The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-12-14

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from their Office by such an enactment.
But it is a higher moral offense in higher
officials, punishable by the more impress
sve process of impeachment. Here no
technical difficulties can hinder the pun
ishment of this crime against political
morals or public welfare. No one doubts
CIR denies that such assessments were
made with the knowledge and consent
Of the committee. The gravity of this
offense is made more gross by the fact
that at the last session Of Congress, when
it was proposed TO reduce the pay of off.
cials, in order to relieve the industry of
the country from the burden of taxation
it was resisted by the Republicans upon
the ground that this could not be done
without injury to the public service, Yet
we see a National Republican Commit
tee reducing their pay by assessments
for partisan purposes, and diverting the
money paid to them from the public
treasury to enable them to serve the peo-
pie faithfully; and thus, as declared by
the solemn action of Congress, disabling
them from doing their duty to the repub.
lie. About these facts there is no dis
pute The public mind is agitated by
conflicting statements with regard to the
conduct of the Republican canvassing
officers in the remote Southern States
Do not the acts of the heads of the or.
ganization, done under our own eyes,
throw light upon those disputed points,
If morals were violated at the fountain
head in the North, were they not respeC
ted by men of worse than doubtful char
acter at the South2 Those men, by their
call upon the General Administration for
its armed forces, proclaimed to the world
their dependence upon its power, and
their serVitude to its wishes The head
of the Republican committee held the
double position of a Cabinet Minister,
advising and directing the action of the
Government, and at the same time man
aging the machinery of party! Thus
at an exciting election the Government
of the Union openly allied itself with
party, gave it power of coercion over
its officials in violation of the spirit of
the laws against intimidation and bri-
berry. 1t did just what it charges the
Southern people with. What lessons of
law and morals and of duty did such ex-
amples teach lese dependent officials in
louisiana These question must press
themselves upon the minds and con-
sciences of every honest man. Until we
ponder well upon what we know of the
canvass at the North, we cannot Judge
wisely with regard to its character at the
South, Were men of bad reputation,
acting under the influences Of interest
and passion, tempted to violate duty and
morals by the example of a committee
headed by Cabinet officer2 If we can
conscientiously say the conduct Of the
committee was right, we can then go and
investigate the conduct of officials at the
South. If we see that it was wrong, we
need look no further.
THE PRICE OF FRAUD.
If, by any trick or fraud, the candidate
of the minority is placed in the Presiuen-
tial chair against the wishes of the peo-
pie, every man who has tins been forced
to pay for his election will have u right
to say to his administration, you deman"
ded our money to place you in power
We demand the positions we bought of
the accredited head Of your organiza.
ton" The great point of civil service
reform is to avoid this corruption and to
make the tenure of Office depend upon
capacity and fidelity. Wedo not believe
the Republican party has in mere mock
cry so constantly asserted its advocacy
of civil service reform. We cannot be-
lIeve that its writers and speakers, and
those who have been employed in devel-
oping this system, have been shameless
pretenders, only seeking office or ap-
plause The evil of transaction will fall
upon the American people, but the shame
will be that of the Republican party, if
they do not now vindicate their earnest
ness when thus challenged by acts so no
torious.
The member of Congress who objected
to the reduction of salaries for the reason
that the employee Eeeded all 10 enable
him to do his duty, and who will stand
by, silent and confessing witness to re-
dnction for party purposes, condemns
himself as a corrupt and dishonorable
member of the National Legislature.
We appeal to the Republican party to
make such expressions Of its condemna-
ton of these cts as will quicken their
leaders with sense of what is due their
party as we'll as to their country. The
power is in their hands; the guilt and the
shame will be theirs # it is not exerted.
We do not fear what the body of the
Republicans wish to do, but what they
will have to do, if they take false step
at this time. If they accept power from
unclean hands, they can never check or
lay bare the fraud of those who thus
make the tenure of their authority
They must hide wrong.doing and shelter
it from punishment or they will expose
the rotten basis of their positions The
past shows the danger of such false
stems. Ifthe Administration had needed
the warnings of its own friends, and had
not upheld by force the men in Louisi-
ana convicted of illegal acts, our. country
would not now be involved in these per-
lis. Because it shielded wrong-doing
then, it is pressed to do so now. 1t must
go further and deeper in violence, ifit
lacks courage and patriotism now. When
it bases its authority upon force, it will
fall under the slavery of men it meant to
use as tools and to tolerate merely for
party purposes. They will be compelled
to meet their brazen demands. Their
claims as the makers of the Administra.
ton cannot be questioned. In this his
tory will but repeat itself.
In view of the vital importance of the
questions which agitate our country,
mere partisan results of the election sink |
into insignifcance. If the only question
was who should hold certain political po-
sitions, we might look with complacency
upon the political outrages and blunders
which our opponents may commit in
their efforts to thwart the will of the
people. The majority cannot be kept
out of power for any length of time by
any devices. The policy heretofore pur-
sued by the Administration toward the
South. and particularly in Louisiana, has
cut down the Republican majorities in
the Northern States since 1872 more than
five hundred thousand votes.
A SUICIDAL POLICY.