Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-08-25

down the rebellion.
As member of the House of Representatives in
1884 he voted for the repeal OF the Missouri Compro
mise, that slavery might go into Kansas and Aeora-
ka- As member of the Indiana constitutional Con-
ventiOn in 1850, he made but one speech, which was
against permitting free negroes 10 come into the STATE
GRAND OPPORTUNITIES.
With grand opportunities for usefulness and con-
Meeting his name with greatest reforms Of the
century, he was blind % the time and place and re-
mained bigoted adherent 10 slavery. His political
record, extending over period of nearly thirty
years, is dull monotonous page of weary common
place, diversified only with bots and recording no
act 10 which his friends can point with pride or
| pleasure.
His unbroken record OF bluuders, unredeemed by
any good measure presents the question whether he
is promising material for a great reformer. Reform
should be the normal condition of every political
party. Abuses constantly arising; old ones are
being diseoveredi new Improvements in administra-
tion necessary. Reform should be steadily made,
daily business and not merely by hts and starts
/ just before an election.
THE WORD DTsHoNoRED.
The very word 'reform' becomes odious when it is
used 8 mask TO conceal the repuisive features or
men who have ehAmpiOned every great abuse in the
past who have been unfaiIhful to their country who
have blundered continually; who have brought upon
The country its CHIEF msfortunes, and whose names
are indissoubiy connected with The greatest political
crimes OF the age.
WHO ARE THE REFoRMKRs?
Think Of it, the leaders of the rebellion, the Ku-
Klux and While Leaguers, the organizers Of MURDER
| the DlunderiDg hacks and humbuss that have come
down to from twenty years of Democratic misrule
before the war, the broken down fugIives from the
Republican party who had been kicked out for inca
pacity and fraud and in Short all the authors of the
great misfOrtunes that have fallen upon country
for the last quarter OF century uniting together and
shouting themselves hoarse with the cry Of REFORM
With such plunder is the purpose and reform the
pretense. They incapable of reform they
Of making reparation and atonement to the country
for the innumerabe crimes they have committed.
Many OF them are bankrupt from the rebellion, lank
starving fierce, and ravenOus famshed wolves, and
at the first opportunity, will bury themselves in the
public treasure the Vulture its head IN the
newly found carcass.
These relics of the rebellion these lingering re-
mains Of the Sons of Liberty, these connecting links
with former generations of frauds robberirs and
shams these purescent "reminiscences of slavery
formers.
Remember that they are the men who brought the
war upon the country, who have buried half mill
ion of soldiers, who have piled up billions of debt
and who have peopled the land with widows and
orphans.
What think you of such reformers? With them we
may say OF reform as was said of patriotism,
that il is the last refuge Of scoundres What think
ye when the vreeker of railroads, who has amassed
his millions taken from ruined stockholders when
the andgrant statesman, the voter of subsidies, are
put forward the champions OF reform and the
tion of the fable of she wolves who procured them
selves to be elected guardians Of the sheep whom
they afterwards devoured.
DEMOCRATIC IDEA OF REFORM.
1t lisa Democratic idea that the relics and debris of
rebellion, the pardoned traitors of an inhuman civil
who were reared in the lap of slavery; that the
graduates from the high schools of the KuKlux and
White Leaguers the administrators and defenders Of
Andersonvie aud Salisbury, and the alumni OF
TammanY Hall constitute the refOrmers of the
day. To the Democratic mind the education furnished
in these institutions gives the highest guarantee for
reform and integrity in office.
Every profession in favor of civil service reform by
the Democratic party is utterly hyprOcriticsl Should
it come into power every Republican ohcer will at
be turned out, and IL is for this the battle
being fought Tiden and Hendricks as Governors have
had he power to introduce this reform into their
States, but their administrations have been remorse
lesy partisan. If they were in earnest in their pro-
fessious that subject they could stop it any day,
and show their faith by their works.
We asked to forget their history and to accept
as an stonement for the past the promise that they
will become great reformers in the future. They
mind OF the fable of the two old rats who. after
having laid waste the eheese-room ami the pantry,
asked admission 10 the new kitchen upon the ground
that they were reformed rats who wished to change
their business, and knew how to keep out other All
mails OF the same character.
