The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-03-12
The sham Democracy are an exceedingly vir

The sham Democracy are an exceedingly ylr-
tuous set. At least one would so Judge, who
hears them talk. They are in the habit Of put
ting on all sorts OF airs, and pretending to be
pure in heart, patriotic, moral, in short per-
fectly upright and coacientious. They get up
into high places, and proclaim their virtue and
honesty, and every body else's dishonesty and
corruption. 1t is in this spirit that they take
the subject of Congressional Corruption. Be-
cause certain members of the Republican Par
ty may have proved unfaithful to their con-
time so inexpert, as to be caught at bad bust
ness, these sham Democrats set up hue ant
cry about "Black Republic an Corruption," and
with the utmost self-complacency, talk about
The honesty and incoruptiblity of the "Na-
,ional Democrats" With tho hope of reali-
zing political capital out of the affair, they
make this question Of corruption Party ques-
ton, and charge the Republican Party indis-
criminately with being corrupt. With sim
liar show of candor and decsncy the Keokuk
Times has been indulging in dirty TRADE of
abuse against the "three thousand" New Eng
land Clergymen, because one of them has
lately been charged with the commission of
serious crime. BY the way will the Times ad-
NIT because DIR. Eads has been proved to be a
scoundrel, that therefore it and the S'Natonal
Democrats" are scoundrels? By parity of
reasoning it ought to do so.
The attempt to make this a Party matter is
very dull and pointless, although it is made by
Journal of no less pretohsions than the
Washington Union. To charge the Republican
Party with corruption because one or two
members of the party may have been corrupt
is simply ridiculous. When "National Dem
ocratic" Congressman from Kentucky declar-
ed few years ago that il he could secure his
reelection he would make good deal of mon
ey out of it, no body was SO green as to say
that, on that account the Democratic Party was
corrupt. The fact is, there are dishonest men
in all parties and classes and good many of
them manage to get elected to office. The only
advantage the Democrats can claim in this af-
fair is, that their men have been so leng in Of
flee that they have acquired by practice, a
greater degree of adroitness than the Republl-
cans possess, and hence were not caught.
One thing Is certain, and that's, that the Re-
Publlcans have manifested no disposition TO
screen those whe might be found guilty of cor
rupt practices. They have uniformly ex press
ed desire that those charged might have a
fair trial, and if proved guilty that they might
be punished as they deserve.
But really the Irrational Democratic Party -
is very poorly circumstanced to charge cor
aruption and political dishonesty upon any,
body. Their history for the past decade OF
years is not the cleanest, and ought to warn
them TO be careful how they charge corruption.
Only last month Mr. Mann who has been con-
testing az election in Pennsylvania, proved in
Court Of Justice that the "National Demo-
Gratis" OF Philadelphia, manufactured a few
thousand votes out of ignorant foreigners, and
by that means carried the State election. And
these men who do not scruple thus to defile the
ballot box. who will teach ignorant and besot-
ted mobs how to vote Illegally, these men put
on sanctimonious airs and talk about political
virtue. This is the party also which year
ago eRdeavored to commit no less a fraud, than
usuJp the Office Of Governor of Wisconsin,
'@National Democrats" elected and composed
the Bogus Legislature of Kansas. And "Na-
tional Democrats" lave just committed in the
State of Indiana the most gigantic fraud which
is known to the history of the Nation. And
this is not all. Irrational Democrats" all over
the Country justify and uphold each and all
OF these frauds, and by SO doing adopt them.
Verify, "National Democrats, have but little
business to talk about political virtue They
live in the very worst kind Of glass houses, and
ougitnot by any means to throw stones.