Liberal Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1872-1???, 1873-09-13
PUBLIC AND OFFICIAL MORAL
ITY.

| oSICptaieO Outo spooSu,
Morton of Indiana undertook to
justify the unparalleled corouptions of
the present administration, by the
most ummitigated bare faced falsehood
ever uttered by the tongue Of man,
he said:
"The standard of public morals is
to-day higher in this country than it
has ever been before; that public
morals have been improved and elevated
during the last twelve years; that it is
not that Congress is more corrupt than
formerly, but that public opinion
demands a higher standard of rectitude
on the part of public men than was
ever before exacted."
This statements not only false Ell solute
ly, but it argues therottenand dangerous
doctrine, that public servants have a
right, to be just as corrupt as the
general morals and patience of the
people will permit, and so long as the
sovereigus of the country do not demand
a more close adherence to honesty
public men have licedse to steal, rob
and plumber without limit, just in
proportion to the guliblIity OF the
people they.represent and serve. Morton
also says:
"I have searched history for the
past hundred years, and find that
public morals day are higher than
they have been at any date within that
time"
This is paying brilliant tribute to
he patriot fathers and mothers of the
revolution, but the whole statement is
as false as hell itself The truth is,
this old thief has been searching history
to find something to allay the constant
rawlings OF suilty conscience, and
cover up his own perfdy and crimes
The mar who, in our judgement, would
tor the purpose of covering up
his owu infamy, publicly state, that the
standard of public morals was higher
at this time, that at any time, driDg
the existence of the Republic, would
disinter his grandmother, for the
purpose of stealing the copper cents
that held down her eye>lids. But for
a complete answer to Morton's speech
on that subject, we prefer to give the
comments of the Chicago Tribune
as the expression of our sentiments:
against this declaration we place
solemn records of the Government.
Leaving on the transactions of the War
the fraudulent coDtrats, the general
swindlIng and rascality practiced in the
hour OF the national troubles, we will
begin with the time when the wal
closed. 1t is matter of record thai
during the next four years, much Of
the taxes collected from the people
never reached the Government; thai
the whole Civil Service dengeneratet
into system of plunder and robbery
that personal gain became, to a great
extent, the exclusive motive for seeking
Office. The Civil Service, including
all branches Of the revenue collection
became notoriously and confessedly
corrupt aud dishonest. The constant
theme of the Republican party at that
time was the depravity which prevaded
the administration of the public service
1t was true that andrew johnson was
then President, bnt he could not make
an appointment that did not require
the previous approval of the Senate
nor was he allowed to dismiss any
officer without the permission of the
same body. How has the service been
reformen since? Let the reports of
the various Investigating Committees
answer, as to~the unquestioned corrupt