The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-03-19
Protest of The * ansas Liberal Re
p0b1iCans.
Corrupt Radical Rings sapping
tine LtfeeElOod Of the Nation.
An Anti-Grana Convention Called

The undersigned, appointed by a
meeting of Republicans, held at the city
Of Topeka on the 23d inst, issue the
following address to the people OF the
State of Kansas. This action is pre-
liminary to the contemplated organiza-
tion Of movement having for its oh
ject the union Of the people of our State
in concerted effort to rebuke the cor
ruptions and usurpations which have
characterized our State and national
politics, and brought disgrace upon US
as people and az party.
The purposes and practices which an
mated and controlled the convention
which met under the call Of the Rcpuh
licsn State Central Committee at Law
renee February 21, 1872, have in the
main animated and controlled all the
Republican State conventions that have
TINS far been held for the purpose of
selecting delegates to the Philadsl phia
Convention. The purpose has been the
nomination Of President Grant for re
election, and the perpetuation Of The cor
rupt rings that are sapping the ifs blood
Of the nation. And so far as the
enunciation of platforms and resolutions
by these conventions are concerned that
has been their only purpose state of
things through the existence of which
the Republican party, so long the domi
nant party of the nation, 10 losing It's
vitality, its power for usefulness, and
even its very identity. We are required
to believe that fealty to the President is
above fealty to the party, and that feal-
ty to the party is above and beyond
fealty to the principles upon which the
party was founded.
These facts are the elimination of the
history of the past three years. They
are the outgrowth of that species OF
personalsm ususlly an incident to the
administration of government by pure
ly military characters, which was inau
gurated in thi. Government at the ac
cession of General Grant to the Execu-
tive chair. 1t is from their influences
that we have the greatest evils to appre
hend
1t is through their deadening effect
upon the public political pulse-a sG
fling of that vigilance which ever has
been and ever must be the price of po-
litcaI liberty-that we have seen the
President successfully demand at the
hands of Congress the enactment Of
legislation giving him the power, upon
mere pretext to place State, or any
part of State, of this Union under alb
solute, inexorable martial law
1t is to these facts that we may safely
ascribe the existence of that public aps-
thy which has permitted great encroach-
ments upon popular liberty, which has
accustomed the people to lean for pro
lection in their rights upon the arm OF
Federal power rather than upon those
agencies so much nearer and more &C
cessible to them their municipal and
State organizations.
1t is that centrsizing tendency OF the
times which enables the President tc
demand and receive the authority OF
Congress, practically at his oDn pleasure
and nolition, to eacircle the polls aclthir
any Of our States or cities ,rith the ddyo
nets Of the army, and thus control i'reu
ocabtg the declarations of The ballot boa
or the conrentisn.
1t is to the existence of these fact!
that we may ascrlbe, in large part, thu
. successful public robbery which bs'
, characterized the official career Of man,
now in high public station. To that de
gree has this new dogma come to pre-
vail which places fealty to the Presiden
+ before tealty TO the party and fealty tt
the party before feslty to principle, tha
= excessive obeisance to the wishes of tn
President first and the party next ha
been sufficient to command the bestoW
: al Of great powers and smoluments, an'
r to silence, almost in infsmy, with tn
/. stigma Of disloyalty to that great per
sonage and party all wke have presun
ed to indulge in unfriendly criticisms, o
> to intimate that the highest conception
of purity did not prevail in the admir-
: istration Of public affairs.
f 1t is to check this dangerous an
growing spirit of absolutism, to corret
3 the rapidly spreading evils of persons
8 ambition and puolic corruption whic
e necessarily arise from, ii, and to sun
# marily and etfectually rebuke the inst
gators of these wrongs that We call uI
on the Republicans Of Kansas TO unit
J. in an effort 10 repress this growing eyi
y TO put stop to the insidious Ell
croachments Of the. military upon tn
!. civil functions of the Government;
bring to sudden and severe termin:
ton, by the apprehension ard puniat
IS ment Of the offenders, Of the giganti
l. system of official robbery which has S
$ long been practised in the name of 10y
atty, to the President first and the part
laeGt.
" To establish wholesome and effect
e i've civil service reform, which sha
C serve to protect in place the competer
h and honest official, and prevent the al
pointment to places of honor, trust, an
profit, for partisan or other purposes, c
: incompetents and knaves.
: To effect modification of our revt
nue. system, SO that no class or speci;
interest of the country shall be encoul
- aged at the expense of all the rest; t
save the public lands from the rapscit
= of corporations and monopolies, an
secure them to actual settlers; to estat
lish, as guaranty against the corruE
+, use of the Executive patronage, the rC
~ striction of the Presidential Office to
. single term.
= = To place the United States in syn
= pathy with the spirit of liberty and re
;. form wherever it may be found; to ca
= tend godspeed to all peoples and a
:. nationalities who are struggling to emf
,, late our own glorious example Of sci
=, government and the achievement of pC
: litical independence.
= M j. PARRoTT,
S. A RIGGS.
n. A. ADAMS,
S. n WooD,
:. A. THoMAN,
y y H. c. HAAS,
y E. G. Ross,