STRAW HM
_ TIMBER.
Every Wanamaker Charge Fairly
aud Squarely Met.
AN UNANSWERABLE SPEECH
The Chairman of the Republican State
Oi'icuulzatlon Taken l'p the Various
Allegation- and Calumnies of the
A lit I-Republican Htircati of Defama
tion, Points Out Their Falsity, aud
Hoes Not I.eaveaShred ofTbeni That
Holds Together With Another.
(Special Correspondence.)
Philadelphia. Sept. 19. —The event of
Ihf week politically was the masterly
arraignment of the Wanamaker de
famation mill by State Chairman John
i'. Elkin, in a speech at Media, on Sat
urday. It was the formal opening of
the campaign in Delaware county, and
the courthouse was packed with peo
ple.who received the speeches of Colonel
Stone and Mr. Elkin with tremendous
enthusiasm. Colonel Stone devoted him
self largely to a discussion of the na
tional bearing of the campaign. The
slate chairman took the gloves off and
spoke substantially as follows:
It a source of pleasure to appear
before an audience of Delaware county
Republican*. 1 recall with pleasure the
returns received from your county at
our headquarters in the city of Phila
delphia on the evening of the presiden
tial election in 1896. The returns at that
time certainly entitle your county to be
called the "Little Giant of the East,"
and I know of no good reason why you
should not continue to be regarded as a
stronghold of uncompromising Repub
licanism. In that campaign the Repub
lican party promised if that splendid
type of American citizenship. William
McKinley, should be elected president of
the United States, prosperity should
again be restored throughout the na
tion. The repeal by the Cleveland
Democratic administration and a con
gress in sympathy with him of a Re
publican protective tariff law and the
passage of the Wilson bill resulted in
the reduction of the annual output of
out' manufactures about one-half, and
the opportunities and wages of the
laboring people were reduced in the
same proportion. You will recall that
the wheels of industry had stopped un
der the baleful influence of that ad
ministration, the marts of trade in
many instances were closed, capital
was idle and unproductive, and many
of the wage-earners of the country
marched up and down the face of this
fair land begging for leave to earn a
livelihood. It has now been about one
and a half years since President Mc-
Klnley was inaugurated. In that short
space of time, however, business has
revived, capital is being invested, labor
is rewarded with good wages and ample
employment, and the business condi
tions of the country from one ocean
to the other and from the lakes to the
gulf have steadily improved. The ad
ministration of President McKinley has
already made itself felt to the advan
tage of our country and people in two
hemispheres. Our nation is respected
on the continent and in the orient as it
has never been respected before. Our
soldiers and sailors under the direction
."iid patriotic guidance of the present
administration have won distinction for
valor and courage which have merited
and received the approbation of the
civilized world. Under these circum
stances it would seem as though every
person who voted the Republican ticket
in IS9C would feel proud to continue his
support of a party that had performed
such valuable service to the country
and the world. In that presidential
contest Pennsylvania stood at the head
of the column of Republican states. It
was a splendid record to make under
adverse political conditions, and every
true Pennsylvanian is proud of it. The
administration of President McKinley
is now on trial throughout the country,
l'p to this time the state elections held
have voted confidence in his adminis
tration. Oregon, off on the Pacific
coast, led the way several weeks ago.
and the result there has been followed
by the Republicans of the Green Moun
tain and Pine Tree states. It is our de
sire that Pennsylvania shall hold fast
to the position she has already at
tained as the foremost Republican
state of the union.
SELFISH AND PERSONAL INTER
ESTS.
There are those, however, who, not
withstanding the glorious history of
the party in the past, and its splendid
achievements at the present time, for
selfish and personal reasons have con
spired to encompass its defeat. These
people for several months past and now
are going about the state making
charges by innuendo and otherwise
against our party in the hope that the
people may be mystified and misled by
their highly colored misrepresentation
of facts. In my opinion the time has
come when these deformed pictures of
morbid imaginations should be stripped
of their colorings and reduced to their
real dimensions. The difficulty of com
bating with such antagonism to the
Republican party as was expressed by
n. leading merchant of your neighbor
ing city in a political harangue de
livered by him at Honesdale yester
day, while still posing as a Republican.
