The Grange advance., 1876-08-09
TIE GRANGE ADVANCE.
WEDNESDAY. AUGUST g., 1876.
III. YOUNa,Publisher Editor.
An Unwarranted Assumption.

following as the opening paragraph
of principal editorials:
"For eight years past the Republicans
have admitted the rascalities and stealing
going on in their ranks. and have endeav-
ored to quiet the fears Of the better portion
by promising reform and punishment to the
offend ders. "Let US reform within the party"
say they "and not stultity ourselves by join
ing the opposition" What has been the
result? Simply that their promises to re-
form perishod with the paper on which they
were written as was intended they should,
and the fostering sore Of corruption. instead
Of being healed, has spread until it extends
from the White House to the lowest official
in the land"
Is this true Did the Republic
cans admit anything 6f the sort
eight years ago ? Let lis think a
moment. Eight years ago the
leaders OF both the old parties were
rivalling each other in their efforts
to induce Gen. Grant to become
the presidential candidate Of their
respective organizations. The Gen.
eral was prudent. He already held
4 life office with good salary at
tached, and knowing that "a bird in
the hand is worth two in the bush, :"
he was reluctant to take the risk.
1t is notorious that divers bids were
made to overcome his hesitancy,
and that the republican wire-work-
ers succeeded in winning him away
from their democratic rivals. 1t is
also notorious that he never had
been nor had he ever professed to
be republican up till that time.
During his first term of office ex-
posures Of official corruption began
to be made, but he was not impli-
Gated in any manner. The guilty
men were in Congress, and they
were Of both parties, and it was
plainly shown that both parties were
alike responsible for such corrup-
ton. Neither is it tue that demo-
Gratis exposed this corruption, nor
that they were chiefly active in
prosecuting the exposures. 1t was
such men as Sumner, Trumbull,
Schurz, ETC., who led in those move
ments, and it was a republican con-
yress that made the Investigations
and rendered the guilty perpetrators
Of the wrongs conspicuous in their
infamy. Where are those guilty
,nen now? Has the republican
party sustained them :? Not at all.
They have dropped into obscurity,
and are no longer mentioned.
From that day to this the repub-
lican party has been ridding itself of
its corrupt leaders, until even a sus-
pected man finds it difficult, if not
impossible, to continue in political
life successfully. To-day, were
Gen. Grant nominee of that par
ty a very large and influential
element, and one which is rapidly
gaining control of it, would oppose
him even to the extent of assuring
the party defeat.
1t IS this very determination Of
the great mass of the republican
party, including many of it's leaders
to get rid of the corrupt men who
have controlled it, most Of whom,
by the way, came over to it since
1860, from the ranks of the democra
cy, as, for instance, Butler, Belknap
Babcock, Logan, Carpenter, etc.,
that has initiated the reformatorv
movements now in progress, and
made it probable that a healthier
state Of affairs will be speedily in
augurated.
But for the efforts Of intelligent,
honest and earnest republicans,
VIM. NJ. Tweed would probably still
be "boss" Of New York, with Sam
uel ]. Tilden as associate sachem in
Tammany club; for it is hardly
possible that the latter would ever
have thought Of becoming a reform
er had not an improving condition