Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-08-25
THE RRMHDY.

"If" said Gov. Palmer, Of Illinois,
In a recent speech. "you had not
elected salary grsbbers there would
have been no salary grab. II you had
not elected Credit Mobilier members
of Congress, there would have been no
fraud Of that Sort l have no patience
with these complaints Of the people
about dishonest officials. The people
can have honest men In office II they
want them, but they never will until
they want them badly enough to elect
Them" These words coming from the
sturdy old Illinois Governor, are
worthy of remembrance. Hover the
country to-day the people are groan-
ing under abuses, smartlng under the
humiliation Of venal representatives,
and venting indignant deuunciations
upon the men who have basely be-
trayed them. Corporations, monopo-
lies and National Banks are said to DO
represented In the executive, legisla-
tive and judicial departments Of gov
ernment, while the producing and Ia
boring classes are entirely ignored
both in nominating conventions and In
legislation. To such an extent has
this system Of packing conventions and
making nominations Of tools and In
competents, in the interest Of monop-
olies, and electing such nominees un
der tho cry Of allegiance to party. pro-
gressed, that to-day Il Is stoutly
claimed, and with good reason, that
the United States aud nearly all the
State governments arc In the hands
and under the almost absolute dicta-
tlon Of a score Of people. Now what
Is the remedy: It Is simple enough,
and only needs independence Of char
acter and sufficient interest in the
Government among the people to take
the matter in their own hands; to turn
out dishonest and put In honest men.
If either party, Republican or Demo-
cratic, through Its State or county
committees, Its primaries or conven-
tions, dare put men In the field for
election who are known to be In league
with the oppressors Of the people;
nav, who are not known to be against
their illegal and extortionate exac-
tions, let the people refuse such party
nominees their support, let them hold
other conventions, make new nomina-
tions from among their own number,
men whom they can depend upon and
then elect them, rs they can easily do.
Once let this busbear Of party duty be
destroyed and the work Is easy enough.
A free elector will bear no allegiance
to a party organization when it fails
TO represent his vlew' or nominate
men who will carry the principles OF
It's platform into execution. There 10
no right, justice. or common In
supporting for office candidates who
are known to DO unfit, simply because
they are Democrats or Republicans.
It Is this servile crlnging fear OF being
ostracised from, or being called n trail
tor to a party, a bolter, which has
filled our Courts and Legislatures with
the creatures Of vast moneyed Inter
ests and debased tho standard Of polit-
ical honor. Independence in the ex.
ercise of the elective franchise Is just
rs indispensable to self-goycrnment as
personal liberty In fact the latter
cannot long exist without q right ex-
ercise Of the former. When the time
comes that every man who claims a
citizens right under this government
shall select freely and without fear Of
criticism or calumny, tho men he
deems best fitted for law-givers and
executives, we shall have no more sal
airy grabbers or Credit Mobllier thieves
In Congress, and the lands OF this Gov
eminent will be reserved for its set
tiers and their children. Until party
prejudice shall be superseded by In
dlvldual Judgment and honest voting
in accordance with Its conclusions, no
reforms Of value to the producers or
laborers Of the country can be achiev-
ed. When the people want honest
men badly enough to nominate and
elect them, regardless of their party
names, they can have them they
never will in any other way.