Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-08-03

haviour.
Their discontinue in the preliminary
skirmish of last November brought
them to their knees.
Their complete rout in the impend-
ing battle will force them to uncondi-
tional surrender will emancipate the
Republican organization, which they
still absolutely dominate, and leave
the whole people of the state free to
bossed
Variant views may be held as to
economic theories and federal policies;
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 l pledge
all my power.
In this crisis we must be more and
better than Republicans and Demo-
Gratis.
We must be champions of the glor-
ious cause of re-establishing constitu-
tional representative free government.
Indifference to civic duty has for 40
years kept the state in bondage to an
unholy alliance of political corruption
and corporate greed. The militant
spirit of crusaders is needed.
Theodore Roosevelt, the incarnation
of moral backbone, leads the way.
The example Of such stalwart official
integrity as that Of Mayor Weaver. Of
Philadelphia. and Mayor Guthrie, Of
Pittsburg, is an inspiration. 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 lawless corpo-
rations control political organizations,
and so long as these organizations are
composed of men banded together for
Illicit purposes, popular government Is
a mockery and honest administration
is impossible.
We do not aim to destroy, but TO
regulate and make it impossible for
the corporations to do wrong. The first
step is to break the political machin-
cry by means of which the wrong Is
accomplished. Instead of submitting
to a system under which the corpora
tions make the laws, we should see to
1t that the corporations obey laws just
ly conceived and fairly drawn SO that
neither the interests of the public nor
the rights of the corporations shall be
endangered
J,,t 49, hn ntt 10 ~, fro
the commonwealth. Legislative re-
forms will follow as logical sequence.
While the chief executive is powerless
to do more than recommend needed
legislation, and interpose his veto be-
tween the people and legislative wrong,
it is essential that he be in hearty SYM
patty with reform and in no wise obli-
gated to or associated with men whose
interests would be subserved by per.
petuation of existing conditions.
The realization of genuine reforms
depends upon the election of legis-
lature which will work in harmony
with the executive branch of the gov
ernment
Our election laws must be so amend
ed as to eliminate the party square
on the ballot, restrict the giving of as
sistance to voters except in cases of
physical disability, and checkmate
fraud by providing for recount of
the ballots when the ends Of justice
demand.
The enactment Of adequate penal
laws, and their rigid enforcement, as
a means Of correcting the evils which
have grown up under the regime Of
the corrupt machine are imperativeIy
demanded. Imprisonment for offences
against the public Is more essential
than the infiction OF punishment for
crimes against the person. The re.
sponsibIe heads Of corporations should
be amenabIe to penal law for granting
unfair rebates, for discriminating
among shippers and for other trans.
gressIons against the public. We de.
mand government by enlightened pub.
lie opinion In place Of government