THE GREAT REFoRMER.
Gov Tilden is an inveterale bachelor of sixty-six
lifelong Democrat, and has been for twenty years
leader in his party, and closely identified with all OF
its most infamous Trained in the school OF
New York City politics, graduate of Tammsny Hail.
disciple Of the revolution OF 9S and ardent sympa-
thizer with the rebellion he completely filed that
character known during the 'the COpperhead."
Mr.. Kelly, and other leading Democrats before the
nomination earnestly described Mr.. Tilden a rail-
road wrecker, character we'll known in New York
and London, vino deals in broken down railroads and
puts them on their feet again, in which process the
original stock and bondholders lose their entire invest
ment and the assets pass chiefly into the wTecKers
hands. They described him as a lawyer who seldom
appeared in court, and boldly affirmed that he had
made fortune OF from six to ten millions OF dollars.
When ships are cast upon roek-bound coast the
Wreckers come down upon them, often numbering the
surviving mariners and and always robblng them of
every valuable thing.
REFoRMER MoRRIssEY AND OTHERS.
It is well known that John Morrissey, the prize
fighter and wOrdrenowned gambler, was Tildens
champion at st. Louis, and had more to do with his
nomination than any other dozen men, and that Nor
rissey's gilded gambling hell was the Tilden head
quarters at Saratoga last summer and will be this.
1t has occurred not unfrequently in the worlds
history that the greatest thieves aud pundere after
they had laid in sufficient store OF wealth, have
turned eformers and put the world to shame by
exhibition of superior virtue How many kings and
robber barons, after lives of murder rapine and the
sack Of cities have made atonement by founding
churches and monasteries, thus disgorging a
small part of their blOod-stained plum
and took their places among the saints Tweed. when
he was overtaken by misfortune not rich as
I1den; but it is an open secret that he had in con-
temptation, after continuing in business for year
two longer to turn reormer and become the regene-
rator Of the public and private morals of New York
IWeeds benevolent purpose was defeated by the un-
timely publication Of the specific evidence Of his
crimes, Of which his friends compelled to take
notice. He had for number of years been at the head
of the Tammany Society of New York, of which Til
deA was a leading member and sachem. This Tam.
many Society had for twenty-five years been regarded
by many the most corrupt political organization in
the wOrd-emphatically brotherhood Of thieves, and
close corporation, to which but the most dis
tlnguished artists were admitted. 1t assumed COM
plete admiralty jurisdiction in the adjudication
and distribution Of political prizes in
the State of New York, and aspired to
extend it the United States, and did nOtoTiousy
control the Democratic National Convention in 1865
That Tweed and his gang were the champion thieves
of the Nation had been we'll known for years before
his fall as it is now and firmly believed while
Tilden and he were in sworn fraternity in Tammany
Hall as when Tweed in the penitentiary. But
Hhen IN 1871 the New York Times published the spe-
eic proofs Of his vast villanies, the eouris grand
juries aud in public life were compelled to
lake notice, and then Tlden, matter Of selfpres-
ervation jumped over the fence, turned States evil
dence and rendered valuable services prosecuting
witness and attorney, he knew where to ind the
evidence and to put his finger the diherelt trans
actions. If the criminaity OF Tweed and his Tam
many gang had been notorious for years. II Til
den had turned prosecutor and witness before their
exposure his character relormer would stand bet
ter than 1t does.
is IT PROBABLE OR EVEN PossIBLK2
To me it seems highly improbable that man who
has for thirty years been the associate and counsel
of the stock gamblers Of Wall street, who for many
years lived with Tweed in fraternity in Tam
Hail. and his cO-operator In the foul politics
of New York, and who has wrecked many railroads.
can conscientious and patriotic mAn. If the pub
lshed and, far as know, uncontradlcted accounts
of his manipulation of the Chicago q Fond du Lac
the Galena Chicago Kenosha & Riehford, Grand
Rapids, Harlan extension, the Peninsular Of Miehi-
gan, and other railroads that might be named are
true, he and q small ring with whom he operated
have under the forms Of law taken from the compa-
nies and stockholders millions Of dollars II i'm