Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-04-07

| question of statewide prohibition was
submitted to the decision of the voters
| of this state. At that time the propo-
stion was defeated by an overwhelm-
ing majority; but. Notwithstanding this
fact. twenty-eight out of sixty-seven
counties gave a majority in its favor.
! Since that time public sentiment has
| travelled fast, and if twenty eight coun-
| ties voted in favor of prohibition in
! 1883, it goes without saying that many
! more would vote that way to-day.
| These counties have a right to rule
/ their own affairs and they also have a
! right to demand that the Legislature
/ allow them to do so.
Il have full confidence that the
! demonstration now being made all
| over the state in behalf of this meas
| ure Will induce our legislators to act
! faNorably upon il at this session. But
! suppose they do not, and that the bill
! fails of enactment the question will
! be asked. What course should the
| friends of local option pursue? Let
| me advise You. Look well to the pri-
maries next Spring. and see that none
| but local option men are nominated
| for senator or legislator in your dis
trict. 1t doesn't matter to what party
al IL,
take care that the Republican candi-
date is friendly to this measure. If
| YOU are a Democrat, take the same
! course. Get busy early. 1t will do
| men like you good to take an active
| interest In political matters. Don't
wait for the general election. for next
year will be a presidential year. and
a vast majority Of the voters will sup
| port their party ticket, so that your
work is cut out for YOU at the pri-
maries. If you follow this course with
; Vigor and determination there can be
| but one end to the contest"
And when the cheers for Oliver died
/ down a trifie he turned to present
| Governor Brumbaugh The cheering
lasted nearly a minute
Pennsylvania's chief executive stood
out close to the edge of the platform
ana doubled his fist from time to
| time as he quietly but none the less
| forcibly drove home point after point.
1 He said:
Governor Brumbaughs Great Speech
Governor Brumbaugh said:
Il am a firm believer in the right
/ of the people to rule. This is
! fundamental in the creed of every
/ true American. When this right is
denied the people, government be-
| comes oppression. 1t can even become
| tyranny. Your State Constitution.
| like the national Constitution, is a sa-
cred compact entered into to facili-
| tate the enactment of the will of the
| people into statutory law and 20 fix the
| bounds beyond which the fixed will
! OF the people may not be changed
! Through Legislative amendment and
addition the will of the people is con-
| stantly expressed in new forms and
/ upon new themes. 1t is a matter of
grave concern TO determine Just what
subjects should be by constitutional
limitation withdrawn from legislative
modification. With that situation we
! need not deal at this time
The Voice of the People
But in the domain of legislative
| modification we do have to do When
| by law a situation develops that is not
| supported by the major will of
people that situation can and should
I change. We can never deny the
| people the right to determine for
themselves who shall serve them and
what laws shall govern them. Ad-
| ministrators and legislators who vio-
late this fundamental principle Of
American life are false to the people
and unworthy the splendid traditions
of free and verile citizenry.
| LAS a candidate for a public office
accepted this concept of service and
unhesitatingly declared my belief that
the people were able and willing to
settle the question of the regulation
| of the liquor traffic for themselves
1 so declared in language as plain
and as cogent as | knew to use. No
| one in this Commonwealth could fail
to understand my position on county
local option. I reiterated my posi-
ton on all occasions. / wrote it in
! my personal lotform. / repeated it
| before my party in its great State
convention at Pittsburgh. I urged it
at the political meetings throughout
the State. l believed the people
wanted it. / still so believe 1t was
then and is now a matter of con-
science with me.
The OfIice-and the Promise
"In spite of the false friends of the
cause who abused me roundly and
sought to discredt me, I was elected
on that issue. And 1 kold to the
rather commonplace principle that a
| prediction pledge Is q post election
obligation. / count it highly culpa-
! BILE to promise things to secure an
office and then fail to do them when
in office. Precisely what ! stood for
as candidate stand for now that l
have been placed in office. Failure
/ to keep faith with the people is an I'M
pardonable political blunder. More
over, to accept aid in a campaign
with an assurance implied or stated
of certain action in office is wholly
wrong. | came to this office unfet-
tered and unpledged. ] am free to
do the things that are right, that the
people want. that the welfare of the
State requires. No person. no agency
can influence me to do otherwise.
/ What is good for the people must be