The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-10-24

an extent withoutsparallei in our his
tory. 1 do not say because they were
his relatives, but / do say they had no
o her visible qualification. ..,
The President has surrounded HIM
SELF with q ring OF military 4secreta4
ries, without law, and in yiolatioR;of
law; aud sycophaHtic adherents
whose influence in appointments and
jobs has been a scandal and a by
word. i+ s95i''2 80 H'+-1A ic3
The President has treated his high
Office as if it had been created, and
ought to be administered fol. his own
personal benefit, the reward of his
merits or his industry, and that nei-
ther his political adYersaries nor the
people have any interest init. = -GG
The legitimate results of this con-
duct are apparent on every hand.
Corruption pervades every depart
ment of the Government. s9Defalca-
tions are as common as the days. n; -
lia -3+ A2 NEGLECT OF DUTY {9b' tian
Is made universal by the example of
the President. Absence from their
posts is the rule among the highest
officers. The Secretary Of the oFreas-
ury, the Secretary sof the Navy, the
Secretary of the Interior, the POST
master-General, the Attorney-Genef-
alive of the seven members Of the
Cabfhet-are aannouhced to take acc
tive part in the pending ?canxass in
Ohio. Every exertion of every en-
ployee of every Office is called into
requisition to elect the President.
The expenditures ofsevery Office are
made with reference TO the same re-
suit. Every salary paid by the Gov
ernment from the money collected by
taxation is made to contribute for this
purpose. The work in the navy yards,
the contracts for supplies, the mails
OF the country, the surplus millions in
the Treasury, are used to the same
end and SO universal is the demoral-
ization that every officer is believed
to be Influenced in his exertion by the
desire to retain Office rather than by
any conviction of public daty or sem
dment of personal fidelity sgois
l do not say that Mr.. Delano and
Mr.. Boutwell, and Mr.. CressweH are
not sincere in the opinions they ex-
press on the stump in Ohio, but L do
say that if they expressed different
F0l w OL SAAClt3 tACJ OOulO
not hold office for an hour. They
work for their chief. They hold his
offices at the price of their personal
allegiance. They are the tenants of
his property, and the rent they pay is
service in his reelection. Our con-
stitutional governments made 81
PERSONAL GOVERNMENT ~
r. Il
evitably, follows Capitalization. L BY
usurpation, by absorption, by open
and shameless graspings, by secret
and steaithy outreachings,l the Feder-
al Government is drawing to itself all
the powers of the States, and by that
mysterious process by which the pow
er steals from the many to the few,
the President is drawing all power
from Congress ia himself. - : 81 n
lam no alarInist-f do not magnify
the evil myself-would not exagger-
ate 1t in speaking to you, but out of
this seething mass of corruption, des
mefalization, trading in Office, neg.
.iect of duty, personal government,
military rings, rises q figure, shadowy
and vague now, portentons OF q dire
calamity. Wise men of all parties
have admitted it. It was this conyic-
ton of an '''.'.i' - ..'','i Il
ALL-PERyADING CoERUPTIoN,E :,
and of its dangers, which startled the
heart and conscience Of the people,
and gave rise to the Cincinnati Com
vention. 1t is this conviction which
has dwarfed antagonism, and softened
asperiJies, and hushed the voices even
of preiudices, in the presence of the
country's peril. 1t is this conviction
which underlies this wonderful COM
b;nation of men of many minds and
differing creeds IN this supreme strug-l
gle for Reconciliation and publication
% The Convention met at Cincinnati.
1t was composed solely of Republic
s-representative men. It was
imposing in numbers united in its
purposes, divided as to men. It de-
cIared as essential to the preservation
of the Republic, that there should be
impartial suffrage and universal am
nesty, equal rights and equal protec-
ton to all classes and races of.our peo-
pie, local self-government, Limitations
on executive power, the supremacy
of the Constitution over martial law
aud military power 1t declared that
the reconciliation of all our people,
purity of purpose in public service,
must precede all other reforms, and
are our supreme necessity, and waiv-
ing all other questions, it invited all
who agreed on these to a. hearty and
Jealous co-operation.L That appeal
stirred the heart of the Democratic
party. Politicians debated, thought
full men doubted, bold men hesitated.
timid men were frightened; but
THE HEART OF THE DEMOCRATIC MASSES
Instinct with patriotism, answered
the appeal, and at Baltimore declared
that the highest interests of the coun-
try, the best hopes of our Government
the assurance of liberty, required this
that the Republic must
it could be administered, and that as
pose all minor differences, lay aside
all party prejudices, forget, all past
bitterness, aud unite with all who
would restore peace to our people and
purity to our Government, Gentle-
men, humanity has been ennobled by
deeds of denial and seIf-devotion.
Men have dared and died for their
country or their GOD. Their names
-resplendent in the ages-mark the
advance of our race to a better and
nobler being. But never in all histo-
ry, has there been an act Of more un-
selfish devotion, of purer magnanimi-
ty, than this of our party. At +. o'l
eI, THE GALL OF PATRIOTISM a,i-
1t stified the cry of party; at the de-
mand of the country, it silenced the
voices of ambition, of pride, even OF
an earnest and honest and lifelong an
tagonism. 20 1t said to its opponents,
in the presence of this impending
peril, to avert this threatening dahger
We accept your invitation, we will
lay aside our prejudices, we WIN hold
in allegiance our differences, we will
accept your platform, we will adopt
your candidate. He has been our
most constant, most able, most ihvet-
crate, most demonstrativs opponent
on questions ofLthe past but Il he