Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-09
THE GRERT PROSTITUTION.

We venture W say the CneekS OF many
an honest democrat Jingle with shame and
indignation at the result of the democratic
convention In New York. While the
country is ringing with the frauds OF the
Tammanyites, and the courts OF New
York are employed in investigating the
gravest charges against the principal
members of the Ring, the democratic
State convention, in which one of the
leading spirits was Horatio Seymour, has
placed the party submissively at the feet
of this gang of robbers. The main eff
fort of the convention was, not to purge
the party of corruption and corrupt lead
ers, but to put on the appearance OF
honesty in the platform adopted and still
bend the knee to and keep the favor of
the scoundrels thai have so shamefully
disgraced and robbed the people. The
democratic party of New York stands to-
day not only in completely with the rob-
bers of the city treasury, but under their
heel. The convention was farce. Its
resolve against Tammany was delusion
and blind. Honesty was driven out of the
convention and Fraud let it.
The course which the convention should
have pursued to secure the confidence of
the public was marked out plainly by Mr..
O'Conor in his letter read before the con-
vention. Its action, said he, "should
eyince nothing less than an absolute free
dom from all completely in the great
official crime of the day, and an utter
intolerance toward all persons justly sus-
pected Of participation in or sympathy
with it," Passing on he took care to
warn the convention that if it did not
clear its skirts of the crimes of the Tam
anyites the faint would attach to the
democratic party. Responsibility by the
whole party, at least as accessories after
the fact, could not be avoided" 1t would
be vain to argue that the perpetrators of
the frauds were few in number or that re-
publicans were responsible for the oppor-
tunity afforded them to steal, if they Were
allowed to influence or shape the conven-
ton. Going still farther he pointed out
the effect which a failure to stamp the
Tammanyites with the unmistakable brand
OF condemnation would have upon the
cases pending before the legal tribunals.
These are his words:
In the present instance this course is en-
joined upon the democratic party By an i'm
sit hfabi II ale
tive 1t is demanded by impartial men of all
parties. If these officers are left in the full
possession of their present powers and in the
full enjoyment of their party's favor and sup
port their TRAIL whenever had or before what
ever tribunal conducted, must be regarded as
3 judicial farce. 1t could not safety the
prsiseworthy desire of all honest men for q
faithful scrutiny, neither could it yindicate tbs
characters Of the accused. Various acts O
recent Legislation have clothed these officer
with dangerous control over the ballos-box
1t cannot be affirmed that the jury box Is be
yond their control 1t is indispntable tina
they can open or close al pleasure the avenue
to judicial prefsrment. While this state O
things exist how can truth, justice or tn
public veal be maintained If these ends shout
perchznce require q sentence Of condemns
ton The democratic party in its state coz
yenfion assembled is therefore bound SO I
conduct itself that the public prosecution no.
demanded may be fairly heard, and innocenc
rindieated from unjust aspersion, or if aseel
tanned guilty eondignly punished.
Yet in the face Of these warnings froi
an honored member of their own part,
Mr.. O'Conor and the delegation which re-
resented his views were voted out of IL
convention, and Tweed went home r,
joieing in having controlled it to suit h
purposes. A more shameful prostitut:o
of q great party at the feet of corruF
leaders was never witnessed. Hereafts
let the democracy be dumb as to the co
ruptions Of other parties. Here was a
opportunity 10 test them, behold the RI
suit. Tweed the plunderer in triumph
OConor, pleading for honesty, defeated
If the people of the State of New York d
not rise up in overwhelming number
againt the baseness of the democrat
leaders, then we must conclude that pull
lie virtue is dead in the land and publ
villainy rules without fear of check.