Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-07-10


The New York World argues that
the Republicans party alone isfresponsi-
BILE for the Salary and BacIl-Pay Grab,
because it was in the majority in both
Houses of Congress when that measure
passed. y 1t says: ra1ll.' -..i
ssThe very foundation of political re-
sponsibility is subverted If the party in
power is not to be held responsible for
abusing its trust. If, when it has for
feited public confidence by acts SO dis
graceful that impudenee itself shrinks
and recoiIs from the hootings that
would greet any attempt at defense,
the eparty can turn round and get abso-
luton by, simply -condemning its own
acts, what punishment can there be for
those political offenses on which in
dieting grand jurieS and criminal jus
tice can take no huld?" hi ~ ti.-
But the World very veil knows that
the back pay and increased salary was
not passed by a party vote, in either
House. The general principle here
laid down, that party is responsible
for its acts, is correct; but this was not
a party act nor the act of party. =
There is principle Of the common
law, which commends itself 20 general
acceptance, and is as good in politics as
in law, that no man shall be allowed to
take advantage of his own wrong. Ne
man is permitted to help another do a
wrong thing, and shen, not only throw
off all responsibility for it, but claim
the resulting advantage for himself
And what men cannot be allowed to
do, parties cannot do; yet this is just
what the, World is undertaking to do.
The increase of salary, with the
retroactive clause, was voted for in the
House by an equal number of Demo
Gratis and Republicans, and the votes
in opposition to itwere also nearly
equally divided between the two par
ties. 1t was not, then, party meas
ure. Neither party voted in body,
either for or against it, and neither is
entitled, exclusively, to the credit OF
voting against it or the discredit of vot-
ing; for it, The united vote of the
Democratic members of the House
would have defeated it overwhelming
ly; and it could not have passed at all
without Democratic aid. Having there
fore furnished the half of the votes nee
essary to pass this provision, the Dem
ocratS cannot now take advantage OF
their own wrong and turn around and
say, "We have nothing to do with
this! This is Republican House, and
we are net responsible!'' But they are
responsible-responsible to the full ex-
tentto which they furnished votes to
pass 1t. The wrong was as much theirs
as ours. 1t does not belong to either
party, as a party, but to the .individa-
alsiini both who accomplished its sue
cess, and the Republican party intends
to hold each individual to his personal
responsibility for his share in the act.
AS a party, 1.-THE Republicans have
everywhere denounced and repudiated
it, having incurred no responsibility,
as a party, for the individual acts of a
moiety fits representatives,, and no
amount of political sophistry can es-
tablish a responsibility In the Republi-
can party for an, act to which the De-
mocracy contributed half its support.
.a,.Ff i,f7T--------s- s--------- .s...... 20
Senator Thurman opened his. Sena-
torial canvas at Chillicothe on the
4th. Among other things, he talked
OF that ''sad episode in our history,
the late civil war;" But he omitted
to mention another episode, which he
might have told his hearers all about.
We refer, to that OCCASION just after
the outbreak of the rebellion, when
two hundred thousand Democrats of
Ohio, sent "greeting to their brethren
of the South. 'i1iqs - !. ,su... Z ;5a-.
The Democrats have ,'resoiyed' that