The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-11-17
The columbian.
BLOOMSBURY, PA.
Frid0Y. Nouenlber II. 1877
The Conduct of Camnnigns.

w hoNV hSiVtoiOic piSety '"'J 49,
cussed the shortcomings of those in
charge of recent political campaigns on
the part of the Democracy. We did not
do this for the sake of attack upon an y
body but because we were tired and
disgusted with incompetency In the
lead and desired to arouse the party to
the Importance of select ng first cla IS
men-our very ablest statesmen-to
head the political management. And
we do not mean to find fault now with
our kindly brethren of the press who
seem to think that the chief purpose ol
editorial existence is to puff somebody
and who prefer to wrap themselves in
that silky garment and dream of milk
and molasses than to encounter the
sterner duty imposed by vigorous wal
upon the enemy and whatever stand.
In the way of victory.
We believe that the way to have OBJ
tanned victory would have been to ex
pose the wrong action Of the Radicals
In documents accompanied by clear ant
undeniable proof of every statement
and assertion made. No victory can bt
won or is worth winning that is not at
tained by appeals to the Judgement
based on facts so clearly established ant
reasons so forcible that no man of ordi
nary sense may doubt.
The facts in complete detail and with
clear proof Of each item ought to have
been held up to the people of the
amounts of cash of which they were
daily being swindled by officials who
had no profitable duties to perform, by
unnecessary and incompetent officers
and of the amounts stolen by the hun
dreds tperhaps thousands) of defaulters:
OF the robberies by the Freedman's
Bureau throughout its ramiflcations
OF the unnecessary, extravagant and
wasteful salaries paid to useless hordes
Of officers and employees:
or all the appropriations In money
by Congress, with detailed statements
Of its profigate expenditure:
or the villainous appropriations by
Congress of public lands to States and
corporations:
Detailed statements OF the fortunes
made by Presidents, Cabinet officers,
congressman, and other officials during
Radical supremacy
or the outrages upon the elective
franchise aud the expressions of the
people in various localities:
or the burden imposed upon the peo-
pie by the National Banking system
and the financial operations of the
Federal Treasury department:
Or the unjust and burdensome char
acter of our tariff laws, the palpable
pampering of New England at, the ex-
pense of the rest of the nation as well
by the tariff as by appropriations and
the banking scheme:
Of the unfair and burdensome sys-
tenn of taxation by which labor and in
dustry are compelled to bear the bur-
den Of our enormous Federal debt,
while capital is practically exempted:
A complete list of the public presents
received by the President and the
offices he has given as consideration
therefor and to encourage the same:
And a thousand more expressions,
robberies and rascalities not necessary
now to rehearse.
We assert that full exposure of these,
with due demonstration and proof there
of, would crush and destroy any party.
Newspaper writer's could not hunt up
the Information both for want of time
and means. Whose duty was it to do it
and whose fault that it was neglected
The State Committees 1t, and it alone,
had the means to gather all this infor.
nation, and it and it alone is RESPONSE |
BILE for the failure to give the people
this very proper information.
Yet Col. BIDDLE, overhowing with |
generosity that does far more honor |
to his, heart than to his intellect unjust |
to both) tells us in the Age that the
did wonderful work-aH
that could be done! We admire the
gentlemanly instincts of Col. BIDDLE,
his refined intellect and his patriotism,
his overtiowing generosity of heart,
but when he so fatty at once endorses
and exculpates the committee, in words
that comprehend the whole but give no
ietail, we must ask him wherein did
The committee discharge lis duty?
What did it do? We assert ID acas scarce
3 heard Of in The campaign. We point
our noble friend to the fact that in near
y every strong hold our party. was di-
'ided, and distracted and weakened by
livisiOn, induced mostly by Radical
money! and that the State committee
lid nothing publicly land probably
othing otherwise) to put.a stop to this
uicidal action.
An address written by Judge BLACK,
is true, was published in the papers,
ut was suffered to fall without atten- ,
lon. The unfortunate paragraph in
that destroyed its usefulness ought ,
D have been left out, and then the
eople should not have heard the
ast of his argument until the election ,
ad gone. And this was the begin.
ing and end of the public efforts of
be committee! What it did privately
70 do not know and it amounted to
othing at any rate II
What is soanted in the future is one Of
ir first men attn lead of the State com.
ittee. Give us Judge WOODWARD, or
TESTER CLYMER, or Judge BLACK,
Mr.. BUCKALEw, and If victory does
OF follow, then, at least, the idea that
ne first intellect at the head of affairs
the true road to success, will cease to
btrude itself on mems minds aud in
'rior ambitious but no less worthy
len can have their.way.
This article is growing too long. In s
ie future we will point out some fur
ler reformation that ought to be made. I
ut we take this occasion to say that s
q shall speak without fear or favor, as 9
our habit, and that 1t will therefore
Q quite unnecessary for kind-hearted
rethren to piddle into the stream 6