Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-09-07
GORDON FLAYS BOSSES
Former Judge Arraigned Machine
In Notification Speech.
REVIEWS POLITICAL GRIMES

REVIEWS POLITICAL CRIMES
Declares Machine Has Net Been
Whipped Into AbdIeatIon, But Only
Frightened, and Decisive Blow Mus,
Be Struck.
Former Judge James Gay Gordon,
of Philadelphia. delivered the notifica
tion speech for the Democratic party
to Lewis Emery. Jr.. at the Pittsburs
meeting. He said:
I'VE live in momentous times. Some
Of the profoundest problems Of social
life are in process of solution. Ques.
tions vitality affecting the well-beins
of the people and that little more
than a year ago were scarcely discern
ible above the political horizon ara
now being debated at every crossroads
store. on every platform and In the cob
umns Of every newspaper.
within the last twelvemonth flood
OF light has been let In upon the meth.
ods and morals OF the influences that
control the capital of the country and
the markets for the necessaries of life
State and municipal governments
have been laid bare In all the hideous
moss of corrupt dsformity. The nation
has staggered appalled, at revelations
Of financial dishonesty. corporate op
preston and governmental crimes that
the boldest critics Of our institutions
had never suggested.
Shame has covered this people as
with garment and we have bowed
our heads in humiliation at the kissing
derision Of the nations.
"But the light Of inquisiton that re
vealed the disease disclosed also the
cause Of the malady. Every abuse
every oppression, every crime was
found to be linked to a corrupt politi
cal machine that protected, IL 1t did
not engender 1t.
mo matter how remote the iniQui
ties seemed on their surface from po
litical connection, yet investigation
showed that they ultimately rested on
party bosses and party machines for
support and protection.
Abandoned Wharves q Landmark.
mo locality and no political party
had a monopoly Of the infamy. From
the turbid waters Of the Missouri to
the abandoned wharves OF the Della.
ware-from Kansas to New York
I IN lod lDh hA
same unvarying lesson was taught:
THAT public plunder has no politics
and the corruptions Of our financial
and political institutions are united az
by an umbilical cord with our party
bosses and machines.
Some may dispute the statement
that the tariff is the mother of trusts
but In the light OF recent revelations
none will deny the proposition that
the political boss is their godfather.
ut was with these revelations and
this lesson before it that the Demo.
cratic party Of Pennsylvania Assem-.
bled in state convention last June.
1T had seen. moreover, what free
people will do when once thoroughly
aroused to sense of wrong and be-
trayal.
ut had seen the aggressive, ardent
and impartial district attorney of St.
Louis, Folk, elected to the governor.
ship Of Missouri, in spite of the Dem.
ocratic machine, whose crimes he had
unearthed and punished.
ut mad seen another district attor.
ney, ostracised by his party for his
fearless administration of justice, ap.
peal to the people as an independent
candidate and carry the great metrop
oils Of the nation over all factions and
bosses.
ut had seen likewise, at the same
election, the Tamany candidate for
mayor barely escape defeat by meth.
DDS of dubious honesty and legality
above all, 1t had seen in Philadel.
phia and Pennsylvania, the Gibraltar
OF corrupt boss government. an out.
ragged Republican constituency that
had voted for Roosevelt the year be.
fore by half million majority, defeat
its party state machine by nearly a
hundred Thousand.
Honest Citizens Redeemed City.
"In Philadelphia fusion of honest
citizens of all parties redeemed that
city from a rapacious political organi.
zation. the most powerful, all.controll.
ing and debased in the annals of mu.
nicipal government.
"The Democratic party when 1t as.
sembled in convention last June was,
therefore, confronted by an extraor.
dinary condition of public affairs and
a delicate and difficult problem.
"A great national party with a con.
tinued history of more than a hun.
dred years. It would have been nat.
ural had it looked upon the disruption
of Its great political rival as an oppor.
tunity for party advantage.
There were those In the counsels
of the party who sincerely entertained
this view of political and public duty.
They supported their advice by II.
lustrations and arguments that were
difficult to confute and that, in normal
times, would have been prevailing.
ibut theoe uie hOt llIueS,
and a new issue is before the people
Of Pennsylvania, and new duties have
devolved upon parties. The new Is
sue Is the destruction of the boss gov
erned political machines that have
brought shame upon the nation and
woes innumerable upon the people.
"The hope Of the future lies first In
the emancipation Of parties from the
thraldom of boss-controlled organiza-
tions. Reform will follow only when
parties become responsive to the will
OF their voters.
I'm Pennsylvania, more than any
other state, this issue is emphasized.
A protesting body of independent and
patriotic Republicans emphasized Il
when. under the name of Lincoln Re-