National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-04-22
THE ERA OF ISLANDER.

The very atmosphere reeks with SIAN
der" is o remark not infrequently made
nowadays. OF its truth the most casual
newspaper reader will not entertain the
shadow ola doubt. Ii is also true that the
infection is not confined to any particular
party or political organization. Repub-
licans, as well as Democrats, seem to be
anKiouslY seeking for suspicious against
the character of opposing leaders and evil
dence of corruption in opposing political
organizations. 1t will be readily admitted.
however. in view Of the policy Of giving
CT porte statements to the public now being
pursued by the majority members Of the
House Investigating committees, that the
mud throwing is done in the main by the
Democracy. Evidently the command Of
Father Richie. to fthrow mud, and keep
on throwing it until some of it sticks" is
the motto of that party. But what can be
said Of the public sentiment which sustains
and encourages this condition Of sfairsr
If the people did not subscribe for the
newspapers in which these ISLANDERS are
printed they would cease to be printed
If the people were not eager TO hear of
suspicious of corruption, the investi-
gators would withhold mere suspicious
from the public until they were fully cor
roborated. But this is not all. The OPP
position in its eegerness to afi1 stigma
upon the Republican party does not hest
tate to garble the testimony taken before
the House committees, and thereby add to
the unreliAbility Of the information %
with which the columns OF the Detective
Press arc filed daily. All inclination to
deal impsrtialIy with political opponents
seems to have departed from-lf it ever
had Judgement in-the minds of the man
ayers, editors and correspondents Of that
class of journals. President Grants
economical course, for example, in the eK-
penditure of moneys through the Depart
ment Of Justice in defraying the expense
of supervisors Of election, was twisted
about and distorted to such an extent as to
be made to appear as positive evidence
that he had deliberately taken money from
the Treasury, and used it for the corrap-
ton of voters. No sane man would be-
ieve such tale after moments calm re-
Election; hut in the morbid condition of
affairs it was accepted apparently as truth
full, and such leading Democratic Journals
as the New York World solemnly an
rourccd that the President had been
caught sat last" Again, the false and
slanderous stories about Secretary Bristow,
ex Speaker Blaine, and others of equal
prominence have been hawked about as
eternal truths until the public confidence
in the purity Of their characters
has been shaken. though fortunately it has
not been destroyed. And the great diff
Guilty is that when an Independent journal
like the NATIONAL REPUBLICAN rises to
announce its disbelief in these falsehoods,
Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart. the big dogs
and the small ours of the Opposition, yell
in one grand chorus: "Whitewash
Whitewash y Whitewash ~" g.
We do not believe, however, that this
unsounda and unreasonable public sentiment
will last until after the coming election
campaign is over. The people will soon
become more than satiated with the con-
slant doses of SANDER administered to them.
Reform they demanded and expected, and
the punishment Of corruption; but they
will naturally become disguised with the
overwhelming doses OF lies and unsus-
tanned suspicious with which they are now
being treated. A mild purgative can be
made 10 become an emetic by too frequent