The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-04-01
Political Corruption Fund.

Il has long been . puzzle to Us ,ounder-
stand how the Republican party have
managed to raise . much money to con
troll the elections We knew that the
eircpIan Of the Postmaster At Washington
were regularly sent out to the Office hold
ers, on the eve Of an election, and that a
dollar from each Of the 10000 officials
would constitute quite respectable sum
Of itself But $4,000 would scarcely be
drop in the bucket on the occasion Of
general election. The party in power must
have had other sources than the Office
holders IRON which to draw supplies The
investigations going on in Washington are
revealing many facts which throw light
upon the manner in which this fund has
been raised. Recently, before Mr.. ely
mer's Committee, c. X. Peck and Evans
4 Fisher, post traders on the frontier,
testified that they received circular from
the National Executive Committee in
Washington, assessing them for political
contributions for the Presidential election
in 1872 Peck paid between $4,000 and
$4,000 and Evans & Fisher some $3.50.
Neither Of them gave the money as free
offering, but yielded to the assessment, be-
lieving that if they had not paid it that
the refusal might result disastrously to
their business interests.
1t also appears that in the course Of the
investigation into the affairs of the Freed
mems Savings Bank, now in progress, one
Of the former officers of the swindling con
cern acknowledged that 100000 of the
depositors money was taken for political
use in 1872, when Grant was running for
his second term. If the whole history Of
the canvass Of that year could be written,
Il would be the most shocking story of
Wholesale fraud and corruption the country
has ever known. The Whisky Ring ex-
posures also, have afforded some light upon
the means used by the Grant party to swell
their corruption fund, though but small
part Of the truth has as yet been made
known. Many of the worst facts never viii
be proved, If the policy adopted by Grant
and Pierrepont to iutimidate witnesses is
allowed to prevail
Notwithstanding all the damaging ex-
posures which have been made of corrup
tion In every branch of the government
and in every department Of the public
service, the Republican party still claims
to be pure, the party Of great moral ideas.
We do not doubt that the masses of the
people are pure in all parties. But the
masses only give their votes at the polls
and leave the rest to their leaders, and
events have proved, beyond doubt or cayil,
that no party ever had such corrupt lead
ers as the party which has held control Of
this government for the past fifteen years.
II is corrupt beyond the possibility of cure,
To talk Of "reform within the party is
preposterous. To attempt to purge it of
Its unworthy element would reduce it to
the merest skeleton and leave but mis-
cradle remnant without leaders. The only
thing for this people to do, in this the cen
tennial year Of the existence of their gov
eminent, is to hurl from power party
which has fallen so low, through its I'm
scrupulous leaders, that continuance of
the government in their hands must result
in the wreck Of our institutions and the
utter ruin Of the Republic, 1t remains to
be seen whether there is sufficient virtue
remaining in the people, and sufficient
power in the ballot to avert such a catas
trophe.