The daily gazette., 1876-05-26
Facts and differences,

The Louisville Courier-Journdl makes
some very strong points against the Re-
publican party, in an article from which
we copy few paragraphs below. I'm
questionably the accusations are well
put together and irrefutable. 1t starts
out with an admission that Mr.. Bristow
is one of the Republican party's best
men, and taking the best plank from
the party's platform proceeds with rare
logical precision, to point out and prove
the rottenness and unreliable character
of the organization SO clearly that there
is no escape. All promises and pretences
to Reform by the party have been but
deceptive movements enabling the cor
rupt officials to sink deeper and deeper
in national disgrace. 1t says:
'"rhe Kentucky Republicans are for
Bristow because his persistent and sue
cessful warfare against corruption de-
serves the thanks Of all friends OF hon
est government The declaration might
have added that he was persistent be-
cause he encountered 80 many obstacles
within the ranks OF his own party, and
the persistency Of TINS opposition may
be measured by the stress laid upon the
compliment to his success. Secretary
Bristow's S success demonstrates that sue
,ssful warfare might have been made
against corruption any time these ten
years. His real merit is not that, with
all the power of his position to back
him, and all the machinery of the courts
at his service, he conquered the Whisky
Ring, but that he was the first of Re-
publican officials to use his power and in
woke the aid of the courts. His per-
sistency was against the objections OF
his own political associates, and his sue
cess was victory over the policy of his
party.
The platform of the Kentucky Repub-
licans bears similar reflections on the
Republican administration of public
affairs. The second plank declares for
| thorough retrenchment and the most
rigid economy in all departments of the
public service. Retrench means TO live,
or to conduct business, with less expense,
and retrenchment is the act of retrench-
ing, reduction, curtailment or diminu-
tion. 1t involves the idea of spending
more money than is necessary ; so, when
the Republicans promise retrenchment
control of the Government. they i'm
pliedly confess that during their con-
troll they did not administer the Govern
ment economically.
But the Republicans promise us even
something better than economy in the
future. They are for such reform in
the civil service as will prevent the pros
titution of public stations to selfish ends,
and make honesty and capacity indis-
pensable qualifications for all Offices.
Now reform, like retrenchment, has a
. well-ascertained Specification. 1t means
to change from worse to better, to cor
rect to improve, to reclaim, and so, when
the Republicans promise us reform a,
this late day in their control, they sim
9 ply promise that they will leave off theil
bad ways and do better in the future
j Their promise TO do better in the future
: involves an assertion of their power Il
a have done better in the past and they
. did no better in the past, and thus OBJ
I viaie the necessity Of an effort to dc
: better ia the future, is proof of derelic
ton of duty, and want of appreciation
of opportunity. The promised reform i,
to be of such a character that it will pre-
vent the prostitution of public station
C to selfish ends and the fair inference
+ from this is that the condition of affair
j., which they have tolerated, if not ap
proved, in the past, permitted suci
p prostitution of public station, and til,
e situation that demands such reform i
{, one in which the public interest has beel
subordinated to selfish ends. So, toe
: this promi sed reform is to make honest
d and capacity Indispensable qualification
,e for office, and from this distlngushin
=, character of the new effort nAturall
Ii comes the inference that heretofore u1
"a der Republican rule honesty and capacit
N have not been Indispensable qualities
in tons for public honors.