Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-10-25
PARrYREsP0NsIBlLITx FOR THE
z5 = or. iiui1 -SALART.GHAB.'1 '1o ii't55~

The Republican organs find them
selves in very uncomfortable position.
They cannot defend the salary-grab, for
it is indefensible; and public opinion
has condemned it with such warmth Of
honest indignation that, since Butler
was defeated in Massachusetts, nobody
is brazen enough to stand up as its apol-,
ogist.- No further attempt is made to
bre ak its damaging effect except by as
serting that some democratic Congress
man voted for it and received their
share Of it, and that the Republican par
ty is therefore not specially responsible.
Such q pretence confounds and upsets
all ideas of party responsibility. .7t,'ft :
When the Ubiquitous Tweed charter
was passed, the charter which enabled
the Ring to perpetrate its most gigantic
frauds, the Republicans of botn BRAN
ches of the Legislature voted for it in "a
body; and the fraudulent Supervisors u
accounts which were paid under it ,haEE
passed a Board of which one-half the
members were Republicans who had.
voted for all the swindl esrof the proceed
ing five years. But the Democratic par
ty WAS; nevertheless held to, . strict ac-
countability for the knavery which, be-
ing in power, it did not prevent. n The
notorious completely of Republicans was
ty from any, share of. its responsibility, ;
although the charter could not have
been done without Republican aid. The
whole Democratic party, in all parts of
the country, were made to pay the PEN
atty Of things which could not have been.
done without the active .co-operation Of
Republicans. This signal instance illus
trates the public judgment and the set
tied rule Of action on questions of, party
responsibility. The majority of the
Democratic party. both in this state and
throughout the country detested the
Tweed Ring; and vet it was. held that
the democratic party justly suffered the
sole punishment of crimes committed
when the Governor and p majority of
the Legislature, were persons whom; it
had elected; If this nnsparing rule was
righteous when applied to the Demo
cratic party, justice requires that it
/ should be enforced with equal riaor
against the Republican party afi 10
The same principle is illustrated, by
another conspicuous example. When
the Missouri Compromise was repealed
in 1854, nearly all. the Southern Wings
voted for the repeal and nearly a hun-
dred Northern Democrats voted against
it. But the Democratic party having
the President, and a majority of Com
gress, was held responsible, notwith-
standing the divided. state of the vote i;
and the newly former Republican par
ty would have secuted attempts to
shift the blame. When a political party
gains control of 4tfleI Governmeht. ut is
under a pledge to use the power with
which the people have ciothed it to pro-
mote good and prevent bad measures.
1t assumes the responsibility of all that
| is done,, because unless the party in
power is held answerable, the people
have no redress for public wrongs. The
chief use Of parties in the practical adj
ministration of the government consists
in the fact that parties can be punished
when Individual Offenders cannot be
reached, and that it is only through
parties thai proper latonement can be
made to public Justice. There is no pro-
cess Of law by which the salary-grab-
bers can be made to disgorge or visited
with individual penalties. Unless the
party in power is held to forfeit its
power by the villanies it perpetrates,
the people have 10 means Of reforming
abuses or making their vengeance felt.
The worst, e offender in this salary
| grab business is the Republican .Presi.
! dent of the United States. The really
strong point. in Buffers defence against
This Republican ienenlies in Massachtl.
!. sets was his allegation that attacks on
him we've really attacks on General
Grant and the Republican party. Gem
eral Grant Endorsed the 1niquity.. BY
signing the bill. Why should he have
been blind to an ..iniquity which, the
whole, country unitess in denouneing
/ The Constition places him as sentinel
on the ottposts of legislation and as
his veto outweighs anything short Of
Itwo-thfrds of both houses Congress
it is his duty to use that great power tic
protect the public interests. He. il
bound by his Office to examine all laws
with jealous scrutiny before he approves
them. He Is not fit to be President Il
he is too Obtuse to discover the charac.
ter Of infamous, swindling bills until
the universal outcry Of an Indignant
people brings It to his attention. Conk
for repeating the law, is an. admission
that Grant ought to, have vetoed it
What is the advantage or clothing til
President with the veto power il the in
famous salary grab, which his own par
tisans say ought to be promptly re
pealed, was not proper occasion fol
exercising it? If any bill ought ever 4
have. been vetoed, the sa1ary-grab wa
such bill. He did not veto it becaus,
it contained a heavy brlbe to himself
1t added 500, 600, to his own .conipensa
tion, and this great blibe paralyzed th,
veto power which was Inserted In TIL
Constitution TO meet just such cases o
ubiquitous legislation. The iRepnbli
can party cannot escape responsibiiit,
when its own newly elected Pfesiden
has thus basely betrayed his triist. E'ih''