Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-09-15
BELLOWS FALLS FRIDAY SEPTEMBER l5 1871

4NO. ~.
I presidential election, of taking the natior
from the hands of those who, in our opin
ion, are unfit to have control of it, or re
storing to general acceptation the princi
piles we have at heart, we must vindieatt
our party; we must remove the load Of
disgrace brought on us by official corrup
tion in this city. Here we are in con
troll. We have undisturbed possession Of
all branches of the municipal govern
ment, and an immense majority of voters
| For all frauds, peculation, venality, and
iniquity in the municipal government We
are responsible, and no party with such
a record will ever be given the possession
of the national administration. We
must crush Tammany or Tammany's dis.
honesty will crush us. Large portions OF
the money stolen from our treasury were
used to bribe republicans VIGOROUSLY
the very charter under which we live was
carried by the purchase of republican
Municipal Offices and the spoil of our
citizens have been divided between both
parties. But none of this excuses us.
We are in power we can correct the
abuses; if we do not, we ought to suffer
and we will. If republicans are guilty,
we are not blameless. Already we are
threatened with the loss of the German.
That economical people will not submit
to have their houses mortgaged by the
issue of municipal bonds, in order to
give the corrupt men wealth and luxury.
From all sections of the country come
complaints from dempcrats that they have
to defend the iniquities of Tammany
Hall, and that they are beaten by the
bad record Of our city rulers Ifdemoc-
racy would survive, ii must put down
with strong hand these abuses. We
can still do SO. The people are not
so entirely hel pless as our masters would
have us believe. They cannot defy an
outraged and indignant community with
the impunity they hope. The power is
still with US if we are willing and deter.
mined to exert it. In times of great ex-
citement the usual barriers are swept
away, and the people rush along in a
mighty current which carries all before
it. Those who would resist it are over
whelmed and perish, but the corrupt al
ways cover before it and are most earnest
to conciliate it. So will it be here. Can
vassers, inspectors, and registers, be they
democrats or republicans, are as fond of
their lives as though they were honest
men and no one appreciates the danger
OF irritating the people more than they.
An aroused and outraged public is not
patient. and Judge Ledwith laid down
good law when he told his friends that
If they saw an inspector tamper with
their ballots they could shoot him on the
spot. The man who cheats nation out
of Its birthright has committed the high
est Of crimes, and deserves no mercy.
We are living under wrong system.
To allow mayor, elected for two years,
to appoint all other municipal officials
for hive years, may De Tammany democ-
racy, but IL is not ours. That system
must be changed; proper mode of Sc
lecting polling officers must be establish.
ed every protection must be egiven to the
ballot, and incidentally, to these reforms :;
the ring which has secured control of
Iammany Hall must be put down, and
then not only will our city's fame be re-
deemed, our taxes lightened, our business
atfairsimproved, our commerce increased.
and our metropolis made what it should
be, the grandest city in the world; but
democracy and republican institutions
will be relieved from the discredit which
has been brought upon them.