Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-07-13
The Cry of Corruption"


about at the polls, are due to the fact that
while the good features of the Admins
tlstiun in power are passed over IN 81
lence, everything which tends to impair
an impression on their minds that the
power delegated by them has been mis-
used, is assiduously paraded, and magni-
fed beyond all tue proportions. The
party in power is watched, not only by
their political opponents who expect to
make capital oil every action which, by
either true or false truction, can be
made to appear detrimental to the pub
lie veal hut also by the discontented of
their own number who, through disap-
pointed ambition or other dcspicable mo-
tives have turned against their principles,
and who search the record with an eye
single to its faults, as a chemist would
analyze beautiful flower to extract the
poison hidden within its sweets. While
we believe it to he the duty of the people
to watch with jealous vigilance, and
promptly punish any breach Of Official
duty, yet it would be as well to seek for
something to commend as well rs to con-
demn, before final judgment is passed.
A the Presidential campaign plogl ess-
es, the old cry OF corruption" is reviv-
ed and intensified, and If we believe the
half of what we hear to be true the gov
ernment, as now administered, is the
most corrupt and damnable of any upon
which the sun has ever shone. But the
American people never do things by
halves, and when we come TO examine
this sweeping condemnation, we find
that similar ones have been leveed at
every administiaton-an yet the coun-
try survives. First and foremost in their
denunciations are, OF course, the Demo
crats, who can never see good in anything
which emanates from Republican sour
ces. Following in their wake, and
stopping to conquer" we find Sumner,
once a trusted leader, but now, foiled in
his val ious attr mpts 10 force Chinese suf-
frsge upon the Pacific States, and taught
that no one man, however great his ahil-
i,ies. can arrogate to himself the right to
dictate principles to the Republicans Of
the nation, now truns to his lifelong en-
emies for approval Carl Shurz, who
while Il Senator of the United States and
invested with American citizenship, uses
it only to redress iancpd injury to his
natve country, and failing in that, turns
with bitter ity against the patty
which has honorcd him, and seeks now
to throw the reins OF government into the
( hands Of the country's enemies g atz
| Brown, who to compass his own election
as Governor OF Missouri, sold the State
to Democracy, and placed Flank blair
in the United States Senate Trumbull,
who began to cut loose from the Repub-
lican party five years ago, when be by his
vote, declared that a President could VIC
late with hnpunty the laws he vas sworn
to execute Dana, OF the New York
SIN, whose political aspirations were
nipped in the bud by President Grant
bestowing the position he coveted upon
another and last but not least, the now
immortal Rackerby, who cast the twelve
votes Of California, six for Free Trade,
six for Protection and for Greeley all the
time. Such are the leaders Of the Lib
eral" movement, who join in the cry.
The charge Of official corruption is a
grave one, and if sub,tantiated by facts,
would Of itself be cause sufficient to ere
ate a change of political sentiment to
hurl the offending party from power
But the charge il not borne out by the
facts. On the contrary, the weight OF
evidence all goes to prove that there has
been less official dishonesty aud corrup-
tion under the administration of Giant,
than under that OF any OF his predecess
ors since the younger Adams-that it j.
1 solely due to the TACT that this admini-ta-
tion is doing SO much to expose thieving
! and punish men who steal, that it j. so bit
terly a-sailed. The Democratic party
never punished n thief, but covered and
hushed the otftnse, and then because no
deiautels were exposed and punished,
claimed their party rs the embodiment
of official honesty. SwaItwout, when the
revenues OF the country was only thirty
millions Of dollars year, stole million
dollars, nearly MS much as as has been
stolen under this administration so far,
in collecting in and paying out twenty
one hundred millions of dollars and
John Tyler, son Of the President, in re-
Gently written letter, says that Of ninety
eight receivers Of public money in Van
Buren's administration, ninety-sx prov
ed detaulters ! Not one Of these men
were sent to the penitentiary.
Under General Grants administration
a number Of deiauters have been con
victed, and are now expiating their crime
| in prison. OF these the one detauter to
the greatest amount, Major Hodge, who
took 100000 of Government money, Is
now serving out a ten years term in the
State Prison at Albany, New York. At
the same time that the defalcaton Of
Hodge was being Investigated, " Boss"
Tweed and the Tammany Ring were
called to account for their wholesale plum
deling in the Democratic city of New
York. Mark the result. Tweed, the
greatest thief the world has ever seen, is
elected Democratic State Senator by
twelve thousand majority. This is the
way the Democrats punish their thieves.
Is this the class of men into whose hands
! tho G,Varp mani ~ tho IT,it.J :.