The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-02
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE,


winch lhtN SUN dDSOiulSl1 uo'l'-
nate. and leave the whole people
of the State free to govern them
selves uncheated and Embossed.
Variant views may be held as to
economic theories and federal pol
icies; but all true men may and
ought to be filled with consuming
ardor for the redemption of the
Commonwealth from the grasp Of
her spoilers.
TO this righteous crusade | pledge
all my power.
In this crisis we must be more
and better than Republicans and
Democrats.
We must be champions OF the
glorious cause of re-establishing
constitutional representative free
government.
Indifference TO civic duty has
for forty wears kept the State in
bondage to an unholy alliance Of
political corruption and corporate
greed. The militant spirit of cru
saders is needed.
TheodoreRoosevelt, the iucarna-
tion of moral backbone, leads the
way.
The example of such stalwart
official integrity rs that of Mayor
Weaver, of Philadelphia, and May
or Guthrie, of Pittsburg, is an in
spiration. Animated by the same
lofty sense Of patriotic duty. the
people of Pennsylvania should
wrest the State from control Of the
men who have despoiled and dis
graced her. SO long as lawIess
corporations control political or
CARNATIONS, and so long as these
organizations are composed of men
banded together for illicit purpos-
es, popular government is a mock
cry and honest administration is
impossible.
We do not aim to destroy, but
to regulate and make 1t impossible
for the corporations to do wrong.
The first step is to break the polit-
ical machinery by means of which
the wrong is accomplished. In
stead Of submitting to system
under which the corporations make
the laws, we should see to it that
the corporations obey the laws
Justly conceived and fairly drawn
SO that neither the interests of the
/ public nor the rights Of the cor
| porations shall be endangered.
The first duty of the citizen is to
free the Commonwealth. Legisla-
tive reforms will follow Us Iogi-
cal sequence While the Chief
Executive is powerless to do more
than recommend needed legisla-
tion, and interpose his veto be-
tween the people and legislative
wrong, 1t is essential that he be in
hearty sympathy with reform and
in no wise obligated to or associated
with men whoseinterests would be
subserved by perpetuation of ex-
isting conditions.
The realization of genuine re-
forms depends upon the election
Of legislature which will work
/ in harmony with the executive
branch Of the government.
Our election laws must be so
amended as to eliminate the party
square on the ballot, restrict the
giving Of assistance to voters eX-
cept in cases Of physical disability
and checkmate fraud by provid-
ing for "a recount of the ballot,
when the ends of Justice demand.
The enactment of adequate
penal laws, and their rigid en-.
forcement, as a means Of correct.
ing the evils which have grown
up under the regime OF the cor
rupt machine, are Imperatively
demanded. Imprisonment for
offenses against the public Is
more essential than the inhictlon
of punishment for crimes against
the person. The responsible
heads OF corporations should be
amenable to penal law for grant
ing unfair rebates, for dlscrimi
mating among shippers and for
other transgres sions against the
I public. We demand government
by enlightened public opinion IN
/ place Of govern ment bV bOsSns