The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-09-21
Warming Words from the Anti-Slavery
Champion.

Hon. George w. Julian, one of the
most eloquent speakers in the country,
and long devoted to the Republican
cause, recently spoke in Indianapolis, in
which he gave substantial reasons why
he could not conscientiously vote for
Hayes. We make single extract, which
must appeal to thousands of honest Re-
publicans who would like to vote tor
Hayes, but who cannot indorse the Nor
tons and Babcocks who will certainly
control the Administration if once
again intrusted with power. Mr.. Julian
said:
GOV. HAYEs-wILL HIS NOMINATION WORK
MIRACLES?
But now gentlemen, having shown by ire
sistible proofs that the Liberal movement of
1872 was justified by facts and called for by
the times, and that the Republican party, in
stead of retracing its steps and recovering
its lost estate, has steadily gravitated farther
and farther from its primal integrity, it may
still be argued that the nomination of Gov
ernor Hayes will cut the ugly thread of his
tory behind it, and launch it grandly on a
new and blessed departure. Believing, as /
do, that the age of miracles has passed, |
find myself compelled TO reject this view. 1
am acquainted with Gov. Hayes, and believe
HIM to be honorable and patriotic, and most
gladly and cordially would support him if any
Republican could explain to me how his ac-
cidental selection at Cincinnati can make
saints out of the distinguished sinners who
are the recognized leaders and managers of
the party now, as they were four years ago.
II you place the hat of an honest man on
the head of a rogue, will the roguery in
stantly depart? Every one has heard the
story of Fortunatus. He had a wishing hat,
which relieved him of the expense and la
Dor of travelling. By placing this hat on
his head and wishing himself at given
| place he straightway found himself there.
Who would not join in building monument
to the sorely needed genius who.could man
| ufacture Presidential hat which would
enable Gov. Hayes, by simple wish, to
change the nature of Morton, and Cameron,
and Butler, aud Clayton, and Boss Shepherd,
and Babcock, and brother-in-law Casey, and
the rest of the unbaptized crew who are
taxing their wits and pouring out their
money to secure his election, aud will darken
the air about the executive mansion on the
Fourth of March if he should succeed? Such
hat, l am free to confess, would make
Gov. Hayes pretty respectable President,
and he would be able to take up the ques-
ton of reform and dispose of it with toler-
abble success. Unfortunately no such
head gear can be found, while
the great leader of the party in
Indiana, and the right hand man of the
Administration, tells us the party has no
need of it, and that the men who ask for
reform are worse criminals than the thieves
they wish to expose and punish. Here is
the ugly knot which Liberal Republicans
and good many other Republicans desire
to see united. Can you obtain the COM
mand of piratical craft by simply chang
ing the. .fgurehead of the vessel? You must
expel the pirates and put an honest crew in
possession. This is the truth in a nutshell,
and George VIM. Curtis himself admits it.
His cry is "reform within the party" which
he is shouldering along the lines as he
did four years ago, as if utterly unmindful
of the fact that under this battle cry
our civil service has become as foul and
| feculent a system of official huckstering
and political prostitution as our thoroughly
debauched party politics could make it.
But he is not blind, like Senator Morton, to
The need of reform, and he tells us in
Harper's Weekly that the only hope of the
party lies in the power to persuade the
people that it is not hopelessly corrupt. He
frankly confesses that reform is only pos
sible by throwing overheard the Grant
leaders and trained corruptionists who have
brought the party into disgrace. In all due
soberness l ask, is this possible? Have the
Republican masses, after their long and
patient service under the party yoke, the
courage and virtue to take their old leaders
by the throats? Will the party chiefs have
named meekly and penitently take the back
seats, while honest and stainless men come
to the front? The man who believes all this
must have allowed his common sense to pack
its baggage. The Grant leaders would reign
in any conceivable political hell, rather
than serve in the heaven of honest govern
ment. In the manipulatiens of caucuses
and conventions they have long been
masters. They are journeymen and experts
in the work of politics as trade. They have
reduced plunder and pelf to science and
the greed of clutch to fine art. Nothing
can be more certain than that such re
form as would completely dislodge these
leaders and put such men as Bristow and
: Adams in their places, would be il
fact the creation of a new party. Il
would have to be preceded by a general dis
integration, and it would be quite as absurC
to consider it the same party which ha'
ruled the country since Grant came int
power, as it would have been to treat thu
Republican party of 1865 as identical will
the old Wing party, which had gone dowI
to its dishonored grave. The idea, there
: fore, of making the Republican party tn
instrument of self.purifcation is not onl..
! morally but logically absurd. A party ono