St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-09-15
VOLUME 4O---NUMBER 2O42.

attracts evil men because its power is
desirable, and Il party which attracts
them because its principles are corrupt.
Never in our history, and hardly ever
in the history of the world, has anv
party met anything like such RESPONSE
hlities us have faced the Republican
party in these last sixteen wears. And
how has it faced them? The record is
already written, and is there in the an
mails of history anywhere the story of
grander work more grandly done? |
need not recapitulate it. 1t shines all
glorious in lines of tadelesS light before
the eyes of every one here. and it is
read, as it ever will he. with the won
der and admiration of the world Nei-
ther is its bright record confined to the
conduct of war. With all that may be
said in criticism of it since, doubt if
any great party ever merited greater
commendation for its treatment of the
questions growing out of ii great civil
war. 1t has passed the 18th, nth and
10Th amendments to the constitutions
which guarantee that the fruits of the
war shall not he lost. 1t has paid near
ly $500. 100000 of the debt caused by
the war and So strengthened the credit
of the Government that the rate of in
tcreSt on the remainder has been re-
duced more than onethird: it has re-
duced taxation nearly one-halt since
the close of the war. and the expenses
of the Government in equal proportion:
1t has handled the vast sums placed at
its disposal with an honesty without
Il parallel. and which, when we conSid-
Ell what human nature iS. moves ones
aStoni>hment IT, well aS admiration.
(Applause.)
While from an official letter of the
Secretary of the Treasury of June 10.
lo76. it appears that before the Repub
lican party entered upon the admins
uatiOn of the Government in the TWEEN
ty->evcn Years between l-:}4 and 1851
the average loss to the Government
from the dctalcatiOnS of its officials WAS
nlie dollars to ever thousand dollars
collected but from July |, l-Gl to July
|. le15, the average loss was only twen-
ty->iX cents on every thousand dollars.
or less than one thrtieth of what took
place before do not wish to deny
many things fairly hlamcwortly in the
Republican treatment of our revenues.
but | affirm and without fear of contra
riod of our history when the revenues
of the Government have been 80 wisely
managed a. since the Republican party
has been ill power. And point to the
conspicuous proofs of this. which the
present Democratic House of Repre-
tative> has unwittingly furnished. This
branch of Congress. during its late >e>-
sion. set itself To trace out all the tracks
"t the Republican administration. that
II might expose its corrupt ways. II |
passed eighty-threc resolutions of in-
ve>tigation. besides nlmbcrlcSs reSolu-
tl"n> of inquiry. and empowered TWEEN
ty- five standing committees and eight
select committees 1" send torpersonS and
papers III any part of the land that dark
d"ingS might he brought to light. but
though this has had all the power of
the House of Representatives to sup
port it. and all the eagcrnesS of partizan
zeal t" inspire it. and though over Il
million of dollars. ii is said. have been
spent III the process. Vet in all the cN-
tent of time and territory covered 10y
the investigation. not Il single dollar
has been found stolen from the Gov |
eminent. The Republican party has |
shown itself To hc honest and law -ahid- |
ing a> well a> liberty loving. and why |
should such trusted and trustworthy |
servant Ice discharged !