New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-10-26
10 SBoRrsTgHrED REfoRMERs

Would it not be just as well for the men ana
the journals who, supporting Grant YET claim
TO be independent and TO be in favor OF bring
ing the highest attainable amount of purity
and efficiency into the public service, to take
a moment to consider what they are doingf
They are laying up for themselves embarrass-
ments of the most annoying character Tor
the next few years. If Mr.. Greeley bo-
comes President his Administration viii
at once begin series or reforms
in the public service which sorelJ
needed. 1t will be difficult for the people who
are now exhausting their vOcabulares OF in
vectiye against him to sustain him in that
work, and we would be sorry to think that 10
would be easy for them to oppose him in it
If, on the other hand, Gen. Grant should be
elected by their help and his own and his
office holders exeFtions, what a pitiful pros
pect ia held out to these worthy people dur
ing his future term or terms.
No man of vicious tendencies is ever re-
formed by reason of the profit resulting from
the exercise of his vices. He is rather apt TO
convince himself that his success and his I'M
punity are proofs of the respect oil the woro
and the tolerance of heaven If Gen. Orans
should reflect himself, is it sane to THINK thas
he will instantly lay aside those improper ana
unlawful practices in which be has persisted
in spite of all criticism and dlscontentI
Is it reasonable to hope that ne VIII
be less grasping, less stolidly dIsregardfm OF
law less cOntemptuOus of the good OPINION OK
good people, when he no longer seeks OF needs
itq Ii Casey and Cramer and hudson ana
Dent play their fantastic antics unre0uked.
while their kinsman is a candidate, 1t is most
unlikely that their opportunity to disgrace us
will be withdrawn when he is reelected stu
less is it possible that any change Tor the bet
ter can take place in relation to those corrupt
and unavoidable practices by which he Is now
labOring to secure his reelection. Ii he sue
ceeds by them, and the country condones
them by electing him, he cannot do otherwise
than retain them for future use. He has no
idea of law, little conception of what is due
to his position, and none whatever OF the
needs and the nature of the public service.
He will have seen his election carried
by the most lavish use of money
millions coerced from offce-hOlders or
forced from taxpayers who expect a dishonest
equivalent; by detailing the whole Govern
ment service into the campaign, leaving the
public machinery to run itself; by shameless
fraud and outrage of the ballot-bOx, as in
Pennsylvania by unlawful espionage and
Imprisonment, as in New-YOrk to-day; by
illegal Acknowledgement, as in Arkansas. Is
any one so blind as to think that if Gen.
Grant wins by such means he will think ill OF
them7
We receive nothing but railing and revilng
at this moment from papers which not many
weeks ago thought that Grant and Murphy
were most unfit men for rulers; who said that
the Presidents ignorance and contempt of
:" law we're becoming every day more prom
"inent;" who thought the only salvation Of
the country was in the Liberal movement. In
return for all their despiteful language we have
one word of friendly counsel for them. Do
not lay the whitewash too thickly upon
this President who you well know is not
fit for the place for which you are supporting
him, for if he is elected you will soon have to
assist us in scraping it off If the calamity Of
the perpetuation of the power of the sordid
Ohgarcby of which Morton, Cameron, and
Chandler are the members, and the President
is the center, should by any chance be in
flicted on the country, we should confidently
expect our independent Grant friends within
year to come swinging into the opposition
behind us, fighting under our banner the bat
tie of Reform, which with them or without
them, we are sure to win.
-
we never heard of anything like the ferocity with