Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-07-16

, that our pride shall be humbled; tha
our national glory shall depart that W
shall live only on the brief page of histo
, ~; that we shall descend into that mer
lted oblivion which awaits nations ant
men who violate the true principle
which underlie all moral greatness.
To the patriot, then, who from thi
standpoint surveys the national horizon
/ what are the signs of the times Is thu
SKY all bright and clear and full of th,
noon-tide sunshine? Or are there cloud
winch, though yet no larger than a mani
nand may nevertheless be ominous o
coming disaster?
We behold the dark cloud of Intem.
! perance overshadowing the land. w,
see it filling our jails with criminals
crowding our alhs-houses with paupers
heaping up mounds in our cemeteries
we see it making widows aad orphan.
innumerable we see this dread mon
ster, like the deadly upas tree of thu
eastern isles, with its poisonous breatt
blighting the national life, scourginE
the fair land as with besom of destruc-
ton until the lover of his country may
well pause and ask, shall we become 8
nation of drunkards /?
l Dishonesty prevails to an alarming ex.
tent. The newspapers teem with start
ling accounts of entertainments, defal.
cations, robberies, burglaries, and frauds
of every conceivable kind the natural
and inevitable consequences of fast liv-
ing, and tho insane haste to get rich
which seems so wide spread and uni
versal at the present day. The murder
er waylays his victim at the midnight
hour or pistols him in the public hoteI at
MONDAY. He is ar ested, tried for his
crime and discharged on the plea ofemo-
tional insanity. The burglar or pick
pocket is caught in the act or the stolen
| property is found in his possession. The
chances are good that justice will be
cheated and the criminal turned loose to
ply his avocation with moro impudence
than before.
Corruption rules in high places as well
as in the low. Bribery is potent; Off
cials, legislators, judges even are not al
ways above ssupicion. The almighty
dollar, even though it be only a green
back that has no jingle to it, was never
more persuasive than now. Revelations
daily occur at which the community
stands appalled,. We behold the gov
ernment bestowing unstinted aid in be-
half of Pacific Railroad by the dOna-
tion of lands and the issue of bonds, ta-
king first mortgage to secure ITSELF All
S supposed to be lovely, when 10 some
fine morning a terrible discovery is
made. The first mortgage has been
transposed into a second one. A joint
stock company has been formed to fat
ten upon the liberal donations ofthe gov
ernment to a great public interest, and
and Judges, senators, representatives,
high officials, and eminent business men
are found amongst the conspirators,
whilst the people who foot the bills be-
gin to realize that they have been swim
I1A hr-o Tf-1rIff TTohf1sa. Caornnlrr Eor
the enormities of this transaction ceased
to disturb the public mind when our Ma
tional Congress, as if in wanton proYoca-
ion, or as if aetuated by desire to see
how much a patient constituency might
bear, vote into their own pockets hun
dreds of thousands of dollars for back
pay under what is commonly termed
''The Salary Bill" Methinks they have
found out how much the people will
bear. The universal cry of condemna-
ton that has gone up from the people in
Conventions, IN State Legislatures, and
through the press, must teach our serv-
ants that this was indeed the ''last
straw; and lift did not break the pa
tient camel's back, it was not because
the straw was not an heavy one, but
simply because the back was the back of
a giant, the back of a Hercules. The
back broke not indeed, but the heels flew
up prodigiously and kicks and curses as
well as coppers reached the pocketers Of
the grab. or these offenders, we may
truly say:
80, that some Power the gift wad gle 'em,
To see themselves as ithers see them
It we'd fraesmany nlunuer nee 'em,
An foolish notion"
Verify when we see so much corrup-
ton in high places, we may well exclaim
with the old English author:
"When vice prevails and impious men
bear sway, the post Of honor is a private
But we would not hence infer that our
country's outlook is gloomy one. True,
there are giant evils in our midst, which
call loudly for reformation. When he
sees crime, and intemperance and cor
ruption abroad in the land, the patriot
might tremble were it not for an implic-
II faith in the destiny of our nation, and
an abiding trust in the character of our
people as whole.
The great heart of the people is true
and pure and honest. 1t stands ready to |
rebuke crime and immortality it stands |
ready to frown upon corruption wherev-
er found; it believes in the true, the |
beautiful, the good. Ittrusts in the God |
Of Nations and has faith in republican /
institutions.
If crime is committed, It would secure |
swift punishment if intemperance |
blights, it would crush out the upas; if
official stewards prove corrupt, it will |
bid them stand aside to give place to /
and better men.
Thus, actaated by the noblest prin-
ciples, and imbued with the purest /
thoughts of Christianity, intelligence
aud morality, the people hold and will |
themselves use the reins of sovereignty.
In them is the source Of political power;
in them let US hope will ever be found
that sterling patriotism and incorruptible
virtue which alone is able to cement, to
purify and perpetuate republican insti-
buttons. And who are the teachers, the
of true patriotism and
virtue? We may not look with abiding
laith- to the executive, legislative or
judicial authorities to find them, for
alas late experience has taught us that
may exist even there. But
i is to The mothers, and the early in
structors of our youth that we must
repair. We must go to the domestic
ireside where good motives are i'm
where noble thoughts are in
spired, where the future citizen is disci-
1lined by the loving eye and the gentle
hand. Mothers ofthe republic! Yours
t is under God to give the answer to the
Iuestion-how long shall the nation
i've Yours it is to say what shall be
he character of our people. Yours the
duty of moulding the des-
inies of our beloved country.
What magnificent future awaits our
nation If not IN open vision, yet in
ylimpses of hope we behold its daBning
greatness. We see the great West over
lowing with swarming millions, build
ng there of itself a mighty empire we
zee the marvellous achievements of
Icience and skilled industry; we look
highly cultivated fields; we see the
axes and rivers white with the sails of
,nmmerce; we see unnumbered leagues
If waving wheat and rustling corn in
his future granary of the world. From
very hillside and plain we see the
roof and the church spire
hesvenward, emblems of the
highest type of civilization.
We see all around US the triumphs OF
,eace, no less renowned than those of
var. We see those two giant forces
capital and Labor no longer glaring upon
ng together as they ever should, hand
n hand, to develope the resources of a
continent; we behold vast systems of
improvement whereby the pro-
iuctions of the continents heart are
'arried cheaply to the sea-board, thence
o be distributed to feed the world we
,ehold the incarnate fiend of Intemper-
Ince banished from our midst, and in
lis place are happy homes, and empty
ails and almshouses fast fastening to