The Van Buren press., 1871-08-22
Schurxs Speech In Chicago-He Will
Not Support Grant.

I
| do view the great battles of politics
rs comedy wherein we see fit to play at
parting in one act and at reconciliation
in the next TO me it is a serious, sacred
task. | know only right and duty.
should have been but too happy if could
have contributed to the end that this ad-
minstration should prove blessing in
every direction, and l hoped much. |
was fully conscious ofthe responsibility.
! should never have spoken Of it, had |
not deemed it my duty, and were | not
profoundly in earnest, 1t is my convic-
tion,a conviction conscientiously formed,
that this violation of the constitution in
its most important point, is one which
the people cannot willingly suffer to pass
without encouraging the undermining of
their constitutional rights, piece by piece,
and without dropping into the dangerous
habit of submission to the arbitrary
freaks of personal government am
not the man TO change my convictions
like pair of gloves. Let them prove to
me that am in the wrong, and all differ
ences are composed; but until then
shall not cease to battle against sane
tioning this precedent either through
congress or through the people with all
the energy Of my nature, Others may
compromise with their consciences. |
cannot, and | shnll not endorse viola
ton of the fundamental law by support
ing the re election of the president who
perpetrated it. Nituperation and calum-
ny may be heaped upon me. | am con
scious of an aim as pure as it is great
and shall be infexible, and if stood sol
itary and alone | would not cease to
sound the signal Of danger, deeply con
WINGED as | am that future events will
| Justify my warning.
President Grant has placed his cousins
and brothers in law by the dozen at the
public crib and the whole chorus of fat
terers eXc.aim " 4 trifle-who will find
fault with him for that and he who feels
the indecency Of such acts and expresses
his feelings is simply denounced as q
traitor whose heart must be tull Of black
designs. But these are no triflcs. The
cousins and brothcrs-in-law of the prcsi.
dent may As officers be no worse than
Others, but when he puts them to the pub
lie crib the chief of the state teaches sub
ordinates by his example, which is every
where visible In his opinion q public
Office may be used for selfish ends to
make out of it what can be made; and
who will wonder when those subOrdinates
also make out Of their offices all that can
be made, when the chief Of the state takes
presents and then put the doners into
high offices and dignities. Those men
so appointed may be very worthy men,
and the presents may have had nothing
to do'with the appointments, but the chief
of the state has shown his subordinatcs
that in bis opinion an officer may take
presents and then grant his favors to the
donors in All Official way, and will then
wonder when the suhordinates, following
the high example, also take presents and
give their official favors to The donors.
The New York papers are making
much noise over the fact that wlille Re-
publican conventions pass resolutions IN
favor of civil service reform an United
States marshal declares to a subordinate
officer whom he had Just removed that
for the removal there were only political
reasons and none arising out Of any of
fetal shortcomings Is that surprising
when the chief Of the government after
having declared himself in his message
in favor of civil-service reform, continu-
ally and persstently removes officers
whose official conduct was unimpeachablc
merely for the purpose of putting politi-
cal tools in their places If he, as | have
shown to you in one instance, carries the
trade in consciences so far that the world
laughs at it, like master, like man, we
ought to be surprised at nothing. No,
gentlemen, these are not trifles, which
show that from the highest position
where a model should be exhibited for
imitation that influence proceeds which
undermines all fair official feeling of hon
or Had Washington, instead of furnish
ing so fine an example OF noble disinter-
estedness, given on his part the example
of corrupt nepotsm, he could by this ex
hibition for all future time have poisoned
the character Of our public service, That
in our days this poison descends in such
streams from the highest place is certain
ly misfortune, but it is greater mis-
fortune that party spirit covers such acts
which undermine official honor in the
whole republic under the mantle of re-
spectability. | know well that censure
and abuse will rain down upon me for
what Thave said here; but ask those who
blame me whether what have said is not
true, word for word, and what can they
answer? / am for civil-service reform
in dead earnest.
Some of the leaders Of the Democratic
party are in favor of the acceptance by
their party Of the results of the war, the
amendments to the constitution, and
thereby get beyond the old questions, in
which endeavor | wish them every sue
cess. As soon as these old issues are ac-
cepted as settled, the country at large
will enjoy internal peace, and 1t is source
of fcOngratulation that SO many and prom
inent Democrats are endeavoring to
abandon weak and disturbing party
policy.
In closing his remarks the speaker
dwet upon the services rendered by the
German element, both in the old and new
world, and exhorted his German fellow
citizens to be as conscientious in the dis
charge Of their political privileges in fu-
ture as in the past, determining all qucs
tions by the standard of right, without
reference to party dictation, and he as
,,,,,ol os N GxaJ fopt ,hot tba rapublic