Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-03-06
REPUBLICAN, DUTY.

] That there will be concerted effol
: upon the part of the opposition to ider
I tify the diseredit of the Credit Mobile
: and of the Kansas Senators with tn
Republican party is already eviden
3 The Democratic Convention of Con
necticut has sounded the keynote. TIL
cry is to be that radicalism is rascalit,
/ and the proof is to be the disclosures @
the investigating committees. But til
effort will fail, and for two reasons
, first, the nature of the case; for tn
, conduct of individuals cannot and doe
not in the honest judgment of tn
country involve the party to which the,
belong; and secondly, it is the Repub
lican party itself which authorizes anG
conducts the Investigations, and whicl
will undoubtedly punish all proved OF
tenders. 1t is most painful fact, al
we remark elsewhere, that Republican
Legislators in New York, for instance
should have been bribed by Tweed and
the Tamnany Ring. But nobody i:
surprised that venal men attach them
selves to dominant party, and some
times intrigue themselves into place
The party, meanwhile, is judged by its
principles, by its policy and tendency,
and by the general character of its
membership.
If the principles Of party are lofty
and generous and wise-if its progress
is marked by great and beDeficent
measures-if it is supported by the most
intelligent, industrious, and moral part
of the population-if it is in harmony
with the genius and character of our
institutions, the faults Of conspicuous
leaders, while they grieve the country,
do not drive it into the arms of the OPP
position, and nothing but the plain
perception that the party policy is di-
reeted by unworthy chiefs will ALLEVIATE
from it the confidence of the country.
Thus when it is shown that Messrs.
Pomeroy and Caldwell are corrupt, Re-
publicans expect and demand that the
party majority in the Senate will pun
ish them as they deserve. But should
it appear that, being corrupt, such per
sons control the action of the party, the
party itself would be deserted by hon.
est men.
There is treacherous timidity which
says that party must not let its mem
bers be hunted down by the opposition,
meaning that the party must protect
them at all hazards. But this is coun-
sci that betrays both the party and the
cause. Nothing ruins popular conf
dence in party so swiftly as the per-
ception that it fears to deal with dis
honesty in its own ranks. Here, for
instance. in the Senate is the case of
Mr.. Caldwell, of Kansas. The testi-
mony of corruption is direct and almost
He submits statement in |
reply, and when asked by the chair
man of the committee if he is willing
to swear to it, he says no. Probably |
nobody who has read the evidence
doubts that he should be expelled.
Which would injure the party more to
retain him or to expel him? OF course
the details of evidence in the full re-
,,o.t a,I tba oon, b;,af;an Of o;ropp,
stances may be such as to justify his ac-
luittal. Let that be made plain, and
The country will be satisfied.
For there should be no scape-goats
md no yielding to what is called popu-
ar clamor. The expulsion of a menu
Der of Congress for corruption is a SOL
,mn declaration of dishonesty by the
iiest tribunal. Members are bound by
very consideration of morality and
humanity not to be swift or eager in
uch judgment. They are not to
acrifice the character and career of
my man because there sis a general I'M
PRESTON of something wrong" or be-
ause ''the party can not afford'' to with
tand the clamor. The thing that no
,arty and no man can afford is doing
Injustice or countenancing dishonesty.
md as the party should sustain the man
gainst whom no offense is proved, how
ver vociferous the clamor, so it should
isavow him who is shown to be dis
onest, however the timid may protest.
Whether before the expiration of Con-
ress on the 18th of March proper in
uiry could be made by the Senate into
he case of Mr.. Pomeroy is doubtful.
'ut there Is ample time for judgment
n the case of Mr.. Caldwell. 1t is GER
ainly a painful fact that while proofs
dishonesty were accumulating against
ne of the Kansas Senators, the other
hould be denounced in the Legislature
f the State as attempting by similar
ishonesty to secure his reelection. Yet
ven in Kansas there is reason to believe
nat better day is dawning.
On the 1lth of April, 1861, the time
rhen Mr.. Pomeroy was first elected-as
re learn from an unquestionable au-
lority in the Rochester Chronicle-an
rticle appeared in the Daily Conserra-
re Of Leavenworth, which said: :
"The means by which this verdict has :,
cen obtained form melancholy COM
lentary upon the virtue of republics, L
nd afford new occasion for the ex- O
IamatiOn of Chancellor Oxenstiern, a
my son, with how little wis :,
ON the world is governedn As a flash
lightning reveals in one evasive in
,ant all the gloomy horrors of bro
en- landscape, so some of these votes n
Illuminate with an instantaneous glare
he whole horizon of mean, depraved, "
nd vicious nature, the dark recesses of q
the yawning chasms in o
onor, blighted faith, and noble shame 81
-hich scar the heart, and which no !,
larity can palliate, which no forgive
ess can cover with the Oblivion of u
overs. Though success makes Ce- d
lr of Catiline, and men soon forget fl
he errors of the powerful, the patriot h
Iust contemplate with troubled heart "
le attainment of elevation by acts
hich strike directly at the foundations C;
those virtues without which re- ii
ublic Is impossible: the intimidation n
the weak by threats; the seduction =
+ the mercenary by bribes. There are u
,me men who fatten upon public ca IL
mities as the Esquimaux gorge them I
lives upon an occasional walrus-
rings of accident thrown to the sur Z
zee during popular tumult, and left a
,tting upon the shore by the subsiding p
de, till the reluctant senses compel c,
athsome recognition"
The article ended with the hope that ''
ansas might one day be represented
V men who have other claims than