Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-02-11
WORSE THAN TAMMANY.


country. Tweed, Sweeney & Co., who had
been prominent Democratic politicians, says
the Cbambersbure Valley Spirit, were hunted
down with remarkable vigor for their enor-
nous populations upon the City Treasury
The attempt was made to brand the Demo-
cratic party of New York and the country
with the infamy of their swindling transac-
tions. This attempt was crowned with suc>
cess. The country rang with the charges of
fraud that Tammany had committed, and he
was bold man who essayed any defence of
that ancient society. The tremendous cur
rent of popular indignation swept from power
and hurried into exile all the pets of that in.
stitution who had lined their own pockets at
the expense of the people. Carrying the
enormous load which Tammany thus imposed,
the Democratic party of the State of New
York went into battle and suffered an overs
whelming defeat.
It mattered not thata few Republican poll.
ticians were in league with Tammany and
shared with its chiefs in division of the
spolis There was no account kept of them
The principal actors being Democrats and the
City government being under Democratic con-
troll the people, perhaps naturally, held the
Democratic party responsible for the miscon-
duct and crimes of it's leaders, and defeated
its candidates at the polls. So terrible was
the vengeance executed upon it that good
men have entertained serious doubts whether
or not the new Tammany, purged of these old
leaders. re-organized under the leadership of
the ablest aud purest men of the City, will be
able to establish itself upon a stable footing
SO as to draw itself the confidence of the
masses.
We are not complaining of the Judgment
which has been thus rendered against Tam
many. 1t may be admitted, for the sake of
argument that it deserved all the punishment
that it has received. But how stands the case
with the Republican party? What of the
condition in which it is shown to be? Let
the records of the invest eating Committee at
Washington with reference to the Credit NJ o.
bilier stock answer. The men who have been
held up to the country as paragons of excel
lence and virtue have been exposed as takers
Of brides. They stand before the people to-
day, stripped of their cloak of self-righteous-
ness, condemned by testimony which seems to
be incontrovertible.
Wilson, Vice President elect, Colfax, the
present Vice President, Patterson, the pious
Senator from New Hampshire, Garfield of
Ohio, Kelley of Philadelphia Schofield, Con-
gresham at Large from the keystone State,
Dawes of Massachusetts-all shining lights in
the Republican party-are implicated beyond
question, by the developments which have
been made, to such an extent that no trust can
be any longer reposed in their integrity. Not
only is the fact shown that they were pur>
chasers OF stock at very suspicious rates, but
they have added to their own disgrace in this
connection by uttering and publishing the
most explicit denials of any connection with
the Credit Mobier stock. These denials are
shown to have been made in utter disregard
of the truth as made manifest by the meno-
randa of the agents of the Company, the pay
ment to them of dividends and the examina-
ton of their private bank accounts Will the
people hold them to that same rigid accounts
ability to which they held the chiefs of Tam>
many? 1t must be remembered, too, that
Mr.. Ames, the chief actor in the work of
bribing these men, is also Republican here,
totore in good standing in the Republican
party.
But one member of the Democratic party
is implicated in these corrupt transactions.
The party in power is clearly chargeable with
this ubiquitous business. Let the people re-
member that it is their duty to fix the re-
sponsibility of this enormous fraud where it
justly belongs There is another noticeable
fact in this matter which must be particularly
gratifying to certain portion of the citizens
of the country. During the recent campaign
the Liberal Republicans, who stepped out of
the ranks of the regular Republican orsani-
cation. charged this corruption upon the Adj
ministration party but their charges were met.
as we have said before, with sweeping and ex-
plicit denials.
The investigation has substantiated the
truth of their charges beyond the possibility
of successful refutation. But not this alone.
Among the parties implicated in these charges,
not one gentleman has been named who was
identified with the Liberal Republican party
No stain of this kind rests upon Sumner,
Schurz, Trumbull, Fenton, or Upton of the
Senate, or Banks and his Liberal Republican
associates of the House. The purity of the
motives of these gentlemen is thus established
and due credit should be accorded to them on
this account. On the forehead of the Repub-
lican party should be forever branded the in>
fanny which attaches to the use of the Credit
Mobilier stock in Congress for purposes of
hIiherv and carruntion Tho iniouitu oe