The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1868-07-02
The Democratic Party and PO-
liticai Purity.

IlJlcal 'uflty.
The leaders of the Democratic
party hope TO confuse and blind
tbcpeople Of the country to the
vital issues Of the situation by de-
noupcing tho corruption of the
Republican Union party. What
are the facts? /" NJ ,s-ors.', 81, "a.
They are simply that the Union
party, having been for some years
the dominant party, has naturally
been joined by all manner OF camp
followers, while tho war has pro.
duccd n system of taxation requir-
ing an immense increase OF the
number Of Government offices. To
some of these offices doubtful and
dishonest men have been sometimes
appointed and the disgrace OF
their exposure has Of course fallen
upon the party. This is misfor.
tune. tits a pity that the dishon.
est mon will not 90 with the mi
nority, and that the agents APP
pointed by aparty Of good princi-
pies should not bc always good
men. .t.
That there is great corruption
in politics everywhere is not doubt
ed. The practical question is
whether that corruption is pccu-
liar to any party, as such, and
whether the antecedents of the
Democratic party are such as to
justify the expectation that it
would purify politics. To ask the
question is to laugh. The politics
Of the city OF New York are an
epitome of those ofthc Democracy.
Is it possible to conceive a more
utterly rotten and degraded sys-
TEN? 1t is notorious'y a matter Of
bargain. Even Judges are known
to have bought their way to the
bench, and the prices they have
paid are known. Moral worth,
intelligence, capacity, fitness, are
official qualities wholly disregard
ed in the bargain Of Democratic
politicians, which results in filing
by enormous maiorilies the vari.
GUS municipal offices.
Or look at the States in which
the Democratic ascendcncy is un.
questioned. Is it supposed that
the politics of Democratic Ken.
lucky and Maryland are pnrer
than those of New England or
Wisconsin? The Republican par.
ty hns been the dominant party in
New York since the election Of
1864, when Horatio Seymour was
happily defeated. OF late there
has been a loud cutlery against
Legislative corruption and rotten
management. But no man has
ever heard that tho Democratic
members Of the Legislature were
not, in proportion, quite as vcna
as the Republican, while the Re
publican majority did not hesitate
to investigate and expose The
frauds in the canal contracts with
. out inquiring whether or not tht
, scrutiny might not implicate somt
Republican agents. u...
Or, viewed nationally, it was tht
, Democratic party whose agents
, gave us the synonyms Of swindler
, and corruptonists. 1t is enough
to suggest Swartwout and Price
Floyd and Fowler, and the who'll
Cabinet of Buchanan. John Slidcl
in tho Plaquemine frauds in Louis
lana merely repeated the "repeat
ing" system practiced and taugh
in the city of New York. ..-
We do not mention these thing
as you're another" argument
We speak of them TO recall to ou
readers the character of the Dem
ocratic party in tho matter of .po
, litical purity, and to remind then
that II that party does not yer.
, widely steal at present IT'S oocaaS'
, it has no opportunity Atl1s out 0
!, office. Even Andrew johnson
.. keeps it out. The New Yorl
. world complains that the freSl
dent expects the support OIL "th'
; Democracy, ana yet keeps Dem
) ocratic fingers out OF tho treasury
5 Indeed, what right is there u
Q expect peculiar honesty OF a part.
s which shouts and sneors win con
) tempt at moral Ideas! Wh.
;, should the people OF New ork' o
= OF any State, anticipate integrll.
, in the management ofpuoiic afla'r
!, from a party whosc leaders preac'
d. reputation openly with Mr.. zen
@ dleton, or stealthliy ana tentative
d " in magnliylngthe deot as crush
o ing, and paralyzlng, ana !nsuPpo,I
!. table, with M. SANFORD " Church
' Men who constantly enlarge upo'
I the horrible oppresslveness OF tax
alton, upon the awful price Q
b broad, and upon the pihching an