Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-04-14
The Political and Material Ceuup-
ton of the Oountry. f

N'""NN'
Just previous 10 our war. Ia 1890,
the man who became marked IN poriti.
cal or business immoralily was held
up to public scorn and obloQuy. Not
80 today. He who dofrauds the gov.
ernmcnt his business associates, or
disgraces his constituents In Congress,
Is looked At with admiration and as a
bright exemplar worthy of imitation.
The man who a few years since stole
lew hundred dollars from our CITY
Council and called down the wrath of
. every citizen, may now plunder the
nation of millions and boast Of the
honors which he wins in the exercise
e of his peculiar ability.
The Union Credit Pacific Mobilier
Company, whose dirty face we tried
. to wash a little yesterday, is among
the first of the gigantic swindling
? combinations whose acts are now hav-
: ing their natural rebound. The stag
nant mass of corruption which always
! follows in the wake of war, came upon
us in the ratio Of the gigantic material
, we hurled upon the rebellion. The
Z whole evil elements of the country
found full play and plenty to feed
upon. How we'll it fed, let two thou
sand six hundred millions of national
debt answer. How well it still saps.
our prosperity, let three hundred mil
lions OF annual expenditure demon
stFate
Our great struggle for national pre-
servahon was undertaken in the lofli-
est sentiment ofpatriotism. The first
year of the war the people shouldered
arms from principle. We paid no
bounty, and patriotism had not fixed
It's price. Two years had scarcely
passed before the decentralization pro-
duced by the prodigal outpouring of
national treasure extended from Con-
gressmen, government contractors,
and the leading plunderers, to the
lower grades of society, and the nation
became one vast whirlpool of immor-
atty. With the inoculation of the
masses the leading brains grew bolder
and felt surer of their power to inaugu-
rate a gigantic system of plunder
which depended, in great part, for
success upon public opinion thus
prepared. So education went on, re-
fiected from low to high, until the
country could take, as a well PLAYED
jest, the betrayal of its political and
material prosperity. Congress natu-
rally, in our system of government,
represented our general condition,
and consequently was ripe for all
measures that aimed at the tapping
of the fountain head of wealth-the
public treasury.
The country was ready-then wero
launched in rapid succession the
schemes for plunder which have since
staggered us and brought us to our
senses. Then came the Union Pacific
Railroad, with its tens of millions Of
plumber, and, following this, the hun
cry financial wolves, scenting the
national blood, rushed in and Pacific
railroad charters from all sides-from
Washington and from every State
flooded the market and filled the
whole space from Texas TO British
America with imaginary parallel lines
OF iron. The wolves tore the nation.
al domain into shreds and parcelled
out the land spoils to their followers.
ii the Indian residents stood in their
way a convenient war destroyed their
titles TO consideration and despoiled
them of their possessions. This fail
ing, trumped-up treaty of peace be-
tween the pluDderers and the tribe
gave the former the courage and
shamelessness to present claim TO
the property for the confirmation of
the Senate, as witness the Cherokee
land spoliation still awaiting its turn
TO prove the corruption of our legis-
lative branch of the government.
The tide flows on and the vast
ocean Of corruption begins to feel
purifying pressure. The bubbles are
coming TO the surface, and the air is
filled with the stencil of eight years
of financial and political rottenness.
Slowly but surely upwards the people
again move. Now and then some
clear-headed, bold man, like Mr..
Sprague, steps TO the front and de.
nounces the men who head the demor-
alization We have pictured. The mass
moves, and out Of the mire on to firm
ground again. OF the two branches
of Congress the Representatives lead
in reform, for they feel the touch of
thepeople more quickly. The Senate,
glutted with power, dictatorial and
irresponsible, yield only TO force.
Around them, IN defence, stands a
wall of wealth, handled by the relent.
less, INSCRIPTIONS plundercrs. They
defend their Senate with the same
daring energy which has character.
ize its acquisitions for the United
States Senate is their citadel. Whis-
key, tobacco, petroleum, the tariff.
mining, the Custom House, inside and
outside, frontier smuggling, the Ipdi.
an Bureau and Indian land stealers.
banking, gold speculating, govern.
ment bonds and the United States
Treasury all have their representative
"rings," which allow nothing 10 in.
fringe upon the patent right which
eight years Of skilful invention has
given them TO rule the country.
But all this must have an end In
any other country il would terminate
in a revelation, Of which the French
tragedy Of 1889 is the type. Here.
however the people have too much
good sense and education TO call in
such a drastic but uncertain remedy.
We have a new element for the cor.
rection Of such evils, which no other
nation ever had and but ono other
country now possesses, and that is our
free press. This is to-day the govern.
ment, the moutbpiece OF the people,
The national puriyor. 1t carried us
safely through our war. Ii should
now array itself against all legislative
Or executive usurpations Of authority
and against the "rinysr which hava