davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

subservient to himself and his personal
policy, and it was not till l7S5 that the
parliam sntary reform bill was passed
means of direct bribery of members of
parliament.
The ssUpendous malfessslcs of Give
and Warren Hastings in Indls
are beyond the possibility of de-
cription, and the creatures OF
the parliamentary undertakers' in
Ireland are rightly described as having
been "glutted With pensions, preferments
and brides in hard cash."
In England, moreover, during the long
continued Struggle with Napoleon, there
were loud complaints of embeZzlement in
the public service. and Sir Francis Bur-
dett was sent to the Tower in 1910 for de-
scribing the House OF Commons as ga part
ofour 1ellow-subjects collected together
by means which it is not necessary to de-
SCRIBE"
So late as 1880 no fewer than fifty-six "rot-
ten boroughs" were suppressed, and since
then parliamentary corruption in England
IL
In the executive departments of gov
eminent thers is probably no country in
the world which Is at this time more free
from corrupt practices than thstlof Eng
land; and minister or other functionary
who should use his Official information.
and much more his official position, ID
further his private interests, would be re-
gsrded as infinitely more contemptible
than common thief. 1t is easy to
imagine the contsmptuous scorn with
which the English people have observed
the Emma mine transactions of our late
envoy to the court of 81. James.
FdciliS deScenSaS AUerni. 1t Is very easy
thing to slide down hill, and we have GER
tainly begun our slide toward the bottom
less pit tt general official infsmy with
amazing swiftness. Is it worth while to
go further2 Is it possible to stop? Or
must our country, and with It the hope of
republican government throughout the
world, be dragged to perdition by a mob
of nefarious political scoundrels? These
are questions which Il bshooves the pso-
pie to consider.
One thing is certain. The characters O.
the men to whom the government shall
be intrustsd must henceforth be closely
scrutinizsd. A villain or a trickster In
private life will be a villain and
trickster in public Office. The people
used to cry for principles, not men,
but to US it seems that what we want in
these Gays more than the principles OF
cial principles" of political conventions,
is men of principles whose private characters
shall be guarantee of public fidelity and
problty.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15
The climax or Corruptiop.

Corruption in the affairs of government
Is no novelty in American history, but the
most gloomy retrospect of our past career
as a nation fails to show time when ii
was not the exception rather than the rule;
when out of the several departments to
which the administration of the govern
ment is intrusted, the major part were not
free from any unquestionable and wide
spread faint of dishonest practices. 1t
has been reserved for the present
administration 30 make what was for
merry occasional, universal, and not only
to carry individual instances of official cor
ruption to a height before Unknown, but to
make the national depreciation complete
by communicating the virus ofdishonesty
to members of the body polite. hitherto
free from it, and spreading the shameful
infection throughout the whole govern
mental organism. Until within recent
time, the assertion might safely be ven
tured of the military service OF
the United States that its morale
was high. Whatever suspicious were
current concerning other branches OF
the state service, there has been general
confidence that the regular army was
under the control OF men proof against
temptations addressed to psltry love OF
gain. This feeling has been most clearly
manifested in the discussions upon the
transfer of the Indian bureau, where the
argument has been reiterated that men of
sufficient integrity to cope with the mani
fold frauds in that branch of the admins.
tration could be best found In
the military service, and there have
bsen very substantial grounds for this
feeling. The officers of the regular army
are, In sense, above the average in abil-
ity. They are selected from families al.
most invariably of unblemished name and
frequently of high responsibility. They
are gentlemen by education and training
Their position gives them a standing il
society high enough to serve as guard
against temptations to dishonesty, We,
without the necessity of the extravagsni
expenditures to maintain 1t which have
caused so many downfslls.
All these causes have combined to pro-
duce In our military service fine Sense
OF honor and high standard of personal
honesty, but all these have not given. 1t
strength to Withstand the insidious con.
tagion of dishonesty emsnsting from the
administration now In power, which has
succeeded in corrupting, one after another
every department of government, and
which has reached It's climax of corruption
by introducing It's fsvorits and charsc.
teristic diversions OF secret fraud
and open theft, wholesale bribery
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Can the Republican party purge itself
of the corruption that now gives it so IN
wholesome character In this country?
1t Is difficult to understand now that lie
to be brought about. Tie administration,
or those in power, alone can bring about
change, and it being corrupt we do not
see how reform can take place. A cancer
can not cure itself. These men who con-
troll the party will not turn themselves
out, and to expect them to stop stealing
after the habit has existed for years unmo-
Tested would be expecting too much.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

