Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-11-04
SENATOR CONKLING on ABUSE or
PUBLIC MEN.

In his speech at Brooklyn last Friday,
Senator Conkling made the following trench
ant remarks upon the indscriminate eensure
which 10 hexped upon public men and the re-
publican party.
The country has long been filled it'll din
about universal corruption. A foreigner read
ing . large part of the American press, or
travelling through the United States and lis
tening to what has come to be the general
rule of talk, would suppose we had fallen on
the most depraved and venal era of the Re-
public, If not Of the world. Nothing is ex-
empt. Everything is cheapened, everything
10 suspected and disparsged From the Pres
ident down every man in public station, every
candidate for public station. is treated as If
he we're an unprincipled schemer The pre-
sumptions of common sense are reversed.
Formerly, II man was selected by his fellow
citizens for = public trust, the presumption
sumpticns of the Law for thousand years has
bsen that public officer does his duty. But
nov man need only be nominated to be at
once suspected; he need only be in Office to
be the mark for every foul imputation. All
this, of course, takes effect chiefly on the par
y in power. For fourteen years the repub-
licAn party has held power, save during the
three years when the democratic party and
Andrew johnson pressed each other to each
others bosoms. CHEERS and laughier)
will not speak of what has been accomplished
during these memorable years. five dare
refer to the past we are at once told that
party cant live on its past-and this is true
but when you want to know what man or a
body Of men can do, or will do 10 the future,
it 10 rather useful to know what they have
A4~ IL nl~r AL
ing with the achievements in war, peace, dip
lomacy, finance, civilization, of the repubi-
can party. My point is different. During
all these years not only the opposition and
the "outs, but the non-partisan, the impa
tient, the critics, politicians, people, gossips
and press have been battering away at the
party in power. Much of this peting ia Is on
the President and Congress, and am glad to
know it grows worse and worse, because its
excess is to be its cure, and the sooner the
point of safety and reaction is reached the
better. 1t was very bad In Mr.. Lincolns
time. 1t is far worse now. When Mr.. Sum
ner died most Of his eulogists seemed to fall
involuntarily into dismal .E"q3a;.cas Of
praise; in stereoiyped phrase tley praised
him for being personally honest lin these
times of general corruption" Such ratings
and lamentations have filled the public ear
till thousands Of men and women are puzzled
and respondent and half doubtful whether it
10 worth while to vote or to disch ,rge the du-
ties Of citizenship. Speaking not as a repub.
iican, but as an American, proud OF my coun
try and my countrymen, | enter my denial
and my protest against Ills monstrous libel
tremendous cheering.) Speaking IF public
men 10 Washington en- both sides, no "a body,
believe they will compare favorabiy with
those Who went before them. / entered Con-
gress fifteen years ago. From then till now,
under Buchanan, Lincoln, johnson, Grant,
my opportunity Of seeing both before and be-
hind the SCENES has been improved with dill.
gence, and nothing Is more certain than the
change for the better in the Executive De-
partments in both wings Of the Capitol and in
The Supreme Court. (Applause.) In 1859 a
large proportion OF the men bers Of the House
OF Representatives went habitually armed
With deadly weapons. Drinking TO excess
was surprisingly common. Large numbers
IN both houses were often, lorg before even
ing, unit to do business. Liquor was kept,
- FAR ~ i know, In every committee room in
the Cspitol-bookcases doing duty as side
boards. Gambling and other dissipations
we're very common among public men, and
vice and debauchery were topics Ct loud and
anclean jest. Lobbying and jobbery were
too palpable and prevalent to be overlooked.
and on all sides lax practises prevailed which
nov would scarcely be credited. All this is
changed for the better, greatly for the better
in all respects. Liquor 10 not tolerated in
the Capitol. (Cheers.) Hardly a man in