The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-07-02
WANTED-A FEW HONEST MEN.

| PSRNAeSA
what Governor Tilden was then doing to d
mask the villainy of the Canal ring. In t
- course of q speech on that occasion Ho
: Edwards Pierrepont said:
The time used to be when party governme
existed and made pretty good government
but that was when members of the par
y were loyal and true to their organization b.
when this country grew great and strong ar
rich, when the people grew anxious to g
money, honestly or dishonesty, Democrat
s thieves joined with Republican thieves
plumber the people of their earnings. Or,
claim here to-day tearlessly that The futuI
will prove what l have said, that when th
, next Presidential election comes around yo
will not find that men will be governed muc
by party ties; they will say they want a
honest intelligent, protecting power, tina
they may go about their business and trus
the government to honest men.
We agree with this remark to such exten
that we predict that the period from the be
ginning Of the war to the close of the admin
lstration of Grant, will be prominent in the
history of our North American Republic al
the era Of political scoundrelism. From the be
ginning of the war of the first rebellion in I'VE
/ SAOoO r
chanan, the sum total of all the defalcations,
peculations, swindles, frauds and robberies
by men in State and Federal Office, civil OF
military, for the whole period, do not amount
to one-half the average of like criminality in
any one of the subsequent years, 1875 not
excepted. Shortly after the beginning of the
late war, Tin itself dishonest aggression, it
began to be apparent to observing men that
honesty in public position was held in low
esteem, and that men high in Off
cial position judged each other by their
success and the qualities that win
success rather than by moral merit,
high character and intellectual attainment.
Honesty was at discount, while the shrewd,
the INSCRIPTIONS and the bold held all the
winning cards. Rascality in official positions
became study. Sharp and audacions men
joined one another in pursuit of common
purpose. Talent in villainy took precedence,
and success in villainy secured obeisance and
authority. Invention was strained to find
new ways of cheating the Republic. The |
low haunts of jsil-birds originated tricks and |
lodges for thieves of larger dimensions.
While We maintain, on principle, that thief
AN not be Democrat, still there were many,
prone to evil by nature or led astray by
seductive example, who laid aside the white
ODE OF Democracy to join the ranks of the
hieves; and in imitation of their example
here may be some others not thieves who
'ill leave the Democratic ranks to join those
y whom political thieves are furnished and .
h
We can go even step further with the elo- :
uent and very able speaker, and concur with q
i'm in the expression of the belief that the |
eople, having learned the value of honesty {
nd capacity, will try in the coming contest a
18th might and main to get honest and capa- 9
10 men as their candidates for Office. We O
i'll even prophesy tina. the man who in 1876 |,
IS the audacity to aspire to Office must be n
he who is himself honest, and who has not n
en known to shield, harbor, protect, counte. Ii
nee, tolerate or defend thieves or the re- fl
lvers of stolen goods Further still, we G.
nture to say in advance that the people will
t accept as their candidates men who have 81
8 sympathy and support of party leaders ii
own to be selfish, corrupt and guilty. If e,
nest men take the standards, they must til
free from suspicion as we'll as from actual re
Mt. There is no art by which honest men ST.
be surely known; but if men may rightly ia
known by their associates, then the people fel
require as their candidates and opponents pl
se who have not heretofore been habitually
nd in bad company.
honesty is modified by other qualities in
ious ways, and while an honest man NAV
the "noblest work" there will always be
lething else required to fill the demand of g.,
people in search of candidates. The hon ~.
men who are to redeem this country must
iiligent. vigilant and bold. They must -
Urged to work, doing and watchfulness o. o..
} sense of duty. They must have good 49,
10 enough to know what is right as well as 49,
k enough to follow it. They must be bold ou.
Ugh to condemn, expose and prosecute 49,
lie swindler, even of their own party, and ~
must be magnanimous enough to tolerate 10,
y good men and protect them without re- r,
to their political sentiments. n.
1ese are the honest men that can he
d, and must be found in the Democratic -.
=. These are the men who are to give the 80 ,
ligent protecting power to the people, ia
will enable them "to go about their - .
aess," feeling safe in the agents with hos
n they have intrusted the honor of the ~
'blic and the welfare Of the people. We ono,
be mistaken in our anticipations and ~.
ID by our hopes, but it is pleasant to in ~.
the hope that honesty is again to be NJ,
lied among the requisites for our rulers, c. g..
again to become the dominant claim to 80
telligent and virtuous popular favor. ne
the
SOUTHERN RESTORATION. IT.