Is much like that which confronts those
who do battle with the devil fish. It is
characteristic of this sea animal, which
is composed of numerous* arms and a
stomach, that when It seeks to strike
its prey It first clouds the surrounding
waters with a foul and noxious lluid
which it ejects from its own person,
and under this concealment stretches
out its tentacles in all directions, seek
ing what it may absorb Into Its Jelly
like body. Against every weapon it is
as evasive as a rubber ball, and as
rapidly as one grasping arm is smitten
off another reaches out in Its place.
The only way to deal with it is either
to satisfy its omnivorous appetite or
to pursue It through the waters it has
discolored for the purposes of Its own
disguise, and destroy both grasping
arms and hungry stomach. I, there
fore, even at the risk ot being consider
ed tedious, deem it my duty to correct
what is untrue In his statements and ex
plain what has been purposely miscon
strued or misrepresented.
1. The central figure and financial
promoter of the opposition to the Re
publican party at this time is Mr. Wan
amaker, who was a candidate for elec
tion to the office of United States sen
ator to succeed Mr. Cameron. The Re
publicans of the state defeated him in
his aspiration for that office. He then
announced and prosecuted a campaign
for the Republican nomination for gov
ernor of the commonwealth. After an
aggressive contest waged by himself
and friends throughout the state he
was defeated for the nomination.
With these disappointments fresh in
his mind he attempts to defeat the
party In which he so recently sought
but did not receive political preferment,
and now denounces the very same
party leadership which he was anxious
and willing to serve so long as it aided
him in securing desirable offices. He
and his friends have made charges
of all sorts against the Republican or
ganization.
Many of these charges were answer
ed by me in a statement given to the
public several days ago, and I shall
now ask your indulgence while a reply
is made to his more recent utterances.
One of the charges which has been in
dustriously circulated in every part of
the state is that the regular organiza
tion of the party, in some mysterious
way not apparent, has been able to get
a candidate in opposition to the re
election of Hon. Charles W. Stone. I
take this opportunity to say that this
charge is absolutely, unqualifiedly and
maliciously false. It has not tilt?
shadow of foundation in fact. It is
a fabrication worked out of the in
ventive imagination of designing per
sons who do not even believe it them
selves. U'he regular organization of the
party is anxious to elect a Republican
congressman in everv congressional
district in the state, and will spare no
efforts to accomplish this result. The
candidate for governor who sits with
me on this stage will soon appear on
the same platform with the Hon. C.
W. Stone in his district, advocating
the election of the whole Republican
ticket. It is our confident expectation
that the hands of President McKinley
will be upheld in the next congress by
as many Republican congressmen from
Pennsylvania as now occupy seats In
the national house of representatives.
HOW KAUFFMAN WAS DEFEATED.
2. It is further charged that Senator
Quay or his friends in the Republican
organization secured the defeat of Sen
ator Kauffman at the primaries in his
senatorial district. My answer is that
he did not. If such orders had been
given, as chairman of the Republican
organization 1 would have been ap
prised of the fact, and I desire to state
in the most positive and unequivocal
language that Senator Quay never said
to me, nor to anyone else, so far as I
know or am informed, that he even
desired the defeat of Senator Kauff
man. It is a well known fact that the
leaders of the Republican party in Lan
caster county who made the fight
against Senator Kauffman complained
because Senator Quay would not take
part in that contest. There is another
significant fact In connection with that
controversy that may have escaped his
notice, and that is that ex-Senator
Cameron favored the re-nomination of
Kauffman, and influential friends of
the latter gentleman living in his dis
trict succeeded In getting Cameron to
espouse the cause of Kauffman with
Senator Quay. That contest was a
local one from start to finish, and the
only interference from the outside was
that made by Mr. Wanamaker himself,
who went into the*district, and in sev
eral speeches openly and aggressively
supported his friend Kauffman. He may
or may not know that the primaries
in that district are held under the pop
ular vote system, and the people decide
by direct vote whom they prefer as
their candidates for public offices. It
looks to me. although in Ibis my judg
ment mav be at fault, that the Re
publican voters, or a large majority of
them, in that district resented the at
tempted interference of Mr. Wana
maker. As a rule voters in the coun
try districts do not take kindly to city
chaps who volunteer to tell them how
To vote, and I have no doubt that the
Lancaster county Republicans felt
themselves entirely capable of i boosing
their own senator without the aid of
the merchant politician. At any rate
a candidate was chosen by a large ma
jority of the Republicans who took
part in the primaries, and since we
live under a form of government where
the majority rules it is our duty to
accept their decision as final and con
clusive.
