The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-08-08
Reform.

Reform.
When we read that Republican minorf-
ty OF a committee of the national House OF
Representatives did on Saturday last have
the unblushing impudence to report that
the sum OF thirty-iour thousand dollars
which GRANT and his Acknowledgement
(Wn.IIAAs) furnished to JOHN j. DAvES-
PORT OF New York in 1872 without au-
thority OF law YVES properly expended, we
feel but too sensibly that the country needs
Recommends Ga change Of men in exc
cutivc offices That we may have change Of
measures" Recollect that GRANT himself
was the candidate whom DAVENPORT was
aiding to elect, and that no money was ever
appropriated by Congress to be used as the
sum named was used by GRANT, WILLIAMS.
aud DAVENPORT, and you may begin to real
lie the depths Of degradation to which the
Republicans are ready and willing to de-
scend in order to perpctuate villains like
DAVENPORT in office.
Congress had passed certain laws bearing
upon elections which are unconstitutional,
and ought never to have been enforced.
Nevertheless, they had not been adiudicated
unconstitutional, and so GRANT pretended
to undertake to enforce them through his
Acknowledgement. The law named the pur-
poses for which the money was to be en-
pended. Yet, in contempt OF this law and
OF his oath Of Office, DAVENPORT used the
money to pay set OF his tools for making
out lists OF all the voters in the city OF New
York. OF course he employed it "judici-
ously that is to say, he bought rs many
Democrats as he could thus indirectly bride
to do his dirty work, and with their aid in.
Inundated many voters, and thus materially
assisted in securing the vote OF the State OF
New York for his master General GRANT.
It was this method OF employing the public
money that the Republican minority OF q
House committee on Saturday last reported
was proper. II so, what be would be an i'm.
proper use OF the nations treasure? II
GRANT may expend thirty-1our thousand
dollars without authority OF law, why
should he not stretch the act OF Congress
still further, and spend u hundred thousand
to elect HAYES, or 8 million to elect the can
didate for Governor in New York Of his
friend Roscoe CoSKLISG? II n law is to be
regarded as elastic, stretching itself out
to suit the purposes OF any unprincipled
President who may happen to be in the exc
cutive Office, there can be no limit to its
elasticity. 1t will as well elonSate itself to
cover the largest expenditures rs to cover
the smallest. When once its letter is over
stepped there is no additional barrier. And
when the President shall have been clothed
with the power to reflect himself, Or to
elect one OF his miserable partisans, the days
OF the republic win have hecn numbered
Surely "Reiorm'' is needed in the prcsi-
dental Office.
When we read sketch OF the infamous
speech delivered by the malignant Senator
MORTON on the same day that the report in
question was made TO the House, we again
feel called upon to demand I" Reform "a
"change OF men" that we may have truth
telling senators. He is the most unscrupu-
lous OF Ill the leading Radicals now left i'll
public places. He represents Indiana; and
the corrupt OETH, who was last week COM
PEELED to decline to run for Governor, rep
lescnts MORTON. MORTON sees the hand
writing upon the wall. lie would iain res
cue Indiana from the grasp OF the Demo-
Gratis. In order to do this, he must manu-
factl,rc q batch OF new ialsehoods. He sue
ceeded admirably on Saturday. He charged
that the murders in the South were commit
ted by prominent men, claiming to be re-
spectable, and done for far-rcachlng polltl-
cal. purposes. After stating that neither
TuDEN nor HENDRICKS had referred
to the Hamburg riot in their let
ters- OF acceptance, he went on to
declare with much pomposity OF manner
that neither TILDEN nor HENDRICKS dared
to denounce the men that committed the
murders at Hamburg, or the murders in
Mississippi, or those at CollShatta, or those
at ColfaX; because upon the support OF
these men depended their success in carry.
ing five or six OF the southern States. Was
there ever viler slanderer! And III order
to manufacture at the public expense an eli
iectivc though lying document to be spread
broadcast throughout the North, he asked
the clerk to read the letter OF Governor
CHAMBERLAIN and the report OF the Attor
nev-General OF South Carolina. or course
as these documents were read by the clerk
they were printed in the Congressional
Record at the expense Of the same treasur!
which GRANT and DAVENPORT drew upon il
1872; and rs MORTON has the right to franz
the Record containing this speech, we ma!
easily sec what was the object OF this cor
rupt, INSCRIPTIONS, dangerous enemy o
his country.
Surely the people ought to demand ere
FORM in the Senate.
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