The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-08-19
Men for the Timea.


s. honesty, manhood, nor good fellow
ship that the people who have suffered
in consequence begin to fear that these
qualities are extinct While there ap.
pears to be ability and executive power
and understanding of public affairs among
public men, there appears to be sad lack
OF good, old-fashioned, downright honesty
the answering integrity of the fathers
OF the republic; the fidelity to trust which
distinguished and supported Thomas JEFF
terson in his championship of the rights
OF the people; that enabled Andrew Jack
son to triumph over all the snares of his
enemies. We have fallen upon evil times,
in which the first and in many cases the
only care of those entrusted with power
is to enrich themselves. There is a lack
Of rigid accountability these are days of
peculation and defalcation, of rings in
which officials combine with rogues to
prey upon that which they are sworn to
defend. Rascaity and robbery appear to
have seized on public affairs, and TO have
bound the public service hand and foot.
Honesty like a shorn Samson, is losing
its simple and rugged strength; it is
forced CROPPING and sightless, to grind
tor the mock ing Philistines of corruption
and fraud. The higher the office, the
greater the demand for sweeping reform.
The President OF the United States, for
the first time, we are thankful to say, in
the history OF the office, is a conspicuous
example of self-interest and greed over
riding not only the prophecies OF the high
position, but forgetting even the common
rules OF honesty 1t IS a sad day for a na-
ton when these things exist, and exist 50
commonly among officials high and low
This state of things is not TO be regard
ed as proof conclusive that those who
make and unmake officials are in love
with corruption and look complacently
upon fraud The mass OF the people are
AZ h'''i. iioh'7t' iiI Sitttt Htctt W iclp
toward reform is leadership honest, ear
nest men, with strength of will, stcadiness
Of purpose, and mistaken determination
men who can find a better reward for
themselves in exposing and curing the
sores Of the body polite. than in seeking
for advantage by bunoWing in their cor
ruption. Around such men the people will
gather, as their friend ana champion,
We find one such man in the present
Governor of the State of New York, Hon
Samuel j. TiIden He is bold and fear
less reiormer, who has approved himself
such by cutting up corruption, root and
branch, wherever it came in his way. lie
was the leader in the movement which
lethroned and imprisoned Tweed. He is
now engaged in a contest with the canal
ring of New lork-an association Of cor
pupt thieves who have for a long time
plundered the State of millions yearly,
and have hitherto proved too strong for
better idea of the magnitude OF the work
undertaken by Gov. Tilden. than by copy
ing portion OF his speech made before
the Board of Trade OF the city of Buffalo
a few days ago. ....... .. F,
After referring to the Importance of the
great freight avenues Of the State, and the
need OF cheap transportation as an element
of thrift to the producer, he said
Consider my fellow citizens. on what Il grand
scale the Interests and business Of our country
are organized. Shall we protect the Erie Canal.
which forms one of the most important lines Of
this system, from spoiliation That is the ques-
ton for the business men of Buffalo to consider
(Appause.) You came down to Albany last
winter and asked for reduction Of tolls. Ever
anxious to cheaper the cost Of transportation
and transit, when | came to look into the ques-
ton with a desire to carry out your wishes,
found that you were confronted by body more
numerous and more powerful than yourselves,
the taxpayers of the rural districts of this State
not immediately benefited by the canals i'll re-
spect to whom the burdens of taxation had be
come nearly uncomfortable, and We're becoming
more oppressive in their severity every day.
Ventured, therefore, gentlemen, III my special
message of March 18th, to make suggestion
interests at stake. ! found that there were
abuses and mal-admnistration fraud and pee
ulatlOn, which not only consumed the entire
surplus revenues of the Erie Canal, but bur
uened our taxpayers with more that 81, 00O,-
900 il year levied by taxes under pretenSe Of
improving public works. ! proposed, there
fore, that we should on one hand reduce the
tolls TO the extent of 500, 900 or $500 000 and
on the other remit 900 of taxes. Six
months have passed, and the fruits of that con-
troyersy has secured you the reduction of the
tolls you asked for, and RENTED TO the tax
payers S2,210,O 600 Of the burdens imposed last
year. propose to you to-day, gentlemen, that
we should continue this policy. tApplause.l
Ii the people OF this State Will send to the he Vt
session of the legislative bodies representa-
tlYeS who will honestly cooperate in this great
work, | here to-day promise them and promise
you that whereas we reduced the taxes last
year from II to mills, next year we will
put them down 10 1 II and even mills
Afterwards they can be reduced still lower.
You commercial men of Buffalo have not only
the common interest which every TAXPAYER
has, but the special advantage of further en-
trade and improN ing the means by
which it is carried on.
We win save a fund large enough to answer
every object of this description, and go forward
and make this great and powerful State and it,
institutions all that it has a right and is destined
by Providence to become. (Applausc.) know,
gentlemen, that attempts have been made to dis
courage the people in this great work We have
been told that nothing has been accomplished,
that nothing can be, and that the people are to
remain bound, to be the prey of those who con
sumo the fruits of taxation In answer point
to the practical results of six months of reform.
What are they? First, we have wounded and
crushed Il system of abuse, nal-atlminstration.
fraud and peculation that has tattened upon the
public works. the transporter, the consumer,
and the taxpayers applause -andf the peo-
pie of this State are true to themselves that sys-
TEN once broken will never be revived. In the
second place, there has been enacted Il series of
laws to bring to account the public agents and
official persons and punish their manifestations,
and the efficacy of which, if faithfully admins
tered by the courts, will soon be seen. In the
third place, we have reduced the tolls and
mi1ted the taxes to the large extent | have
mentioned. In the fourth place, measures
have been instituted to hold to account the
public plunderers. These measures have been
taken as early and as rapidly As possible, and
are going on to c0nsummatlon am glad my
self to be reproached for being too slow. | have
been as fast AS | could, and have given all my
time to your service. But | rejoice TO be re-
preached for being too slow, because it indi-
Gates to me that the people are impatient to
the great reform. (Applause.)
Fifth, and lastly, gentlemen, there is some
thing higher, more important, more noble,