The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-09-16

II they dld not take the ,OOO III thirty
days, they might not get it at all. In the
agony of his soul the Chief, Red Cloud,
cried out; "Grent Spirit, hear me, have
mercy upon me, pity me- Was ever
such prayer uttered within those walls
before? In these years Of Indian mis-
management, too corrupt and cruel TO be
described, the Indians are becoming more
treacherous and the borders more inse-
cure, What say you my countrymen, to
return to such policy as Jackson main
tained when the Indian was made to
obey the authority of the country, and
the white man to respect the rights ofthe
Indian / will only refer to the late
shame brought upon the Department by
the developed frauds connected with the
Marine Corps. These are all recent trans
actions. They yet remain for Congress
sional investigation. IfllO.l
THE DISTRICT OF CoLuMBINi
will not weary you even by refer
ence to the notorious and enormous
frauds that have been investigated dur
ing the past few years except that in the
District Of Columbia. That cannot be
omitted, becauseit was in our National
Capital, and brought special disgrace up
on upon the whole people, and because,
in respect to it, the party has entered
plea of guilty. In 1871 the District of
Columbia was placed under new form
of government. The Governor and
many officers, and one branch ofthe Leg.
islature, were appointed by the President
and the other branch was chosen by the
people. The opportunity to maintain
good government was most favorable.
1t was Immediately under the ewes of the
President and his Cabinet with party SO
strong as to exclude all opposition. They
had their way and developed their ten
dency. Corruption and favoritsm soon
had sway and in three years the debt of
the District exceeded twenty million
dollars The burden became too great
for the party, Before the world it was
admitted that with officers appointed by
the President and elected by the party,
they could not maintain free and pure
government, They abandoned it and, in
the spirit of Rome's government of her
conquered provinces, they placed the
District of Columbia under the control Of
three Commissioners, chosen from differ
ent parts Of the country. Free and rep
resentative government fell before cor
ruption in the Capital of our Country.and
it stands as a humiliating admission to
the world, What answer is made to the
people when they complain of this most
extraordinary condition of the service?
VIII this plea of the party be received,
that, considering the magnitude of the
service, there "neyer has beena period
in the history Of the Government when
there has been less fraud or peculation.
or as little as now?' There are old gen
tlemen who hear me to-day whose mem
cries go back to better time, to period
when there was such pure statesmanship
and such exalted official integrity as in-
spired the worlfwth higher confidence
in free Republican institutions to a peri
od when one singIess case Of fraud
aroused the indignation of the whole
country and precipitated the downfall of
an administration. What say YOU to the
oit-repeated apology that they are active
and jealous in detecting, pursuing and
Furnishing criminal ofilcials2 Their zeal
and activity may be'admitted, for there is
so much to do. But when they suppress
fraud in one quarter it breaks ont in
another. In that respect the bodypolitic
under their treatment, seems to be
like the body of a man whose follies and
vices have brought upon him disease
which pervades his whole system. If
by the skill of the physician, it can be
reduced in one part, it soon appears in
another, But the statement that they
punish their guilty must be denied Who
has been punished? There was the case
OF a Paymaster at Washington CITY who.
for the embe2zlement of above four hun
dred thousand dollars Of the public mon
ey, was tried by Court martial and sent
to the Penitentiary but President Grant
pardoned him within a year and the
money was never returned. On the CON
trary, how many partisans, implicated in
transactions which the people have con-
demned, have been promoted to high
offices? The Tweed defense has served
them well. II matters not how many
official criminals there may be, Tweed is
set of against each. TWeed's mantle has
fallen over and covered from sight more
mesthanany mantle that ever fell from
human shoulders, Are you honest gem
tlemen not tired Of that trick2 Whynot
let every man, rogue or saint as he may
be, stand in his own shoes and be Judged
by his own conduct?