The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-08-02
The Issue,-Honesty or Dishonesty.

L -@1~1
The simple question of honest govern
merit now overtops all others. The ques-
tons OF the past can not come TO ths sur
face, when the vital contest against polit-
icsl and personal d shOnesty in these who
control the government il so sll import
ant. Year after year our civil service has
been growing worse and worse. Those in
control of our government have aided cor
rupt schemes for Tobbing the treasury,
and then suppressed investigation, and
the rascality has gone on and become worse
each year. The nation has suffered the ter
rible disgrace of seeing absolute corruption
at the very heads of departments. The
navy department is rotten; the interior
department has its ring robbers, the treas
ury department its whisky thieves, the
war department it's post-trader disgrace,
the postofice department its straw bids.
Grants own honesty is at q discount.
The rsscslity of his private secretary
and the conviction of his personal friends
of stealing the public revenue, shows
that the evil of the times has reached the
fountain head, if indeed be is not the
source of the prevailing corruption. The
same men who have sustained the admin
istration in these crimes against the state
are now industriOusiy engaged in trying
to place Hayes al the head OF the govern
ment. No principle oil reform Is involved
in this. 1t is merely an evasion to deceive
the people. The men who winked at cor
ruption and engaged in it under Grant,
will not favor reform under Hayes. Robe
son is for Hayes, Cameron is for Hayes
Morton is for Hayes. The whole list OF
schemiDg plunderers in the country ara to-
day the leaders of the Hayes party. They
will control his cabinet appointments, they
will sbspe his policy. They will fill the
offices they will perpetuste the shameless
plundering OF the p10iic treasury that has
hitherto prevailed.
To divert the attention of the people
from this effort of these public corruption
lists, to perpetustetheir power under Hayes,
they strive to cover up their record and
hoodwink the people by bringing forth the
old war issues. When the people ask for
honest government and plead for reform,
they tell them that there was a war a dozen
years ego and that outrages are committed
in the South, that Tilden was in the Chi
cago Convention, and that Hendricks did
not approve all the measures OF the gov
ernment in subd uing the rebellion. When
the stupendous amount of $40 900, 900 is
pointed out as the sum tquandered by
the navy department since Robson be-
came secretary, since 1869, they reply that
there is danger that the negroes will be
remanded to slavery, and there are some
OF the old rebels in Congress, and there
fore Hayes should be elected, and the
8 ealing 60 on. That cry of loyalty, that
skriek over the bloody shirt, and the
thread bare lie that the Democracy opposed
the suppression of the rebellion have been
use d long enough to cover up the stealing
that has been 81 scientifically going on for
years, and the people will be humbugged
by the m no longer. The simple question
now is, shall honesty prevail In the gov
ernmebt2 Shall the dishonest officials be
be driven from p,wer7 Shall there be re-
forum The pledge of reform by the Hayes
party is pledge from the very men that
n ed to be reformed themselves. The
party of Hayes aud the party Of Grant is
one. Their supporters are the same.
Their policy is the same. 1t is against the
Republican party that the people must
battle in seeking relief, in securing reform.
1t Is the Republican party that has mud
died the finances, that psrty's eztrsys-
gance, Encouragement and robberies have
created the huge publicdebt. 1t should be
trusted no longer. The people want re-
torn, ard only another party can secure
It, Tilden and Hendricks are reformers.
They are honest men. They will bring re-
lief 70 the people.