The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-26
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 1870.
REFORM MUST BE FUNDAMENTAL.

The time is close at hand for the primary
elections of the Republican party in this city,
and, while large majority of the Republi-
cans, including all of the better classes of the
organization, earnestly desire substantial re-
form in the character and capacity of their
candidates, the political tricksters are going
on as usual to nominate themselves for allthe
important places. Their rings are being per-
fected, their candidates are making their COM
binations, and the honors and places of profit
of the party are being apportioned, in many
instances, amongst class of men who would
be unthought of if the masses of the party
were voluntarily to express their preferences
in the matter. Not only in this city is this
the case, but in many sections of the State
the same class of men apply the same ma
ohinery to defraud the party out of its honors
and steadily weaken it by incompetency and
dishonesty.
Each year the cry of reform goes up from
the Independent press, and its necessity is
appreciated more profoundly by the masses
of the peoples but each year the same un-
scrupulous men manage nominations, the
same class of incompetent and corrupt men
manage to get nominations, and through the
lOrCo VI party hsCipliuo ehoy nave ulenoIVo
been only too successful in securing elections.
Now however, the time has come when the
Republicans will not tolerate the continued
reign of imbecility and venality. The great
issues of the war are settled. Reconstruction,
like the war, belongs to history. Civil rights
are established in every section of the
country, and impartial suffrage is part of
our fundamental law. The national and
State executives will be Republican
until 1872; the Senate must be
Republican for at least another decade; the
Supreme Court is faithful to the great prin-
ciples of liberty and justice won in the flame
and blood of battle; all the logical results of
the war are assured, and the full harvest
gathered in the fullness of the triumph of
freedom. Military and political necessities"
have passed away with the dark days which
created them, and now the party that seeks
to triumph at the polls must merit the conf
dence of the people Its candidates must be
honest and capable; they raust fairly repre-
sent the masses of the party; they must be
free from reasonable suspicion of venality
and treachery, or the people will rise in their
might and restore the party to integrity and
ability in its candidates by the decisive
defeat of all men who foist themselves upon
the ticket by chicanery or fraud.
The time for decisive movement for reform
is at hand. The State Senators to be elected
next fall will vote for q United States Senator
in 1873 to take the place of Mr.. Cameron,
and the people should understand that pliable
or corrupt men will be forced upon the Re-
publicans whenever it is possible to do so, in
view of the next Senatorial struggle Just
now the masses of the party are not thinking
of this ISSUE But if they remain un-
suspecting or Indifferent, they may find
to their surprise and humiliation, in the
winter of 1878, that the Senators elected in
the fall of 1870 have been nominated and
elected solely with reference to the interests
of some corrupt political pretender who seeks
to climb into seat in the United States
Senate. Such has been the history of Penn
sylvania for years past. The inhexible
reign of mediocrity and mendacity has driven
our best men from all hope of preferment,
and the power and patronage of the party
have been huckstered by small poll
ticians like hocks in the market places.
In times of great peril good men
have borne with this terrible and steadily
growing perversion of power They have
closed their eyes and voted the ticket to save
the Government in war and gain the full frui-
ton of our victories after peace had been
won, but they will no longer be sold like
sheep in the shambles, or be betrayed to
advance unprincipled pretenders. Let the
people in every Senatorial district see that
honest candidates are presented, and let them
be men whose blameless lives shall be the
best guarantee that the wishes of the people
shall always be faithfully respected. If
Others be nominated-if corrupt or doubtful
man, or men selected by those whose mean
ambition is seeking advancement at the cost
of the good name of the party-te them be
defeated, regardless Of consequences! Every
honest Republican must now feel that defeat
is preferable to continued corruption and
dishonor.
If substantial reform is to be effected
it must strike at the root of the evil Reform
in Pennsylvania must be fundamental. In
no other way can corruptionists be hopelessly
dethroned. Every Republican nominee for
Senate and Assembly should be distinctly
instructed to support a constitutional reform
The debsuchery of our Legislature can be
effectually cured by enlarging the Legislature
and diminishing its power. If we had one
hundred Senators and four or five hundred
members they could not be sold and delivered
for every scheme of ambition or plunder that
offered, and if their powers were limited as
thev should be- there would be no tenn A.