Year: 1869


turc, and you require mn energetic and
wise Executive, also, by whom the laws
shall be administered and these abuses,
assuming their existence, shall be cor
rectcd. Then the regular and hcalthful
action of government under normal
may be resumed.


Now, gentlemen, in addition to the |
specific points which / have mentioned
call your attention again to the gener- |
al consideration that bad laws, improp-
or laws, are enacted in your legislature
and obtain place upon the statute book
of the Commonwealth. How can you
reform that capital evil, or, even If you
could suppose that it did not exist, how
can you correct the common belief of 1t
which isitself a great mischief and tends
to the degradation of government and to
the lowering of the tone of morals both
in public and private life? How can you
correct that as well as condemn the 9TH
er things, evil In existence and evil in
omen, to which / have referred? One
most important means of reaching re-
form, repeat, is TO place new man at
the head of your State government, who
has no past connection with these abus-
es; who has no association with the men
who have committed them; who will
owe no obligation in the future binding
upon his judgment or sympathics in fa-
vor of the men who are likely to com.
nit them hereafter. The remedy is to
select such a man Judge Packer fot
Governor lapplause,] striking thus ar
the main point where reform can be in
trOduced.


1t may be said in reply to some of the
suggestions which have made that the
Governor of the Commonwealth is not
primarily responsible for what is wrong
and Objectionable in past years. Why
not? 1t may be said that he is not sole
ly responsible, that other men are to
blame also but this is a sort of respOn-
sibility which is not to be decreased in
the least on any one individual by its
being shown that it is common to him
and to others. By the Constitution OF
our State it is provided that any bill or
joint resolution passed by the two hous-
es of the Legislature shall be presented
to the Governor; ifhe shall approve it,
he shall sign it, whereupon it shall be-
come Il law; if he shall disapprOve it,
he shall return it to the house in which
it originated with his objections, and
then only in case it shall be repassed by
a two.thirds vote in each house of the
Legislature shall it have the force of Il
ie"' hSiCiOlC you ptiStiNO oiup W
one of the provisions of our COnstitu-
ton the Governor has what is equiva-
lent to Il negative upon all public meas.
ures designed to have the force of laws,
unless tw0-thirds of each house shall
agree to them. This is well known; it
is matter of common knowledge.


Now, which one of these measures of
evil to which l have referred has the
present Governor of our Commonwealth
vetoed? On which one of them has he
exercised this power? Not one. Which
one of these abuses has he denounced
by message to the two Houses of the
legislature, for he is bound to commune
cate to those houses from time to time
his views upon public affairs, and to re-
commend TO them such measures as he
may think necessary Which one of
them has he made the subject of an Ex-
ecutivo communication to either House
of the Legislature? Not one. Therefore,
in peculiar sense, because he has neg
| lected the exercise of constitutional pow
ers which are clearly vested in him, is
he responsible for the whole body and
mass of evil to which 1 have alluded;
and It will be impossible, by any just
course OF reasoning, to relieve him from
that responsibility with its consequent
Odium. 1t rests upon him; it belongs
to him; and if a just judgment be pro-
nounced by the people OF this State, he
will therefor be condemned, and anoth'
er man, with apparently different
character and with different objects
with vigorous will and an integrity
which is invincible, will be put in his
place. Thus only can you expect that
our State affairs will be put once more
upon that foundation of honor, bright
with promise of prosperity, which OBJ
tanned for us and for our fathers in for
mer times.


| Now, gentlemen, one thing seems
very manifest to any reasonable Observ-
er who has studied the course of politi-
cal affairs in our governments, whether
State or National, and that is, that it is
necessary that political power should be
divide between parties or interests IL
this country. 1t is only by reason of di
vision, of one interest or of one party
checking another, keeping watch upOI
it, putting il upon its good behavior
that we may expect that good and sue
cessful government will obtain and b(
continued amongst US. This is the eX
perience of all free countries. Although
| we sometimes deprecate the existence
| of parties among us, regret that our free
populations are divided into hostile or
ganiZations, if we will take wise obser
Vation Of the past and consider rightly
| the constitution of human nature itself
we will sec that this condition of things
is inseparable from free governm EN-
and must exist wherever it obtains
Even under monarchical institutions
where freedom has grown up and ha'
become strong, the pride of the natioI
and its guarantee of future power, as il
D,.it tni, f,n. III. al tN,iI
into two opposite parties contendinl
against each other, precisely as we SCI
in free America our political parties
contend against each other; and there
and here, and everywhere the trutl
stands manifested that there must b'
this system of check and cOunter-check
of action and reaction by parties ant
interests upon each other; for ii thi:
state of things shall not exist, one o
two other states must-either the com


munity must fall into condition o
stagnation and decay, the nation mus


decline in prosperity and power, or the
rule of master must be accepted.


If you will not have parties anon,
you, acting and rcacting upon each 9th
er, then you must accept national do
cline, or you must change your form O
government in substance and in fact
and accept the imperial principle,w ,whicl


| believe is thought now by some fey


men in this country to be II panacca 70
all our political evils. 1 understan


they have established n newspaper I


advocate their views, and perhaps /


the course of time, ii the Republica
party shall continue in unchecked pow


er, that doctrine may become popular
at least the number of its adherentS vii
doubtless very largely increase.


Now, in this State government Of ON
there is IA Radical majority in the lIOus


of Representatives, made so by the AZ
portionment bill, certain against even


popular majority the other way in III
State under ordinary circumstances, ,au
majority alsoin the Senate. The san
, party hold the executive authority {
+ the government, and now, by the M


pointnent Of Judge Williams, majo
ity upon the bench of the Suprem
, Court; so that there is no balance