The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-12-28
Model Reforrnation

idsi Deen Iuilg exposed. a ulOre Inls
erable humbug than this cry for hon
esty and economy was never imposed
upon the American people.
/ Senator Morton, who is acknowl
edged to be the leader of the admin
! istration, undertakes to defeat Mr.
Trumbulps resolution for an investi
CATION into the condition of public af
fairs by declaring that the PROPOSE
tion to institute Committee of Re
trenchmenf and Reform is an attach
upon Grants administration Why
an attack upon the administration
The object of such a committee is MOI
to attack honesty but corruption and
dishonesty, and Mr.. Morton's declara.
ton that it is an attack upon the adj
ministration of President Grant il
anything bat complimentary TO the
honesty of that administration. 4.ss
What has Mr.. Trumbull proposed
to do in the way of Retrenchment and
Reform, that the paEtisans of the adj
ministration should assail him with
such extreme bitterness? He has
simply moved the appointment of a
committee whose duty it shall be to
investigate the manner in which the
public service is conducted in all de-
partments of the government, ferret
out and expose fraud, and suggest the
best mode of reducing the public ex-
5 What honest man can object to this /?
Ii the public administration has been
and is properly conducted, there is
nothing to fear from the investigations
of such Committee. If they are and
have been honestly conducted, the
people demand that such an investi-
CATION shall be had. We have had
idle talk enough about honesty and
let us have something practicable.
Had the friends of the administration
honestly desired to see the reform
they would have voted for Mr.. Trum-
bulls resolution without question. g g
z On the contrary they do not want
any such committee as Mr.. TrnEnbaH
proposes, whose duty it shall be TO
iOOk 0kbEE 1E0uu 0lA OlA4CA0L 0ActOuCS-
ty; so Mr. Morton wants compro-
mise, and proposes that the whole
matter of the abuse of the public SER
vice shall be referred to the Standing
Committee to act upon such matters
as: the Senate may bring to its atten-l
lion, ifit sees proper. In other words
it is proposed by Senator Oliver z.
Merton on behalf of the administra-
-. II, /, s,,~x
tion at all, for fear that such an inves-
tigation will injure General Grants
chances for a reelection. ~;
This is the whole secret of the oppo-
sition to Mr.. Trumbull's proposition.
To go into an investigation, such as
has been proposed will lift the veil
from the most stupendous system of
corruption ever conceived, and COM
plete exposure of which will drag
down to ignoniny men who now hold
the highest positions III the land, and
who for years have been palming off
their sham loyalty upon the people,
making it. q passport and a license
for wholesale plumber and peculation.
The pretentious claim is made that
this is the purest administration that
ever existed. But If so why all this
trepidation now that it is proposed to
investigate its operations and enquire
into its merits and demerits. Sena-
tor Schurz, in speaking upon this SUBJ
ject answered these epiatitudes by de-
claring that it would be difficult or inn
possible to find four consecutive
months during which SO many defal-
cations and embezzlements by public
servants have been brought to light
as in the past four months. Most OF
these cases had been discovered, too,
without careful search or investiga-
ton, They had been almost stum-
bled upon, and therefore it was fair to
infer that a careful investigationwould
expose a great many more now hid
den. ltsNow, gentlemen" says Mr.
6churz 81 tell you that whatever may
be said of the Improvements that have
taken place, the people of the United
States are startled at the frequency
and enornity of the disclosures which
are made from day to day. Do not
give yourselves up to any delusions
on the subject. The American people /
are ON the point of demanding an hon.
est government and they want to have
all the means usedsfor that object that
are compatible with the laws of the !
country. They demand the exposure |
and overthrow of corruption regard |
less of the interest of party or per-
SON. The eloquent Senator warned
the friends of the administration that
we now stand upon the brink of a
great political revolution that is about |
to sweep away all distractions, and |
one in which sithe science of how not
to dosthingsY will avail little or noth-
ing. Il Neither will cheap declarations |
against ;corruptieni in the abstract or
against the sinfulness of sin in general, |
and the beauty of virtue avail much.
We have had enough of fhat.o The |
people will not much longer take that |
worthless currency as legal tender. If I
we wish to serve the country and to |
its confidence, we have to
make clear. to the country chat we hate
no party, no more than we hate cor /
ruption, and that we love no party |
more than we love good government. |
The resistance to this, the only prac-
tical mode of reform. by Messrs. Nor I
ton, Edmunds, Anthony and other
Senators representing the administra- t
tion only betrays the lamentable
weakness that lies behind its apparent |
Once probe this great cess
pool of corruption that is hidden be- /
meath a fair exterior, and the Radical
party will perish almost before the
people are aware thatit has begun to [
decline. The keen blade free and fair
investigation will put an end to its /
pretensions in the twinkiing
of an eye. ias
The Washington correspondent of /
the Herald SAYS:
The facts about the Emma mine
swindle have been diyulged in way
that is far from complimentary either
to American diplomacy or American
Senatorial dignity. Minister Schenck's
compensation lor allowing his name
to be advertised in the English jour-
nails as a director of the company was,
it is said, 100000, and Senator Chan
dler had a plum of half million of
dollars in the. speculation. Bissel,