S. Another charge made by these po
litical disturbers is that Senator Quay
and Colonel Stone defeated the renoml
nation of Congressman Stahl in the
Nineteenth district. Tn this charge I
reply that it Is untrue. I answer in this
positive manner because there is in
my possession the convincing evidence
that the renominattot, of Congressman
Stahl was defeated bv a barter and
sale deal made by the friends of Mr.
Wanamaker and in his Interest. So
that all may know why such a deal
was made, it will be helpful to state the
political situation in that district,
which is composed of the counties of
York, Adams and Cumberland. York
Is a Democratic county, Adams is
close, while Cumberland often elects
Republican members to the house. It
was well known to the Wanamaker
managers that York county could not
give bun any Republican votes in the
legislature, while it was thought the
chances of electing the t\v<. Republican
members in Cumberland county were
good. The candidate fur congress in
Cumberland county had ut that time
tlie close friendship <>t the two Republi
can candidates for the legislature. He
desired the nomination and wanted the
support of York county. The friends of
Congressman Stahl in York county
we're the head and front of the Wana
maker forces. Under these political
conditions the deal was started. One
of the principal agents and leading rep
resentatives of Mr. Wanamaker in his
campaign for United States senator
consummated the deal in the city of
Philadelphia. The arrangement was
that York county should help nominate
and elect the Cumberland county can
didate for congress, and In lieu thereof,
the two members from Cumberland
county should support John Wanamaker
for United States senator. Refore the
deal was consummnt the two Cum
berland county candidal s for the legis
lature were required to sign a written
pledge to this effect. There were othe.'
conditions connected with this transac
tion which I shall not mention at this
time, but I trust that what has already
been stated will be considered sufficient
to convince any one that Senator Quay
and Colonel Stone did not defeat the re
nomination of Congressman Stahl. For
further information concerning this
political deal, I refer Mr. Wanamaker
to the Carlisle Weekly Herald of Sep
tember 8, 18*S.
ELKIN DREW THE INTEREST
BILL.
4. It is further charged that the Re
publican organization lias robbed the
state for years of interest on state de
deposits for the benefit of the bosses
and at the taxpayers' loss. This charge
evidences a lack of knowledge on the
part of those who make it.of the law,
that cannot be overlooked in persons
who hold themselves before the people
as professional reformers. They speak
of robbing the people of interest oil
state deposits when they must or
should have known that prior to ISH7
I there was no law under which interest
on state deposits could be collected. It
requires a peculiar quality of reasoning
faculty to justify the recklessness of
an assertion that charges somebody or
something with robbing the people of
that which it must be admitted they
never had, and which under the law
they were not entitled to receive. X
am at a loss to understand how any
person, outside of a professional re
former or a disappointed otlice-seeker—
and the ordinary rules of logic do not
apply to such individuals —can bring
himself to believe that someone has
been robbed of something he never
owned or had in his possession, and
which, under the provisions of the law ,
lie could not possibly own or have in
j his possession. Since the passage of
the act of 1897, Interest Is charged on
all slate deposits and dally balances
and the receipts of the treasury arecor-
I respondingly increased. It is also as
! serted that the present law was the
! workof what they are pleased to calltlie
| "76." If this is true, then the speaker
must be a member of that much ad
i vertised group, for I have a distinct
i recollection of drawing the bill and
j aiding in its passage. This is not ,i
I fancy of the imagination but a real
I fact which will not be gainsaid by any
one who values his reputation tor
I truth.
