and parcel Of the
discredited Machine.
Reform should be entrusted to the
true friends of reform. Following the
example of our revolutionary fathers,
the people of the state of Pennsylvania
are in revolt against tyranny and
wrong, and they have made their dec
laration of ind pendence.
Declaration of independence.
When in the course of political
events it becomes necessary for a peo-
pie to sever he bonds which have
united them to tyrannical oligarchy,
and declare tn mselves free and inde-
pendent, it is fitting that they set forth
the reason for heir action. We, there
fore. the people of Pennsylvania, de-
clare ourselves free of allegiance to
the Gang organization for the follow
ing reasons:
They have denied us government the
powers of which have been derived
from the consent of the people, and
they have ruled in defiance of just pop
ular sentiment.
Experience has shown that, with all
mankind, the people of Pennsylvania
have been more disposed to suffer while
evils were siderable than to right
themselves by abolishing the source Of
their wrongs; but when long train
of abuses and usurpations, pursuing
invariably the same corrupt object, has
evinced a desipn to reduce the people
under an absolute despotism of boss
rule 1t is Their right, 1t is their duty,
to throw off such yoke and provide
safeguards for heir future security.
The history Of the Cameron, Quay
and Penrose dynasty Is a history of re-
peated injuries and usurpations, among
which appears no solitary fact to con-
tradict the uni form iniquity of its di-
rect object to establish a corrupt oil
garchy in the state. To prove this, let
facts be submit ted to a candid public.
They have refused their assent to laws
the most wholesome and necessary to
the public good; they have forbidden
their legislative tools to pass laws of
immediate and pressing Importance,
and they have refused to enforce laws
already passed.
They have refused to pass laws for
the accommodation of the people, un-
less the people would relinquish some
right to repres entat!on, as was shown
when the iron, coal and oil producers
| of the state sought release from intol-
cradle conditions through the passage
Of just laws.
They have denied us appropriations
| for hospitals and other public charities
unless in return they received support
| for their rotten legislation.
They have called the legislature to-
| gether in extraordinary session, at
| great expense and under duress of fesr
| of popular wra III, to undo in part the
villainous legislation which they had
passed in defiance of public protest.
They have punished honest legisla-
tors repeatedly for opposing with man
ly firmness their usurpation of the
rights of the people.
They have refused for long time,
In violation of their oaths, and in de-
| fiance of the constitution, to re-district
the state.
They have refused to comply with
the mandate OF the constitution which
declares that the general assembly
phall (not may but shalD enforce the
provisions of the 18th article against
| rebates and discrimination.
They have refused to permit honest
men to be chosen for Office and have
aaused others 10 be elected.
They have obstructed the admins
sration of justice by protecting evil
| hoers, by packing juries and by ad-
| journing cases from court to court for