The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-01
Gre'tius telegraph
THURSDAY, JUNE l. 1871.
THE Brill PARDON.

IT will net do for Republican newspapers and
Republican politicians to attempt to sxtenu-
ate such soandalous violation of decency as
is involved in the pardon of Jehn II. Brill.
Outside of the comparatively small number
of wire-pullers, who too frequently
imagine that they constitute the
Republican party, and that the
rank and fle of voters are no better than so
many cattle, to be driven in whstever direc-
tion it may please their masters, is the real
Republican party, composed of reasonably
honest and intelligent citizens who have
opinions of their own; and it has been amply
demonstrated at more than one election since
the conclusion Of the war that very many of
them are much more anxious to have the pub
lie Offices filed by good men than they are for
mere party triumph. 1t is an undenia-
BILE fact that the Republican
party has been losing its hold
upon a very large number of the intel
ligent voters who were the most earnest sup
porters of its principles during the war for
the preservation Of the nation. Why has
this happened? The Democratic party has
not changed in the least; its principles are
the same as they were in 1860; its practices
wherever it has obtained power have been
such as to excite alarm at the prospect
of its obtaining control of the Govern
ment and it has made no headway
whatever on its own merits against
Reptblicanism. Why, then, is not the Re-
publican party as strong to-day as it was in
1865? The answer to this question is easy,
and we have only to point to the example of
the so-called Republican leaders who de-
manded the pardon of Brill, to that of the
Republican Governor who granted the par
don, and to that of the Republican news
papers that apologize for the scandalous
transaction. This is but one instance out of
many to prove the corruption that
exists in the Republican party, and
the true way to check the advances of the
Democracy and to promote the interests of
the great party to which the preservation OF
the Union is due, is not to apologize for
crime that every honest voter knows is
personal injury to himself as well as to the
public at large, not to advocate mon whose
dishonesty and want of principle are.notorious
for important public Offices, or support them
because by means Of the lowest arts of the
trading politicians they manage to get
their names upon the regular party
tickets, but to boldly, vigorously, and iaces-
sanity denounos corruption in any shape that
it may be presented. The Republican party
is not being injured in the least by the De-
mocracy, but, on the contrary, it is wounded
in the house of its friends and such an article
as that which we find to-day in the columns
of one of our Republican morning contem-
poraries, endeavoring to extenuate the crime
of Brill and to apologize for the action
of Governor Geary in pardening him,
at the bidding of ring of political wire
pullers, who hope to use him in the future as
they have in the past, will do more to weaken
the Republican party next October than
anything we can say on the other side of the
question. The Justification of the election
returns is crime for which no excuse can be
advanced under any circumstances. 1t strikes
at the dearest rights of every citizen; it must
of necessity be committed deliberately
and with premeditation, and the
frequency with which it is
committed requires that it shall be punished
with the severest penalties of the law. If
Brill had been Democrat, the very papers
that are now endeavoring to apologize for his
pardon, and to represent him as rather an ill
used individual than otherwise, would have
been most eager in denouncing him. They
may imagine that they are advancing the
cause of Republicanism by such course of
action as this, but they are fearfully mis-
taken, for every attempt to extenuate the in
EQUITIES perpetrated by men who call them
selves Republicans alisnates thousands of
voters of the very class that constitutes the
strength of the Republican party, and plays
directly into the hands of the Democracy.
With regard to the influences brought to
bear upon Governor Geary to induce him to
grant the Brill pardon, we reiterate what we
have said before, that the complimentary re-
solution of the convention was one of the
conditions of the pardon. Geary's hackers
may try to explain away this fact, but fact
it remains, and the Governor cannot deny il
and speak the truth. Apart from this, how.
ever, why is it that his Excellency refuses to
allow the papers in the Brill case to be made
public? If the pardon was granted for pro-
per reasons, and at the instance of men in
whose integrity the public have confidence
there would be no necessity for jealousy
guarding them frem the light of day
The fact is, the Governor does not dare
to brave public opinion by an honest and
open exposition of all the facts of the case
He knows that the pardon was granted Il
obige certain notorious political tricksterE
who do not possess the confidence of honest
citizens, and who have disgraced the part,
4