5. It is also charged that the Republi
can organization lias secured federal
appointments for confessed plunderers.
The Republican organization does not
make federal appointments. This is
the prerogative of the president and
iiis cabinet advisers, and it comes with
bad grace from those who pretend to be
Republicans to cast such a reflection
upon their party. Do tlicy seriously
mean to contend that President lie
| Kinley would appoint, or that the
j United States senate would confirm, a
person for public ofliee who was ti
criminal or a plunderer? They show
meagre appreciation of the foremost
| president of tills generation when they
I suggest such a thing. The \li Kinley
administration has been peculiarly for
| tunate in the selection of persons to
fill federal places, and these charges
j shoot beyond the mark.
THE SCHOOL FUND ISSI'E.
6. It is also charged that school funds
| are withheld from the counties, com
-1 pelllng the latter to pay interest on
\ money borrowed to pay their teachers
I This statement, like all the others, is
; made without any knowledge of the
facts In reference to the distribution of
the school appropriation. Of the thou
sands upon thousands of school dis
tricts in Pennsylvania, I venture to
i affirm that a dozen cannot be named,
and it is in my opinion that they cannot
suggest half that number, that ever
: paid interest on money borrowed to
pyy their teachers. On the other hand,
! I know of several districts that have
; money either deposited on time certlti-
S cates or loaned to individuals, both
drawing interest in favor of the school
1 districts. It was not the intention of
the legislature that the annual appo
prlation to the common schools should
pay all the expense connected there
with. It was the expectation of the
! members of the legislature that tli*-
local school boards should provide by
i taxation at least half the amount neces
-1 sary to support the schools.
In many districts, however, the state
appropriation all or nearly all of
the entire expense. In a district which
relies almost entirely on the state ap
propriation. there may be some ocea
, slnn now and then to borrow money to
meet current expenses. It may nnt be
| generally known, but it is a fact, never-
I tlieless. that the school appropriations
: are paid at the end of the school year.
The appropriation is never made until
the president of the school board for
j each district makes his annual report,
which sets out. among other things,
; the number of children in attendance,
the number of months during which
the schools were open, and many other
important matters required by I w.
These reports cannot be made until the
school year closes, and hence the neces
sity of withholding the appropriation
j until the end. instead of paying It at
the beginning of the school year.
7. A friend 'if Mr. Wanamaker's,
through the public prints a few days
ago,commanded me to "stop appealing
to the past glorious history of the Re-,
publican party." When one starts Into
disrupt the great political organization
whose history is a continuous record of
noble deeds and splendid achievements,
and whose efforts have accomplished so
much to advance the cause of humanity
and civilization. I have no doubt It Is
embarrassing to have these Miings re
called to memory. It may not be
pleasant to these disappointed ofilce
neekers to read day by day as this cam
; paign advances, the glorious record of
our party, but fidelity to the issues in
volved will compel the story to be told,
even if it does grate harshly on their
sensitive ears.
THE WANAMAKER WAR RECORD.
