The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-01

longs TO the speakers who are 70 How me, and
that am unwilling 20 DO. alluue 70
that mas prevailed IN government during tne last
fourteen years, aud Wnlcn Is without parai,e, 10
ever. wish to say that am verg lar rom assert
Ing that any party that mas yer hell power "a .no
country was wholly Tree from CORRUPTION, or tuAt
on the ntrary. any such party was wholly ano
entirely dishonest To make the trst assertion
tory; 10 make the latter would not only contra
0Ict history, out would be an assault upon popular
governments. For IL needs no deep insight Into
either history PHILOSOPHY to CONVINCE "a that II
the great mass of any people are thorough, cor
power. rne truta Is That tho great body OF the
people, OF Whatever party, nate dishonesty. ana
although the exigoncies Of parties loo frequently
make them overlook 1t IN their rulers. they Jet Ia
the hearts condemn and oetest IL. But 10 Is NOT
enough, my friends, to condemn and detest vice
IN our hearts; we must DO more II wo would ex-
tirpate or lessen II. We must make our detestalon
fe lt Order that the Offenders may be brought 70
wsli-deserVed pun sh ut, and that sanitary ex-
ample may be set 10 warn others against tue COZ
that the criminal laws OF the land not sum-
Gent to eradicate the evil, though Wnen rlgOr-
ously enforced they may do much 70 diullnlsa ~.
For the 10 Is so mucn Olfcal misconduct, OF winch
we may be morally convinced, but OF Wnlcn the
strict and full proofs requl ca in court OF Justice
holes OF escape la the delays aud tho admlnlstra-
ton OF tRe law, that something more summary,
more easy OF application and more ef1cient, Is an
absolute necessity. Tnls reneay Is found In the
power the people 10 change their rulers through
the agency oil tins ballot box. And whenever
party mas brought disgrace upon the country, or
entallsd upon IL serious losses DY the nsco ndnct
oIts ofcIals, 1t IS tho duty OF tae people 10 mani
lest their sense OF the injury, aud 10 set salutary
example by turning that party out OF lower. I'm.
der such circumstances It GOES not avail to say
that the mass OF the party Is innocent. That is
undoubtedly true, and no candid man DISPUTES
it But there Is a great and OVersnad0wIng puU-
lie necessity, and lmperI0us demand OF public
virtue, wise and clrcumspect regard for the
luture, that require tine people TO exercise the
change Ia their rulers. Understand me; 40 not
say that party should lose power because In
lew instances, here aud there. official deiinquens
have been found in IT, Tor those are accidents that
no party Can always guard against The most
that IL can do Is 30 punish the offenders. But
when the dellnquencies are not lew and casual,
when they extend over long period oil time.
OF government, and, 1nstead OF being repressed
are seen to increase in magnitude and number,
Ssn 1ne are soos 20 ep S 40
perpetuity OF free INSTITUTIONS, they fall 70 Apply
tne proper remedy,
Now, my fellow citizens, IesI constrained 20
say that, In my opinion, such necessly Tor the
judgml mt ana action of the people now ex sts l
make this declaration vita full sense OF respou.
siDillty, anu, II know my own heart vita pain
tRe conte mplaton o, vice noi can fld enjoy
nent in that which brings lee, popuar govern
mcnt Into disgrace. Neither have ans sympathy
vita practice taat has too often prevailed, that
OF making vague, wild charges OF corruption with
other osd rractice OF conlsunding tae guilty and
the innocent In common oenunciatloh. All our
public men are not dishonest, all the public men
Of AM party not dishonest. To assert thatthey
are ID a libel upon them and upon the system OF
government under wnlcn they were chosen. 40
not stand mere TO denounce whOle classes OF men
villains because they hold off1ces, whether led
eral or State, but 40 stand nore TO say that. in
the light of lndisputaoe proofs, CORRUPTION mas
existed anu does exist 70 degree tnat requires
tn corrective hand OF the people In the mode
have indicated.
And mere cannot refrain from an observation
that seems to me most pertinent and well timed.
we hard money m IN have admonlsned again and
again tnaL II the democratic ticket snail be elected
this year In ONO IL will be taken as an lndorse-
ment OF the currency planks in the platform, and
the disease oil imitation and Irredeemabe paper
money will become epidemic and menace the
country with rum and disgrace. For myself, DO
not share III this exaggerated terror; for II the
hard money democrats do their duty, as l am
sure they Will, II they stand faithfully and nrmy
by their principles and advocate them with manly
independence whenever necessary, no such evil
results WILL follow rom the election OF eur ticket