Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-19
RADICAL CORRUPTION.

The Springfield Republican (Radicap
says: ''Tammanyism at Washington must
be got rid of, as well as Tammanyism at
New York" The New York Journal OF
Commerce echoes this sentiment, and adds
that great as the aggregate of the stealing
has been in New York, ''the total of thefts
committed, brides received, public moneys
wasted, by the thousands of agents of a
Ring whose centre is Washington has prob
ably been far greater" That paper says:
We regard it as a great misfortune for
the cause of national reform that PreSi-
dental election is so near at hand, and that
every day between now and then will make
politicians more unreasonable and bigoted.
Whatever publication is to be made in the
Federal departments must be begun at
once. Next Congress must see it in full
blast, and sturdy Republicans at the bel
lows. The researches and the exposures
must be made without fear, and with abso-
lutte impartiality, letting the consequences
fall upon whom they may. II this is not
dOne-but if on the reverse, the Federal
frauds are allowed 10 drift and multiply-if
endowed with new favors, because they are
''true to the party" then we declare that the
great victory in this city will soon be de-
prived of its significance, and that after a
6 IOrt spirit of honest government, the me
t'opOlis will sink back to a state as bad as
its former one.
The New York World advances similar
views. After contending that what is sauce
for the Tammany goose is also sauce for
the Grant gander; or, in other words, that
Democratic corruption and Radical corrup-
ton should be visited with impartial public
vengeance, the World proceeds to say:
''The reform movement cannot stop with
the overthrow and punishment of Tamma-
ny. For a long time previous to the late
civil war the Republican party accepted anti
slavery zeal as a substitute for every moral
virtue; and from the moment that the war
commenced, every knave could get his
crimes pardoned by loud protestations of
what was called 'loyalty.' Seven or eight
years ago Daniel E. Sickles was a bright
saint in the political calendar, and Chas.
O'COnor one of the blacklist of reprobates.
A graceless trickster and demagogue like
Ben Butler was cOurted and caresSed from
the moment he went over to the Republi-
can side, while pure and upright man like
Gov. Seymour was aspersed and bounded
down by all the Republican Journals because
he had the courage and manliness to avow
his real opinions on public questions"
The World then goes on to show how
utterly demoralizing was their influence in
all the walks Of life,and how official villainy
succeeded by exaltiiig professions of philan-
thropy and patriotism above the practice of
the stern and hOmely moral virtues. In
making war against Tammany the Radi-
Gals have "builded wiser than they knew"
seeing how they have aided honest Demo-
Gratis in bringing into the foreground the
rascalities and coTuptions of the Federal
Ring.
The New York SUI, which certainly is
not Democratic paper, expresses this con-
viction with reference to tie Presidential
campaign of next year:
"Whatever party shall attempt to thrust
into the coming Presidential campaign con-
troversies touching the negro, the Ku-KIux,
and kindred subjects, will be driven from
the arena by the contempt of an indignant
people. These themes have long enough
absorbed the attention of the best minds in
the country, and afforded to sly rogues con-
venient opportunities for practising their
corrupt and venal arts"
The real issues, according to the Sun, will
be honesty in the administration of affairs
against corruption in Office; the extirpation
of fraud and venality in the high places and
the low places of the land, of money-get-
ting and mOney-spending in politics, of
bribe-taking and gitt-taking by men in office,
are henceforward to form the questions of
the day.
The great guns of the Radical partv-the
opponents Of Radical sentiment-who did
Their utmost to dethrone Tammany, apnear
to have lost all their vigor in demanding
honesty in public servants since the election
in New York. Will they now stuItifv
themselves by winking at or covering nm
corruption in their own party?