8. This spokesman of Mr. Wana
maker's also rushes into print to assure
us that the Republican party in Penn-
Hylvania will be defeated "by the army
of American volunteers and Rough
Riders who have at heart the honor of
state and nation." The loyal American
volunteers and courageous Rough
Riders must have suppressed a smile
as they read this beautiful picture of
his lurid imagination. How the patri
otic heart of the nation must swell
with manly pride as it contemplates the
efforts of Colonel Wanamaker and his
obedient corporal, like knight errants of
old, charging against some imagined
barrier, at the head of the volunteers
' and Rough Riders of America. Even
now I stop to catch my breath as J
think of these daring and heroic mili
tary exploits. Such an exhibition of
rout-age is in keeping with the spirit of
Mr. Wanamaker and his friend during
the dark day* of the rebellion. The
story was told by Mr. Wanamaker
himself In a speech made in Bradford
county when he stated that his patri
otic infpulses were aroused when In
the prime of young and vigorous man
hood he stood at the corner of Sixth
and Market streets In 1861 and watched
the soldier boys In blue as they
marched by to the beat of the drum
and the shrill note of the fife, on their
way to the front In defense of their
country. He assured his hearers that
his heart was touched with sympathy
as he saw the brave boys march by. In
this connection permit me to recall
that In the early months of the present
year I read almost daily about the
regiment Colonel Wanuuker was
going to equip and rush to the service
of his country, it seemed to me, from
the patriotic zeal manifested in the
newspapers that he would be In Cuba
before the secretary of war had time to
recall him. Since then X have looked
in vain through the records of the war
of the rebellion and the published re
ports of every battle of the Spanish
war, but have failed to locate the gal
lant colonel. The story of Santiago,
K1 Caney, Porto TUco and Manila, and
the splendid courage of the Rough
ltlders and volunteer army of America
has been beautifully and graphically
told in song and story, but as yet X
have failed l<> get even a glimpse of any
account of the chivalric colonel. If In
justice bus been done his military
record X trust in the Interest of history
and truth it may yet be told. The world
loves a good fighter, and delights to
honor a brave soldier.
9. Mr. Wanamaker complains that the
state chairman has attempted Id read
him out of the party. In this he is
equally mistaken, as he Is in the other
charges he so recklessly makes. The
state chairman has earnestly tried to
keep within the paity lines every per
son In Pennsylvania who believes in
Republican principles. 1 personally
waited on Mr. Wanamaker and ex
tended to him as well as to others an
Invitation to join In the campaign this
fall. lie read himself nut of the Re
publican party by his speech at tli"
bourse meeting when he openly pro
claimed it to be his intention to take
up the fight against the party In this
state.
10. The unreliability of the state
ments made by Mr. Wanamaker is
shown in the charge made against my
self that the farmers of the state are
not willing to follow my administra
tion of the regular oiganlzatlon of the
party because I was in favor of legal
izing the sale of oleomargarine to the
damage of the pure butter interests In
the state. This is a wilful and deliber
ate misrepresentation of the facts. The
truth Is that while X represented In
diana county in the legislature In 18X5.
at the request of the farmers of my
county, 1 prepared and introduced a
bill prohibiting tiie manufacture and
sale of oleomargarine In Pennsylvania.
The bill was pushed through the legis
lature through th«> efforts of* a few of
us who represented agricultural dis
tricts. The bill became a law and has
remained on the statute books ever
since. If Mr. Wanamaker will take the
time to turn to the legislative record of
1885 he will discover what I had to say
in the contest between pure butter and
oleomargarine. That record will show
that lie does not know what lie Is talk
ing about or Is willfully misrepresent
ing the facts.
MIS RIO PRESENTATIONS AN
SWERED.
11. Ills attempt to misrepresent the
facts connected with the Indemnity
bond Is proof conclusive that lie does
not desire to lie fair or even truthful
in such matters. There wa no attempt
ti> take money Improperly out of the
state treasury. A number of extra em
ployes had been agreed upon by th-'
governor, state treasurer, auditor gen
eral and the members acting on the
slate committees of the house and
senate. These extra employes were do
ing their work at Harrisburg and were
entitled to receive their compensa
tion from time to time just as
members of the legislature and
their employes were. Inasmuch as
there was a bad feeling in the legisla
ture growing out of the contest for
United States senator, the state treas
urer did not feel willing to take the re
sponsibility upon himself of paying the
salaries of these extra employes. Most
of the employes were poor men and had
families to support at home. They
needed advances on their salaries In
order to pay board bills and take care
of their families. An agreement In the
nature of an Indemnity was prepared
and signet by a number of persons,
whereby it was stipulated that the
state treasurer should pay these men
their salaries as they earned them.
