The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-09-06
CAIRO DAILY BULLETIN THrlRsnAv srpTrAfnrR
THE CAIRO DAILY BULLETIN, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER g 1879

balances. However useful IL may be In a
lana OF three estates--King, Lord and
Commcns-experisnce has shown that this
policy 10 Inadequate TO the maintenance
recognized.
w US II has proven exceedingly mis-
chievous by its enormous multiplication
OF offices alone. It affords no perma-
nently efectual restraint on power. To
the inquiry how such Sestraint can DO inn
posed IN our..country, politicians have re-
sPonded, by the virtue and intelligence
OF the people But this is q deiusive
speech. Laborious attention, constant
watchfulness, and combined action srenec.
essafy 70 practical results. If our people
were placed upon . sterile soil their per.
petual hand-to-hand conflict for substance
with niggard nature might qualify them
iSr resistance to the official plunderer
sneir poverty would diminish
bis temptation, their defenses
out In great and prosper.
Gus country such popular guardianship can
not be had, and the only efficient protec.
ton against Official misrule Is in totally
prohibiting those powers which can not
be edectuslly regulated by law.
This fact was asserted in the public
councils which gave birth to our constitu-
ton, but its recognition was prevented BY
the want Of prior human experience.
| Under just such systems of government
history has furnished no precise parallels,
and consequently that patriotism which
saw and appreciated the right was unable
TO prove its statements or maintain its ar.
gument by convincing illustrations. Fail
ing to ingraft on the written law the
limitations deemed necessary, the demo-
cratic fathers sought practical establish
ment Of them by advocating u strict con-
struction. This doctrine was never
thoroughly enforced by any party, and is
now totally disregarded. Hence our pres.
ent political condition.
Far-reaching changes are needed to OBJ.
viate its evils, and 1t Is only BY such chan .
ges that we can successfully inaugurate
the second stage in that grand social re-
form which was inaugurated by the ia
theirs. A free and enlightened people with
capacities matured under the benign In.
huence OF their experiment, we can note,
detect, and remedy those defects in their
glorious, though unfinished work which
experience has developed. They laid tn o
foundation upon US is devolved the duty
OF completing the superstructure. The
enormous growth Of official malversation
in this city and state, which was brought
to light during the last war, invited good
men TO action. The discoveries made
afforded an opportunity of stirring the
general mind to persistent effort for re-
form.
The oppoi tunity was improved, and I'M
disturbed BY the inopportune occurrence
OF the present canvass, the current of pop
ular sentiment has ever since moved
steadily In the right direction. The desire
has been extensively entertained that this
movement, which originated in the na.
tons metropolis, should be permitted to
run Its natural course and draw into har-
mony with itselfthe honest masses through
out the country, and thereby lead to the
establishment of efficient, self-sustaining
and permanent barriers against the pre-
valent evils.
Fatts, however, warrant an apprehen-
sion that the pending conflict for the con-
troll OF the federal power has broken in on
the tendency to reform, and may complete.
ly reverse it. Governmental intermeddling
with those concerns of society which UNI
der judcious laws might benefcially be
left to individual action is the only real
evil actually developed In our system.
This eminence 10 assig ned to it because it
is the fruitful parent Of all others existing
and because the measures required to cor
rect 1t are precisely those which would ex-
tirpate the understandable powers now SO
mischievously exercised by our officials.
If. instead Of prohibiting or diminishing
this vicious practice, our people should
impart to 1t new sanctions and greater
vitality, reform must become impossible
Of this practice, above all other leading
Americans Mr.. Greeley is the recognized
champion; and no body of organized OPP
ponents to 1t has ever existed in the coun-
try, except the democratic party. Yet,
by the decree of convention assuming
to represent that party, Mr.. Greeley has
been gazetted as Its standard-bearer. OPP
position to that proceeding has in my
mind far deeper source than mere at
tschments to party. That /, at least,
am unduly influenced by that sentiment
may appear by the measures adopted
against the recently detected municipal
mslefactors. In organizing the forces
employed, equal opportunities for purging
itself from completely were conceded TO
each of the great political parties, and to
every class. Thus innocence has been
shielded from the discredit Of evil asso-
Citations inadvertently formed official
villsiny stands literally defenseless under
actual or impending judgment; and all
honest men in the great city and state are !
invited Is brotherhood in common de. |
tense.
AS do this from party sentiment, my |
views of the public interest and of existing |
public necessities compel me to repudiate |
the Baltimore nomination Of Mr.. Greeley.
Whenever speaking or writing. ON the sub. |
Ject l have uniformly condemned and |
declared my readiness to support demo-
cratic candidate. This circumstances has |
led to q supposal in some quarters that l |
had aspirations to the office and it has |
been suggested that my name be offered
to your acceptance As a candidate. The
object Of this letter is TO avoid misappre-
henson on that point. If compelled to
decide between General Grant and Mr.. |
Greeley as candidates for the presidency,
the democrat elector must rely very much |
upon mere conjecture. Those who incline
to tho latter as choice of evils suggest
that mitigation Of expressions at the
South would result from his success. |
There may, however, be equal ground to |
hope for that good result in either issue Of |
this rivalry. Once his second term shall !
have been secured, General Grants only |
motive for infiicting misery on that por-
ton OF bis countrymen will cease An |
effort to secure q third term or 10 estab-
lish dictatorship can not reasonably be |
apprehended and consequently COM
parison OF probabilities offers US merely q |
IL. -