New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-04-11


Events are everywhere Transporting which
are forcing the conviction that the cry of
/" REFORM" which has so deafened the public
ear during the last few months, is either the
invention of demagogues, or that demagogues
have seized upon the reform movement and
are using and overriding it to advance their
own corrupt schemes. AS a rule the cry is
started by demagogues when all other means
to secure the confidence of the people has
failed. Those who clamor the loudest for
"refom" may safely be set down as the least
worthy of trust.
The character of the Republicans" in Con-
gress and out at the bottom of the movement
are striking illustrations of the truth of what
we assert. They have raised what they
hypocritically and falsely designated the
reform" standard, when the only purpose
they have in view is by dishonest and fraud
ulent means to secure more of the honors
and spoils Of office. With not a single ex-
ception they are ravenous and disappointed
office-hunters. General GRANTS admins
tration has not estimated them at their own
self-appraisement, and, therefore, it is corrupt
and prodigal, and must be reformed"
If successful, the Cincinnati reform"
movement will throw the Government into
the hands of the thoroughly rotten and dis
loyal party from which it was wrested at cost
of tire hundred thousand onion soldiers and
four thousand MILLION Of dollars That is the
kind of reform'' for which ScHURZ, TRUM-
BULL, GREELEY, PAT. DOMAIN & Co. are
labo,ing.
Even where "refom" is an admitted
faith, as in New York, it almost invariably
ends in a grand farce, as it is in fair way
to do there. The New York Times, by its
exposure of the stupendous Tammany frauds
which prevailed in every branch of the
city government, and of the wholesale Erie
robberies, forced upon the people of New
York city the necessity of electing a "re-
form" government, and upon the people of
the State a reform" Legislature. But
what has it all amounted to? Not a single
reform" has been made by either. The
great thief, TWEED, is still member of the
New York Senate. The still more notorious
scamp, HALL, is still Mayor of the city.
MIKE NORTON, an infamous member Of the
Tammany Ring, is an influential member OF
the Assembly.
tried, or ever will be, and the Legislature
seems to be paralyzed by the power of TWEED
s. Co., and is as Indifferent to the good
name and welfare of the city and State as its
infamous predecessor was. al that has been
gained by the "reform" movement. has been
to drive the Tammany thieves, all except
HALL, into a voluntary resignation of their
Offices. And this is due almost entirely
to the efforts Of the Times. If that paper
had not made public sentiment too strong for
the robbers to resist, every one of them would
have been in office now. Neither the courts
nor the Legislatures would have disturbed
either, any more than they have HALL. Ifthey
had been as shameless as he has proved, and
braved out public opinion, they never would
have been disturbed.
There is a furious clamor made for SIRE
form" in Philadelphia. With its influence a
Senator was elected the other day against
the regular Republican candidate, though the
bolter was compelled to declare himself in
favor of GRANT and an unconditional Repub-
lican. His election destroys the Republican
majority in the Senate, and almost his first
and only act was to vote against and defeat
the election of Republican President pro tenn
of the Senate. And next it is publicly an
nounced, without contradiction, that he is in
active sympathy with the Cincinnati boilers
Convention, invented by soreheads and
called by Missouri rebels and bummers to
defeat the Republican party!
The effect all such "reform" movements
as that in Philadelphia, to which we have re-
ferred, the Cincinnati "Reform" Convention,
and all other 6 reforms" based on separa-
ton from the Republican party and +" inde-J
pendent" nominations, are expressly de-
signed and intended to aid the Democracy.
Under whatever pretense such movements
are made, they are devised in the interest of
Democracy and dishonesty. If continued in
Philadelphia in the spirit which led to Nc
CLUEE's election, it will restore the beauti-
ful state OF things that existed under the
Democratic rule of Mayor Fox.
There are no frauds in our party that Re-
publicans themselves will not "feforn" when
once exposed. All "reform' movements
started by Republicans outside of their own
party, are impudent frauds, devised by dema-
gogues for corrupt purposes. Let Republic
cans correct their own abuses in their own
family and not ask the aid of lifelong corrup-
tionists and avowed traitors to the country to
assist them.
The New York Eceaing Post, the leading
and ablest free trade paper in the United
States, thus welcomes Mr.. GREELEY into the
ranks of the "revenue reformers -
"This conversion of Mr.. Greeley may be
q