The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-04-27
HONEST MEN no THE FRONT

The Republican party is on trial. II
has professed purpose to reform itself,
to pure out the corruption that has faint
ed its system, and to restore the princi-
plies of honesty and purity that charac'
terized the party in the early days OIL its
existence. The country waits to see II
its practice bears out its professions.
A good beginning has been made. VIII
it be followed up2 To that question the
actions of the next few months will give
a decisive answer, Upon that answer
the fate of the Republican party for all
time depends. If the work OF re 'orm IS
honestly carried out, the party will merit
and will most surely receive, the conf
dence of the people. If the cry of reform
proves to be a delusion, the party VIII
pass into merited oblivion.
The test lies in the choice of men for
places of trust and honor. Professions
of principles are worth nothing, unless
the choice of men is in accordance with
those principles. If men of untarnished
reputation and good record are passed
over, and choice made of men whose rep
utation is, to say the least somewhat n.y.
blown, of what worth is all the talk OF
party reform? 1t is no time to mlnce
matters. The truth should be told in
plain language that the day of the selfish
and dishonest politician is past, at least
so far as honors in the Republican part
is concerned. 1t is through such men
the party has been brought to its present
condition of peril, Unless they are made
to take their proper place-in the back
ground-it will be driven to assured de-
struction.
The party has been and still is cursed
as all parties at one time or another
have been-with selfish, scheming, un'
scrupulous politicians; men who use the
party for their own selfish purpose and
care nothing for its principles; who. are
Democrats when Democracy is in power,
and Republicans when Republlcanlsm is
the winning card who work by trickery
and intrigue in preference to open and
honest practices; who are lavish with
prom ises which they do not mean to
keep and of pledges which are broken
with the breath that utters them who
make of politics a mere trade and to
whom principle is utterl unknown
Such men have brought politics into con-
tempt, and have made the name OF poll
tician almost synonymous with knaVe'-
Men of this class are forever seeking to
thrust themselves into leading places in
the party, and into the most prominent
official positions within their reach
When they succeed they make profit OF
their position, and leave the party to
bear the odium.
Men of this class, who seek to use the
Republican party for their own selfish
ends, must be crushed or they will crush
their party. Every such man elevated
to position of honor dishoDors the men
who elevated him, damages the political
party to which he nominally belongs and
lowers the political tone Of the country.
The time has come when the people will
hold to strict account every person con-
cerned in such outrage upon public NOR
ality.-C Cleveland Herald, ApriI l7h.
We take pleasure in placing the Herald
on record with the foregoing sentiments,
and only regret that journal did not in
dicate the Moses likely to renovate and
purify its party, and rescue the country
from hands so foul. We fear the Moses
has not yet been named to perform what
the Herald proposes. 1t will be far bet
ter to transfer that important duty, of
redeeming and discriminating this un-
fortunate and oppressed land over to the
Democracy. Assuredly neither Morton,
nor Conkling, nor Blaine, nor Hayes will
have the will and power 10 take the par
ty out of the Republican rut in which the
government has been run for so many
years. As to Bristow, we should have
some hopes could he have his own way.
But no man competent, and who could
and would have his own way in this re-
spect, can get the Republican nomina-
ton. The Herald is no doubt sincere in
in wishing to purge" the party, but with
faint hope.
1t is something to see leading Re-
publican paper thus confess, with shame
and modification, the disgrace brought
upon the country by the Republican of.
fcials and leaders. The developments
never would have have come but for
Democratic House, and the restoration
of honest government must come the
same way.