In the event of the treasurer suffering
any loss the signers would be responsi
ble for the same. It will bs noticed
that it was not an attempt to take
money improperly from the state, but
was a security to the state. No one
connected with it had any interest in
the matter except to serve a number of
poor men whose families needed the
wages of their labor.
12. It has also been charged that the
state chairman contributed to the sup
port of candidates for the legislature.
As stated, it Is Intended to be mis
leading. in the campaign of <896 there
were many ( lose contests in the con
gressional. senatorial and legislative
districts of the state. The organization
extended aid for legitimate and proper
expenses In every close congressional,
senatorial and legislative district. This
help was extended without exacting
any promises or pledges of any char
acter. It was given in the general way
to help the Republican cause. In this
respect it differed very much from the
aid extended to the members of the
legislature by and through friends of
Mr. Wanamaker. It is well known that
a large amount of financial aid was ex
tended to members of the legislature
throughout the state by persons In
terested in his candidacy for United
States senator. In nearly every In
stance, however, while help was ex
tended through these channels, all can
didates l'or tile legislature were re
quired to sign a written pledge agree
ing to support John U'unamaker for
United States senator. We are en
tirely willing iliat the Republicans of
the state should decide who acted in
the best faith, the chairman of the or
ganization who extended help in every
close congressional, senatorial and lee-
Continued on Page Pour.
Season
is upon us again. We are better
prepared to serve you than ever.
The factories have greatly improved our Heaters
and Ranges. No Range can equal the RED
CROSS assortment. No COOK STOVE does
better work than RED CROSS Champion.
Single Heaters Double Heaters
RED CROSS
Office Heaters Fully guaranteed.
For Wood Room Stoves we can give you none better than
the MAPLE CLEMONT, keeps good fire all night; burns
green or dry wood,
Stove Repairs a specialty with us.
Jeremiah Kelly,
HUGHESVILLE.
Onr Declaration of War
Has been in effect for a number of
years and our
Bombardment of High Prices
Has created havoc of late in the sale of
MOWING MACHINES, DRILLS, HARROWS,
PLOWS, LUMBER WAGONS, BUGGIES,
and ROAD WAGONS .
all at the lowest cash price.
PHOSPHATE, ThiJty tons of different grades will be
sold at a low figure.
W. E. MILLER, Sullivan County, Pa.
me arc Bound
TO CLOSE OUT —
Every Dollars Worth of SUMMER GOODS in
This Store,
and to do so effectually and surely we will use no halfway measures.
Reductions that are large enough to make it an object for your purchas
ing. Here is a chance to get tha very best that is made in clothing at near
ly half price. We mention a few prices:
Any light colored suit in store for men. that were 12.50 and
IS.OO now go for $8.50
All the summer suits which were sold at 7.00 and 8.00 now
go for $4.50
Youth's light colored suits which were sold it 8.00 and 8.50
now go et $5.00
Children's suits which were sold at 3.50, 4.00 and 5.00, now $2.50.
Men's cashmere pants at 65 cents are less than halt' price.
All wool pants at 1.00. Knee pants, l'J cents. All wool knee pants at
cents
Men's working shirts at 17c, -5c and .'!."> c, are I lie cheapest prices e\er
ottered.
Straw hats :il your own prices.
Ladies' sapee, skirts, wrappers, shirt waists, corsets and gloves at prices
you will surely buy, even to store them away for future use.
Sweeping prices in ladies', gents', misses', and childrens shoes. Mens
fine shoes at '.lsc, they are fully worth 1.50
Come and see the bargains we are ottering now. We must have the
room for our large stock for fall ami winter, and the prices will lie do object.
Come and see lor yourself, will be glad to«)uote you prices.
The Reliable Dealer in Clothing
jaCOn ICI Boots and Shoes,
i HUGHESVILLE, PA.