Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-12-20
RADICALS HIDING CRIME,
What the N, Y. Tribune" Says.


Il. Church, Francis Herman, etc, lad
undertaken for thei, party'A sake, TO
discrcdit the revelations Of Tammany
rascalty and denied that any great
frauds had been commitled-and well
coined Tweed's delegates TO seats in
the State Convention, and attempted
to go right along US though nothing
Of importance had transpired-how
would the Democratic party have
como out of our recent election
= = The Republican State ticket
would have been elected in case tho
Democratic leaders il the State had
attempted to sustain and whiiewash
Tweed, by moro than fifty thousand
majority. Instead Of being merely
beaten by the Tammany frauds tho
party would have been buried under
them.
Is there not lesson in these facts
for more than one pdHyP
For months, the developments Of
rdScdlity in the management OF the
reconstructed governments Of several
Southern States have been growing
more and more conclusive. No intel
igent man longer doubts that those
governments have been hagrantly cx.
pensive and corrupt-that they have
increased taxation, ineaPred debt, and
issued bonds to an enormous extent.
THE facts are in part CONCEALED
or OBSCURED, Jm cannot Iona re.
main so enough is already known to
justify the very gravcst apprehensions
In the two Carolinas especially, TIE
ROBBERlES appear to have been
quite as gigantic, whom tho relative
wealth Of the respective communities
is considered, as in this city. Yet the
men whom We have esteemed honest
as though all crpoSWe ami apprehension
of these CdiaiRteS should be tett to Dem
ocrdtic jOWaaLS-that VIC ought TO ig-
more or bciog, or belittle them. They
represent such exposure us is calcu.
lated to damage the Republican party
generally; we hold that, even ii this
is so, that party will be far worse
damaged by seeking to cover up those
iniquities, aud thus making them TO
some extent its own. Let it promptly
and fearlessly expose and denounco
the criminals, il it would vindicato
itself from all completely in the crime.
We have received communication
from leading Republicans in Texas,
insisting that we have regarded their
legislation and rule with greater dis.
favor than the facts will warrant To
this We answer that the people OF
Texas seem TO take substantially the
same view. Of the matter ms we do.
Two years ago they elected Rcpub.
iican Governor, Legislature and three
out of four Congressman now, they
have chosen Democrats TO Congress
from all four districts, by an aggre.
gate majority of at leas. ten thousand.
Yet there arc far more Republican
journals printed in the State to-day
than there were two years ago, with
all the federal and State patronageFin
the hands Of the party which has just
been so signally defeated.
While in Texas last May, We could
not fail to see that the old Texans
who stood fire for the Union and or
ganizei the Republican party-GOv.
ernor Hamilton, Governor Pcasc,
Judge Hancock, Judge Sabine, etc,
were out in the cold, while the Re.
publican machine was in the hands of
younger and less eminent politicians,
mainly new TO the State, and enjoy
ing no consideration outside of tho
ranks of their followers. Had the
legislation OF the last two years com
manded public confidence, and had Re.
publicans who were tavorab!y known
to the whole people irrespective Of
politics been nominated, we believe
the State would have gone MS strongly
Republican In 1871 as it did in 1863,
The State constitution, framed in
1869 by Republicans, plainly provides
for the election Of Legislature every
secord year.
The present Legislature chosen two
years ago, has held at least two long
sessions, and is now holjing n third.
1t ought to have provided for the
choice Of its successor at the recen.
election. 1t did just the opposite OF
this--iL put off that election to a fu.
ture day. "The fact is, wo are not
prepared for an election" said n lead
ing manager of the ruling clique last
May. So there will have to be a spe.
cal election or this moribund Legis-
lature must hold over Tor another
year But why not ''prcpared."
"rhc wicked flee when no man pnr-
suoth, but the righteous are as bold
as II lion," says tho sacred proverb.
Don't you believe the inspired pen
man had Bullock, of Georgia, in his
eye when he made that observation 7
And lie didn't class him under tho
head of "tho righteous" either.
Here is Clayton, of Arkansas,
charged 10y bis neighbors with crimes
that, if proved, should send him to
State prison instead Of the Senate
Now, we don't know that the charges
against him are true; though tho peo.
pie of Little Rock seem 10 believe
them, if we may Judge from tho vcsu:
of the recent election. But, ii they
are truc-if Clayton counted out and
counted in Legislators, and erea Con.
grcSsmen, 10 secure his owR election 10
the Sendte-then he ought to be hurl-
ed from his seat before the close of
next January.
We PREJUDICE no particular case.
Possibly Clayton is all that he ought
to be, aud Bullock nm innocent, perso.
cuted saint, who has retired from tho
Govcrnorship of Georgia with clean
hands and u pure heart. Possibly
there have been no frauds in the re-
constructed Legislatures-no bonds
issued by LittleGeds and kimptons,
bot Just as should have been. 1t is
even conceivable that the judges,
colonies, merchants, doctors, etc, OF
upper South Carolina who took 10
their heels rs soon as they read
Grants Ku Klux proclamation and
learned that United States marshals