The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-11-14
WHAT IL NIhMG.

l. WHAT II hLhEo
We are uunc ready To agree with tue OTTAWA
Republtcan in the statement that the clec 10:
of Mr. Campbell in this district 'no vcldc
in favor of Mr.. CampOtll's peculiar rapei
money scheme, which hu' "A small portion d
his constituents even understands and tia
he was supported by the hard aud soft money
democrats alike and that more Of IL" h',ci
voted for him than the former.
When however, in q general way, the he
lDaJlical, beyond the denial that the grand re-
publican smash-up is attributable to the I'm
ancial question, proceeds 10 argue that The
disaster is 10 be attributed to the "honesty''
of that party in havilg ordered invesiga
tions during the last few sessions of congrcs,
into the corruptiOns of the party leaders and
laying bare their manifold thieveries, thereby
bringing the party into dlsrepulc, then thai
paper gives a reason that cannot help but pro
woke a smile by its Hdtrc'e and dclision tor
its unworthiness The obvious moral ofs0ch
an accounting for the disaster would BE-, jDat
parties, to prolong their existence, must
manfully to the last for the thieves Permit U
to say, In spite Of the numerous slip.shod and
whitewashing investigations instituted by
the ruling party in congress, the party owes
more Of its disasters to its evident eiior :,
amid noisy ald ostcntatous St0D of invest
CATION, to c0nceal the delnqucncies of lis nd
herentS than to its honest success in showing
them up. Should the radical party hereafter
take the advice of the Republican, and adopt
the policy OF covering up and hiding the
corruptions of its leaders," we feel quite con
fdcnt it will wake up, should its miserable
existence be prolonged, to still greater over
throw hereafter than that which has now
overtaken it. Maugrc all the Republican may
say to the contrary, our faith is unmoved that
in politics as in the common affairs of life,
honesty will always be found the best policy.
But while the late republican smash up is
attributable neither to the finance question
or TO what the Ottawa Republican, would call
its callow or squeamish honesty, there are
some causes Of The disaster that stand out 50
prominently. that it is impossible for any but
the wiltully blind not to see them. One off
these is indicated by the Detroit Free Press,
which says the republican overthrow was the
result OF a "revolt against the tyranny of par
tyranny which said that the
rights of an entire state should be ruthlessly
sacrificed that party supremacy might be pre-
served that dictated the reelection Of Butler
and of Field, and the reinstatement Of Chan
llor and Carpenter for the same end" and
we may add, that kept scOundrels like kel- |
ogg and Durell in power in spite OF their
cxecratlon and adherence by the
honest masses. But underlying all these
was the growing Indifference Of Grant and
lie entire body Of republican leaders to pub
he opinion. Many Of its ablest leaders and
presses were daily arraigning is blundcrs
Ind corruption, yet Grant, and his cabinet,
md the imperious senate majority, went on |
rom blunder to blunder, and outrage to out.
age, as if all was Quiescent and serene. II |
oJk an earthquake to startle them from their
ethargy and delusive security. 1t Is worse
han an earthquake, for even the waste Of an
earthquake can be repaired, but it was The
inell Of doom-,he writing or the wall-thc
arne teiG aDhartn of the hand Of destiny.