Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-21
nailp Arnnebee eonrnal
AU q u q T AZ
SATURDAY MORNING. Mar. 81. 1874
4 DEMOCRATIC REFORlIER.

he -AiOdnA DUutllsi iiaS i0t q "
opinion of Fernando Wood, as reforiner.
After his recent speech in which he as
sumed that character the Journal was
moved to speak as follows;
Fernando Wood urging economy and
purity is an object calculated not to rake
angels weep but to make devils laugh.
Tweeds announcement Of himself on
Blackwell's island as statesman was
a spectacle less grotesque and satirical
than that of Wood appearing as re-
former. To make even Satan rebuklng
sin fair type and parallel of this exhibit
ton, it would be necessary to show that
what Wood denounces what he describes
it. The characters might resemble each
other, but not the detectives. Wood lead
ing the bleareyed DULLES of the slums in
riotous revolt against the laws is an effigy
more in harmony with the eternal fitness
of things than Wood canting of economy
on the floor Of Congress.
This lovely and virtuous specimen of a
'reformer' assails the Government and the
republican party upon the ground that the
civil list has been largely increased. lie
finds that the number persons employed
in the national service is about twice as
large as in 1860. But does he suppose
that double the work is to be performed
by the same force? The democratic re-
bellion which Fernando Wood did his
worst to help on has imposed an immense
amount of additional work on the Govern
ment. The whole internal revenue sys.
tenn has grown out of it. The pension
bureau has necessarily increased to many
times its original proportions. The pos.
tai service has been greatly extended. In
Il score of ways it has been an absolute
necessity to increase the number of per-
sons employed by the Government, and
thus the criticisms of Mr. Wood on this
point utterly fall to the ground. The true
subject Of criticism is not the employment
of the force needed to perform the indis-
pensable work. but the democratic rebel
lion which rendered the work necessary.
Many of Mr.. Woods other statements
are equally unfounded in reason and
altogether untrue in fact. Among these
is his assertion that the republican admin
istration has maintained large standing
army in time of peace. The falsity of this
is patent to everybody. Immediately up
on the close Of the war the army was re-
duced to small proportions, and has been
thus restricted ever since. Before Mr..
Wood made this speech the House had
passed bill practically compelling a still
further reduction of the force by reducing
the appropriation, passed it, too, in the
face of vehement criticism that it was cut
ting the army below what the require
ments of the frontier demanded. All of
Mr.. Woods charges are of the same char
acter. and they are weak equally in their
own emptiness and in the source from
which they emanate.
Even Mr.. Woods rank as the leader of
the democracy cannot lend them any
weight. The fact of his position as its
acknowledged representative may drag
the party down but it cannot lift his accu-
sations above their own level of falsty.
If the democrats want to give even a color
of responsibility to their criticisms, they
had better put forward some other spokes-
man. Even valid objections would lose
their power to make an impression COM
ing through such channel, and when the
objections are as destitute of truth as the
objector is Of character, the public only
smile with derision."