Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-13
Address of the Union Republican
Congressional Committee.
lCoatin1od from last Week.
DEMOCRATIC PROMISES

renegade hepuOIlcanS to turn states
evidence and to swear that all politlca
virtue is in those discomfted force
. which resisted the progress of the las
: decade, and all villiany is in the force.
! which marshaled that progress. tt
such witnesses they have Iavishlv of
fered honors, Offices, dignities. presiden
cies, everything which could be made
the subject ofa promise.
To answer to any name; to profes.
every creed; to follow any flag tc
sleep in any bed to fraternize with all
factions; and to offer salve for every
sore such is the mission of the oppo-
sition to-day. Never before in politics
was lie enacted so transparent and 50
audacious as that paraded by the Dem
ocratic party in 1872, when thew
gravely introduced Horace Greeley ia
the people as their representative man.
1t is not possible such "signs and won
ders" can .sdeceive the elect" So far
they have failed to deceive even the
electors
IF that party feels 1t to be unkind to
remind it Of its past career, how must
it feel to be reminded of its present
attitude? Once its members profess
ed distinct principles; all that could
be objected to them was that they pro
fessed the worst principles extant.
But bad as they were, they were more
becoming than this utter abiuration of
all principles. You may not like to
employ, but you do not wholly despise,
the zealot who consistently asserts that
sarsaparilla will cure every disease and
so urges it upon every patient; but
who can respect the charlatan who per-
sistently cries to the sick, give me
your money and you may take what
remedies you please Z"
When in 1860 Democrats said.
Continue US in power and we will
Aeck the Territories with slavery -
when in 1864 they said, ''restore us to
power and we will barter with rebels,
giving freedom for peace ;" when in
1868 they said again, ''restorc us to
power and we will abrogate three great
amendments to the Constitution, secure
government to white men, and return
slavery to cOlored men. it could only
be replied that such ipv;tations were
very unattractive. FAt wh1r in 1872
they cried, ''restore us to Office once
more and we will do everything that
anybody wants DONE the invitation
was utterly repulsive And when
they supplement- this brazen indiffer-
ence to principle by stolid indiffer-
to truth when, weary of opposing
the measures Of the m jority, they
combine to assail their characters /;
when they abandon false reasoning on
ly to resort to false assertions. they ex-
hlbit an opposition hard, if not impos-
Sible to parallel.
And yet that opposition, while it
never was so bad, never was so danger
eous as now. People can better Judge
the merits Of measure than the mer-
its Of a man. They can more readily
detect fallacious argument than a
false statement When the opposition
denounced Republicans as misguided
statesman, the people could safely COM
pare our measures with theirs, and
judge which were best. But when
they denounce Republicans as thieves
it is not SO easy TO try the truth of the
assertion. Besides two circumstances
give slight color to that allegation
First, Republicans have possession of
the Government, and have the best
chance to peculate. Second. 1t has
been the especial labor Of the present
Administration to detect and punish
peculation. Some cases have been
found.
He was a great statesman, as well
as a great poet, who made Casslus say {:
Tn such a time as this it is not meet
That every nice offence should bear his com
ment,
However specious that theory may
sound. many great rulers have been
compelled in turbulent times to prac-
tice upon it. William III was an
honest magistrate. He had world
to fight, and he was compelled to be
very ienient toward the treasons Of
Godolphin and Marlborough. He was
slow TO punish the embellishments of
Torrington, and he never did punish
the manifold rascalities of Oxford.
During the struggle and excitement
which attended the rebellion some bad
men found their way into public en-
ployments. Mr.. Lincoln's administra-
ton was too much occupied with
graver matters to keep watch of every
individual offender. The administra-
ton which succeeded was quite as un-
prepared for that duty. Congress was
then much absorbed in the great work
of reconstruction, and the President
was not happily fitted to criticise Off
cial misconduct. But the present Ad-
ministration has no exemption from
that work. Il it is not attended to
now, the Administration, and not the
times. must be held responsible. But
it is attended to. 1t is prosecuted
with that infexible energy which has
characterized every labor led by Presi-
dent GRAFT. Some offences have been
exposed. And every time rogue has
been punished the opposition has shout
ed: ssSee how corrupt Republicans
are =" It is as If, whenever a surgeon
removes a tumor from his patient the
mob should shout ; ''How very rotten
the doctor must be ~ So, this un-