The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-09-12

TO consult my personal comfort, the
arduous labor Of a chmpaibn would
not appeal to re. Put having been
unanimously called by a party cap
able OF polling upwsrds Of half :
million votes, as time when the
value to the Commonwealth OF 2
free ard Independent exercise OF the
right Of suffrage was never more,
thoroughly demonstrated than In the
results flowing from the last election
for this Office, no man has q rirh.
to sh.rk call to duty such as this
In brief and informal accept
ance made on the day Of my nonna-
ton, stated was in hearty accord
with the principles contained In lac
platform adopted. | repeat 1t here.
AS the official utterance OF party
In convention assembled 1t Is a 10
ciaration of principles to the support
of which every follower of the party
can safely, and without the sacri-
fee OF conscience or respect, sub
scribe. 1t is more than that. IT'S
principals are a safe harbor for
every man. woman or child OF this
plundered Commonwealth who earn
estly seeks and desires a remedy
for the conditions In this state which
have attracted the adverse criticism
OF the press Of the United States,
and compelled even the party In
power TO cry out against.
Issues of the Campaign.
Mere Issues, alone for political
purposes. are not lacking on which
to wage campaign. If all the elect
ors OF this State heretofore should
have been of one mind politically,
sufficient Justification for our plat
FORM coming into existence could be
found In the single instance Of the
loot Of the public treasury In the
erection of capitol building which
instead of being. as was hoped. our
pride, has become our shame. And
yet my friends, the result to be
attained In this election Is more than
q matter Of mere party success. It
means more to me as a citizen than
my mere elevation to office. Should
that follow It Is but secondary. 1t
means more to the people than a
mere triumph Of numerical strength
between contending political forces.
That Is often the greatest calamity
that can overcome community or o
state. But this election will deter
mine whether we shall continue to
keep the State Treasury out Of poll
tics, and beyond the reach Of the
political brigands who for years ex-
plotted 1t for their personal advan-
tage and gain, or whether we shall
restore the conditions which made
possible our disgrace In the most
monumental steal Of modern history.
Happily the Democratic party is
not 30 poor in issues that It must
sieze upon single instance Of de-
reelection of duty as its excuse for
challenging the right Of the opposing
party to control the public treasury.
Nor will 1t be driven from the fight
upon the simple promise Of q can
didate for that once. backed by his
party's platform. TO punish oficial
wrongdoing in that connection. We
can turn the pages OF history for
forty years and show the record OF
Republican control OF the once OF
State Treasurer to be Q history, In
many instances. Of broken lives, and
fortunes. and of self-slaughter. We
can instance looted banks and trace
the trail Of political connection there
with from Allegheny to New Mexico.
We can turn from this unpleasant
canvas and show an aroused
and outraged people regardless
of political afIiiiation placing In
that offics for the nrst time
In upwards OF thirty years,
follower Of another faith than that
OF his predecessors. with the result
that a condition undreamed Of was
unearthed In the Treasury, and the
schemes Of a band of conscienceless
r"scais to extract from the State
twenty millions more Of our money