Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-05-08
The Republican Party.

scores of INSCRIPTIONS Adventures in
politics and journalism, ard it gained
what brief life it had from the desper-
ate need of the Democratic Party,
which laid hold on it as a drowning
man catches at a straw There was nc
principle in the affair, and its only hope
OF success from the start was the bold
presumption that the majority of the
American people were knaves or fools.
No such audacious piece Of hypocracy
was ever known in our history before,
and the people buried it out of sight in
contempt.
A few of the leading spirits in the
game are now trying to attract atten-
ton by crying out that the Republican
party is utterly corrupt, and that they
told US so long ago. They are false in
both assertions. The Republican par
ty is not utterly corrupt, and the evils
the opposition Press declared to exist
do not exist. They aimed the body OF
their SANDER, during the campaign, at
President Grant, who was denounced
as mixed up in innumerable corrupt
schemes. Yet, although Gen. Grant
has been in the midst of a steady fire
of investigations extending over two
sessions of Congress, and all participat-
ed in by his bitterest enemies,
his reputation remains absolutely un-
touched. They told us that the in
trigue5 of the caucus, and the purchase
and sale of offices, were the controlling
influence in the Administration party;
yet they must acknowledge that no
Presidential election was ever followed
by SO few changes 10 the offices, and
TINT never before were there go many
many politicians in the Republican
party declaring that the President was
not consulting party interests in his
Moreover, if there
were any truth or capacity for truth in
these reckless scolds, they would con-
fess that, right or wrong, the action of
the last Congress, in all important re-
CARDS, was neither controlled by the
Executive nor agreed on in caucus.
But it would be tedious to go over
the numerous counts in the Liberal"
which have fallen through,
or to recite the long list of false and
foolish s'Liberap' prophecies. Every
one sees that they did not, during the
and do not now, touch the
essential facts of the case. They have
always proceeded ON the theory that
the Republican party is demoralized,
and that the only remedy for its de-
decentralization is a change OF parties.
The authors of this doctrine took the
sense of the country upon it last No
and one would suppose they
could understand the answer. But
they do not seem to do so. The answer
was, in effect, that the Republican par
tv was vastly better than any substi-
Iute yet proposed for it. 1t is true 1t
It has bad men in it. They did not all
70 into the Liberal movement. 1t is
rue that some of its active and infu-
sntial members have low standard OF
political purity, and no respect for
hose holding a higher one. Mr.. Ben.
Butler forced the salary steal through
.he House of Representatives, and
boasts that he can be the next Repub-
ican candidate for Governor OF Massa-
.husetts. 1t is true that some of the
.eally trusted leaders of the party are
,ot so sensitive as theysshould be to
he value of perfect disinterestedness
n public men. Mr.. Bingham, of Ohio,
defended the Credit Mobilier invest
nents of Congressman, and others OF
,aual rank found no fault with them.
But the party has vitality enough,
IS the people believe, to slough off its
,ad men, and to correct the errors OF
is good ones. Compare its record in
his regard with that of its only promi-
lent competitor, the Democratic party.
The majority of those who voted
lgainst the salary grab were Republi-
ans, and these were the majority OF
heir party in Congress. 1t was Re
publican committee, demanded by
Speaker of the House, that
lnearthed the Credit Mobilier scandals
md if the House had followed the
wish of the vast majority ofthe Repub-
lean party in the country, every man
involved would have been expelled
L was a Republican leader in the SEN
tie that drove the intriguer Caldwell
rom the Chamber, and every Repub-
lean in the country felt that the act
vas just one. Finally, it is the Re-
publican Press that has exposed most
and thoroughly the names of
he men who supported the salary
teal, and has declared them unworthy
If popular confidence. We have not
cen a single instance of q like position
IN the part of any Democratic journal.
These facts show plainly enough that
he Republican party is far more likely
o purify itself than the Democratic
,arty is to purify the Government, if
n possession oft. 1t is bat the simple
ruth that, taking tie country over,
he Republican party includes a ma
ority of the more intelligent and best
of the people. 1t is also
rue that a great majority of its mem
'ers belong to this class. 1t is idle to
ak of such a party being corrupted.-l
t cannot be SO until the proportion of
he good and bad men in it are revers-
d. Before that can occur there must
e struggle, in which we believe the
ad will have to succumb. We admit
hat the Republican party will, sooner