Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-09-09

1 "
ance Of the confidence hitherto reposcd
in the party in power IL brings up
again a point of a good deal Of Impor-
tance, which we have more than once
discussed IN these columns, and that Is,
the length to which this confidence
ought to be carried. AS the managers
state their cnsc, there is really no
reason why the party should not con-
tinue in power forever. What they
say is in substance, that il is quite true
that there are many abuses still need
ing correction, but that the Republican
party Is sure to correct them If we give
il time But the party has now been
so long in power, and has effected such
sweeping changes in the Government,
that u large majority Of the abuses
which now call for rectifcation are
really Of its own creation, or have
grown up under its rule. The moiety
system, the Sanborn contracts, and the
salary grab" for instance, to enumer-
ate those Of latest date, which the last
Congress has swept away, were the
direct result of Republican legislation.
The condition of the civil service,
though not Republican in its origin,
has reached its present pitch of bad
ness in Republican hands under the
enormous multiplication of the duties
Of the Government which has taken
place under Republican rule; but the
party as such gives itself no concern
about il, and is apparently hostile to
any change in it, and yet this abuse
may be said TO be the fountain Of oil
Others, and the one which most dis
tinctly imperils the Government. The
condition Of the South, and its relations
to the general Government, constitute
another abuse OF the most dangerous
magnitude, and yet the Congressional
Committee pass It over, as the majority
In the last Congress passed IL over, al
most without notice The condition
of the currency is another most alarm.
ing abuse, and all the committee have
to say about il ia that If the Republi
cans do not know how TO deal with it
neither do the Democrats--wlIich il
very much as If Jones, whom you had
taken to pilot yon along dangerous
coast, were to confess that he knew nc
moro about the coast than a babe un
born, but could assure you for youl
consolation that his rival Smith, who
wanted the job, knew nothing about i
either, and were to advise you to get
out your lines and 80 codfishing.
"a party in power which calmly con
fesses In q period of suspended speci,
payments chat il has nothing TO say
about the currency, and yet proposes
that il shall continue in power as long
as ii may be necessary for it to max,
up its mind, really claims the statui
and privileges ofa church. The churcl
is a permanent nstitution-created fol
the regeneration and salvation Of mcr
which cannot be overthrown or dis
pensed with, ,-and which, though il may
become corrupt or time-scrving or luke
warm, nevertheless contains within it
self the reformation and its one channe
of grace. This is virtually the kind o
position the committee claim for th,
Republican party. Under this defini
ton OF it, no valid reason for putting i
out of Office can ever arise, because, ne
matter of what faults or follies it may
be guilty, il can always abandon or re
form them. II may, for instance, ere
ate the moicty system, and breed
Jaynes and Sanborns, but then, as soor
as the people get angry, il can SWEEP
the system away, and dismiss Jayne
and Sanborn. II may pass a salary
bill, but if it finds the country is dis
pleased it can repeal il at the next ses
sion. 1t might propose measure o.
reputation, as some Of its leaders did
in 1868, but then if ii found the coun
try was not ready for it, it might
drop it.
@Now, this is a delightful theory fol
the politicians, because il means per
petual office for them and their friends
but is it theory which voters are
really ready TO sanction or adopt in q
country ruled byparty2 Would there
be under such a system any means
MISUNDERSTANDING responsibility
or of infusing any seriousness or care
into legislation Ifa party need new
er fear dismissal from power as long as
it is ready to undo the mischief II has
done, what check is there on its wrong
doing Take the moiety system. II
was in operation for five years; il de
moralizcd the commercial world il
converted the custom house into a den
of fraud and extortion IL subjected the
most respectable merchants tounheard-
of penalties il converted their conf
dental clerks into spies and ini6rmers,
put their private correspondence into
the hands of the lowest order Of adven-
turers, and enabled tribe of disreputa-
bic people to make fortunes by black
mail. Now, no party ought to dare To
create such a system. Aparty Is bound
to foresee the consequences Of such q
system, but what party will ever take
the trouble to examine such legislation
carefully, and follow out its probable
working, II it knows that il can get rid
of the burden and odium of il by sim.
ply repeating il after the knaves have
filed their pockets under itg Take
again the Sanhorn case. The three
most important officers of the Treasury
were convictcd--we do not think this
Is TO strong word--either of the
grossest negligence or of connivance
at fraud. They were armed with the
power they abused by a careless act Of
Congress When the abuses which
occurred under IL were exposed, but
not sooner, the Secretary Of the Treas.
ury retired. but he was forthwith put
on the judicial bench for life by the ap.
pointmcnt of the head Of the party, and
with tho confirmation of the majority
\ in the Senate. Now, was this q prop.
or way to deal with such n mattcr2 Is
this a proper example to set to the ser.
wants of the Government and to the
young men Of The country And arc
we really to have no remedy for such
things except prayer that the mana.
gers may undergo change of heart !
"The validity Of the claims of party
to continuance In Office can only, as i
seems to us, be tested by the spirit in
which ii deals with the real questions
of the day---by which VIC mean not
only the topics which occupy mems
minds, but the prevailing tendencies Of
the time. Strong convictions about
slavery and the national unity were
valuable during the war, but the "burn-
ling questions" since the war have been
the disorder in the finances, and the
enormous force Of civil servants created
by the war. With these the Republi.