The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-07-26

THE following most able and eXhaus-
i've review Of Grants administration Is
rom the pen Of Theodore Tilton, editor
Vt the Golden Ago aud taken from re-
cent number of that papor. Mr.. Tilton,
rs Is well known, is Thoroughbred
Republican of the most ultra kind. The
article will amply repay perusal.
SELF. CONDEMNED.
The sovcrest commentary that can be
made on the failure of Grants first term
of the presidency Is the platform on
which he stands for re election. Every
promise which that platform
puts forth for the future is q confession
of the Administrations dereliction in
the past. Each successive pledge mado
at Philadelphia turns States evidence
to convict the very candidate in whose |
behalf it was mado. Examine some of
the points.
/. Grants platform demands a reform |
of the civil service. Why, then, has not |
his administration already given us this
reform? The President has been in pow
er three and a half years--nearly one
whole term. During this period he has
ALWAYS had working majority in both
houses of Congress at his daily COM
mand. Indeed some times this majority
has exhibited toward him the subservi-
ency of lickspittles. They have been
only too prompt to do his bidding.
Have they not made indecent haste TO
confirm his brothers ln-law, his neph-
| ews, his unclos, his wife's relations,
| and all the host of fhisnepotistic appoint
ments? Were they not quick to catch
his wink and obey his beck for the re.
| moval of Charles Sumner from the
Craftsmanship of the Committee on
| Foreign Relations? Did they not sub.
missively bend their knees with the
Presidents in q common and ignomin.
ious surrender to England? When has
he failed of their votes for any purpose,
good or bad? Never! Why then does
his party 60 toPhiladelphiaa and through
the unanimous mouth of q packed con-
vention demand civil service reform
OF whom do they demand it? OF them
selves. What thoughtful citizen there
fore can help asking. why have they
not already inaugurated civil service re-
form? p What excuse can they give for
having delayed it i? How can they ever
apologize for the crime of having thus
far thwarted it? What will they say Of
their own orator, Gen. Butler, for de-
nouncing it? Out of their own mouths
are they adjudged guilty. They are
, self condemned.
II. Grants platform demands the
, abolition of the franking privilege.
Why then have his partisanS in Con-
gress systematically voted against the
abolition of the franking privilege
Have they not had the fairest of Oppor-
! tunities to accomplish this reform? If
, they had been in earnest to achieve this
triumph, they could have done it at any
time within the last three years. To say
now that the franking privilege ought
to be abolished is simply to indict the
President and his friends for not hav-
, ing abolished it long ago. Here again
they are condemned.
, III. Grants platform asserts state.
rights. Why then has he Systematically
violated state-rights? Why have we
+ had for three years an unbroken series
J of intrusions by the Federal govern
ment into local affairs? Why, for in
: stance, has it been the practice of Mr..
Thomas Murphy and the New York
| Custom House to give laws to the
, Syracuse Convention? Why has the
f Federal government aided and abetted
the alien and carpet. et.bagging govern.
ments in the southern States, the like
) of which for rottenness has never been
matched in our history save by the
3 Tammany Ring? Why has the Ad.
D ministration conveniently thrown out
3 the votes of three or four, four or five
, five or six counties in some of these
, states at its sovereign pleasure in order
5 to keep its own partisans in power
. Staterights, forsooth! These have never
!. been 50 flagrantly violated as by Grant
f and his party. To say now that these
4 rights snOuld be maintained is only Il
d say that they have been well nigh de
Ict AyI n,tyr hot fbttc ~ n
4 tends TO maintain them is the very
/. party that has been sedulOuBly destroy
1 ing them. After three years of this
g destruction the President and his parti
sans have now the effrontery to declare
5 themselves in favor Of what they have
s annihilated. Such culprits are self con
i demned.
a ". Grants platform asks for an en-
{; couragement TO ship.building. Why
t then has his Administration done Meth
h ing for American commerce except tC
: cripple and repress it? Why are Alneri
d can merchants doing but thirty.siX pei
j. cent. of their own carrying trade-leav
= ing the remaining sixty.four per cent
to fall as precious prize to foreign
!. flags? The Administration has hat
e nearly four years in which to blot ou
0 this disgrace. Why is its pitiful recor(
| COhSClIibS Jul plOoPCSio iC
: duced to specious promise that, though
q the government has done nothing tt
e promote ship. building during the las
g four years, it will try to remedy thi!
l. neglect during the next term? Tht
Philadelphia statement of the decay o
a our commerce is the Administration
n confession of its own misgovernment
IS The President and his re- -nominationist
2, are witness bearers against their owl
It delinquency. They are eself.condemned
le V. Grants platform demands tina
ct American citizens in foreign lands shall
70 be protected in their just rights. VIII,
st then has he, in an unhappy number o
d signal and hagrant cases, suffered
d ragged without protection, and mulcte(
y without redress? A distinguished
G Union general exclaimed with grea
h indignation a few days ago, "Tho safes
% act which any foreign government cal
G now commit is to hang an American
n citizen" He was partly right. Nov
s. it is not enough that the Presiden
is should promise in campaign dOcu
Is ment that American citizens travelin'
in other countries are hereaf ar to b
0f protected he must also giN 'uswe
g. why they have not heretofore q pro
y tected. His platform writers h. @ her
t. again lnnOcentiy confessed theNSelVe
1t guilty. They are self condemned.
l. VI. Grants platform demands tha
ID sympathy should be extended to for
y eign nations struggling for liberty
i This is bid for the Fenian and Cuban
20 vote. But has the Administration n
of to this time ever shown any syIapath!
y either with Fenians or Cubans? AM
Of if it is to show such sympathy in futur
will it not prove itself guilty for no
having done so in the past? It's owl
declaration of duty in this respect is tn
n plainest possible proof that this dut,
" (if it be such) has been left undonc
y The President and his party are one
- more self fcondemned.
+ VII. Grants platform says that tn
in public lands should not be squandered
N Why then have his friends regularl,
II and lavishly squandered them? LIE
~ any rejecting student of our country
IL condition consult the records of tn
er Department of the Interior, and scruti
-. | MIN tbn npnpp1nua ap1 81 O,n1i,o.t t,l 1, I