The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-08-26
IAN Important. Distinction"

AN Important. Distinction"
The Morris Herald. in labored attempt I
hold the democratic party of the whole couu
try responsible for the thievery of the New
York City officials and at the same time t.
shift from the republican party the response
bility of the thievery of the officials of the
national government draws "an important
distinction" between the two classes of thieves
thus:
A party cannot be held responsible for the
rascalities of individuals here and there it il
only when those rascaties are the work OF
combinations, or OF COLLISION of acknowledged
leaders, that they should be charged to the
party and held tc be a blight upon party in
tegrity. Every party or organization has its
black sheep, but they arc not 10 be considered
as giving character TO the flock, unless they
are SO numerous as to direct its course.
Correct, except that when the rascalities are
the work of "a COLLISION of acknowledged
leaders, the party must uphold and defend
those leaders before it can be held responsible.
We have yet to learn that Tweed, Hall ana
Connolly, the head centers OF the New York
ring of thieves, are acknowledged leaders"
of the democratic party of this nation, or of
any portion of it but wing of the party in
New York City and, in the next place, we
have yet to see the first democratic paper that
undertakes to uphold or defend them in their
thlevery. One or two democratic papers in
New York City have asked for suspension Of
public opinion until The charges of the Times
can receive Official or legal investigation, but
none has undertaken to justify or apologize
for the stealing.
How stands the case with the radical
thieves! John w. Douglas, an Internal re-
enue collector in Pennsylvania, turned out
detaulter to the amount OF $4,000. He was
so "loyal" and penitent, and begged so hard
tor chance to save himself, that he was
given head cerkship in the internal revenue
department at Washington. Meantime his
securities were pressed, and lis defalcatiop
was reduced to $500. In spite of that un-
paid balance, however, the President, an sac
knowledged leader Of the party, whom its
organs defended through thick and thin. an.
peint this acknowledged treasury thief com.
missioner of internal revenue, in place Of
Pleasanton, removed.
Inc Vlrtuous Gen. Spinner is shown, by the
books of the U. S. Treasury, to have drawn
Sl,lC3,O57 from the treasury for which he can
give no explanation. He is an "acknowl-
edged leader" Does the President or anu
organ of his party denounce him
We have seen no denunciatlon, on the CON.
trsry the Herald itself fecbly defends, the de.
1aultlng internal revenue collectors who have
robbed the government of S2O,OOO,OOO.
The President has for the last three wears
PAID his friend Baez, of San Domingo, some
$zoo'ooo year as rent for the bay of SANTANA,
Tor which there is not the shadow of local
authority, and the whole is a clear steal for
the benefit OF Baez Babcock, and some other
treasury thieves. Has there radical paper
10 the country dared to denounce that?
where is the whitening denunciation, if the
party disapproved and wished to avoid the
responsibility of them, of the enormous land
grabs, amounting to robbery OF hundreds OF
millions in the last six years? Where is the
whitening denunciation, by the republican
press, of the enormous stealings of the carpet
Dagger governments planted and upheld in
the south by federal bayonets, amounting to
from five to forty millions in every southern
state
The truth is the whole business of the re.
publican party, from the beginning OF the war
contract and cotton stealing business, down
to the last ramifcation Of the public service,
has become a gigantic system of robbery
and debauchery, such as the world had
never seen before, the source OF all bcinS
traceable directly to the open and shameless
corruption at head quarters, beginning with
the sale of high offices for a price. and the
shameless nepotism otPresident Grant.
Hon. David a. Wells, in late article in the
North Americon Recier upon the past and pres
ent condition OF the country, comes to these