The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-06-19
words Fitlx spoken.

General Thomas II. Wllds, formerly
a citizen of Ravenna, but now young
and promising lawyer of Akron, de-
liyered the address at Mogadore on
Decoration-D Day. 1t was an eloquent
and wen-timed effort, full of good sug-
gestions and patriotic sentiments
General Wilds has always acted with
the Republican party but his address
abounds with sentiments which will
meet with the most hearty approval
of every. Democrat. We have not
room for the oration in full, but copy
from it as published in the Akron
City Times the following closing par
agraphs: 5.''
Upon you who have borne arms in
defense of your country much also
depends to sustain and support the
fabric you have reared. The-mog-al
force of yoat1r characters, and the con-
sistency of your conduct will do
much toward eradicating the fell
spirit of official corruption that has
been so rife in our halls of legislst -on
and everywhere else for the past few
years. and which, You all know, sur
passes anything ever witnessed in this
country. Put yOat2' faces against all
''Credit Mobilier" and "salary grab"
transactions in high and low places,
and they will very soon disappear
These are blotches, bad sores on our
body polite, which you, as citizens,
must hasten to correct, and let your
correction be slcift and sure as yon
love your country, and value your
honor as true an d honest men.
You cannot afford to jeopardize all
of the fruits of your Victories by al
lowing the very name of your country
to be very often disgraced in the eyes
of the whole world as it has been at
Vienna lately. AT last accounts the
American Department at the Worlds
Exposition had not been fully put in
shape, owing to the corruption of the
Commissioners we sent there to su-
perintend it. ,I 1t Is literally and pain
fully true that the only article in
which Americans are now fairly rep
resented at the Worlds Exposition is
their corruption.
But history shows us that corrup-
ton in state affairs nearly always fol-
lows in the wake of great wars. In
triguing politicians, and shameless.
dishonest demag gogues take advantage
of the patriotism and enthusiasm of
the people at such times to push them
selves into places where the people
would never think of putting them in
cooler aud more methodicaI times,
and after they once get fastened upon
them it often requires the exercise of
the whole strength of the people to
shake them off. But shake them of
you must, would you preserve even
the shadow of your institutions All
history teaches this, and by it meas
ure your condact. And such men al
ways grow boIder in their infafny,
and more daRing and defiant in their
acts of corruption until the people
rise in their might and put them
down. Parties have nothing to do
with it. Reforms always come from
the multitude, not from. party man
ayers. 80
just so was it in, the last Congress.
The amazement of the people at the
developments of the, Credit MobilieF
inyestigat had scarcely begun to
subside when the still more shocking
and astounding fraud upon the coun-
try known as the HsalaFy stealP was
enacted. And so it has always been.
Corrupt politicians, however. it may
be with other bad men, scarcely ever
become saint or patterns of honesty in
this world. In all history, sacred or
profane, we have account of but one
'thief" who received high assurances
Of a good time in the world to come,
and believe 1t has been pretty we'll
settled that he was not a political
thief, while the authorities are over
whelming against thatcla offellows
making much Improvement or enjoy
ing much felicity after they 4sfall
shuttle of this mortal .coil.glO Let us
take warming from the fateiof other
nations in time. ..nLEI 40. v llLau