In the present Investigations going on in
congress the Democrats should be careful
about receiving the explanations that are
being made of the connection that other
Republicans have had with rascslities
already exposed. The usual honor
among thieves does not obtain
among the rsscally office holders, and
to clear their own skirts they will fix the
responsibility and shame upon each other.
Plerrepont throws the blame upon Babcock
of putting a stop to the whisky ring prose
cutions. Morton lodges out of the offer OF
the $4,000 fee. So as investig alton pro-
ceeds plausible excuses will be offered, but
Democrats should be careful to sift things
to the bottom.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

ter as to be met with open derision or
silent condemnation by its own party In
ether states. Since the platform is the ex-
preston of Morton's estimate of the polit-
ical situation, it partskes of the character
OF its real author in its clinging to old
dead Issues and its unsatisfactory dealing
with living questions; IN its verbs, APP
peals to sectional and sect arisn prejudice,
and in its inconsistent haste to forestal
the current of popular opinion by its
declarations upon the financial problem,
IL illustrates the familiar character
of the senator. More than this, the action
OF the convention declares to the country
at large the relations existing between
Senator Morton and his party in his own
state, the dictatorisl spirit on the one
hand and the servility on the other, which
1t is now proposed to transfer to national
affairs. Has not the nation had enough OF
government of this kind7 After seeing
one form OF the one-man power grow to
proportions so monstrous as to threaten
the stability of our institutions, is it pre-
pared to supersede it with ano tner already
full grown and active? We have too
much confidence in the innate good
sense Of the American people to
believe this. Personal government and
political autocrscy are too unwelcoms to a
nation, fresh from eight years ofGrantism,
to hope for success in any form. The
Republican party in this state, in casting
its lot with the personal aspirations of
Senator Morton, has staked upon a losing
card, and the party and it's chief viii sink
together into one political grave.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

1t might reasonably be expected that
here and there some Democrat would be
involved in some OF the fraudulent trans
actions which are being exposed by the
Democratic House OF Representatives,
but so far no one has been inculpated.
The Journal claims that Beiknsp is a
Democrat, but all his post trading con-
tracts and rsscalities have been executed
since he became identified with the Repub-
lican cabinet.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The Journal has discovered that "Marsh's
intimate associates during the war were
copp srheads of the most pronounced
type" But nothing has yet been devel-
oped to show that Marsh was implicated In
any questionable business transactions ur-
I'll he became acquainted with a prominent
member of the Radical cabinet. He was
then tempted to his fall, and he dragged
Belknap down with him and the Republi-
can party is precipitately following.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15
Personal Party Platforms.

Party platforms may be roughly classi-
fed into three divisions: one, the ideal
platform which is purely and simply a
declaration OF the principles by which the
assemblage of individuals composing the
party agree to be guided; second, a de-
gree less pure and exalted in character,
in which principle is less consulted than
exp sdiency, and in which the leading
motive Is to attract votes and insure
party success by an appeal to popular
prejudices and an advocacy Of pop
ular opinions, without reference to the
ideas OF right and justice involved; and a
third, most degraded and farthest re-
moved from the ideal purity OF motive, in
which the same tactics are resorted to, not
to secure party success merely, but to aid
in the advancement of some one man,
who assumes to manipulate the whole
party machinery for his personal gain, and
srrogates to himself the allegiance due
both to party and to country. The first of
these is unhappily rare in American his
tory, and is ordinarily only the
product of some great crisis i'm
portapt enough to sink all meaner
motives out of sight. Something Of
the character of the second enters into
most political platforms, none of which
are free from some share of human imper-
fections, bat the personal platform has so
far been q rare and abnormal develop
ment in our national politics. In local,
state and municipal politics it has occa-
ed al l., hov fLaf hoe hnn
able to gain such an overweening influence
as to mold all his party's policy to his per-
sonal will; but this evil has never secured
firm aud enduring footing in the larger
affairs of the nation, and it should be the
wish OF every good citizen that result so
opposed to the spirit OF Democratic insti-
buttons may long be averted.
Just at this junoture of affairs, however,
the subject OF personal influence in poll
tics has a somewhat peculiar interest to
the country, and 10 our own state In par
ticulsr. The danger of too great growth
of ii Q one man power in the sdministra-
ton of Gen. Grant is happily past. since
his person and policy have become alike
objects of general contempt and execra-
ton; but strong and sustained effort Is
making to preserve the policy while
changing the person, and to succeed his
administration with one in which the per-
sonal element is still more dangerously
prominent. Indiana is the center
ana source of this movement,
whose aim is to place Senator Morton in
Grants place, and TO transfer to the affairs
of the nation the political sutocracy he has
so long exercised IN his own state. Hence
it is that the declaration of principles
upon which the Republican party propose
to go into the coming state contest affords
the best possible example of personal
party platform. The grand motive in its
construction was not to represent the
views Of the people Of the state, not merely
to improve the party's prospects, but
solely to advance the presidential as
pirstions OF the party chief. This is the
true explanation why the work OF the Re-
publican convention was OF such chsrsc-
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15
How Charges Ae ainst Democrats Fall
to the Ground.

In France each newspaper article Is 30
designated that the writer is known. Cali
fornis is now sgitsting the question Of
newspaper responsibility, and the French
law has many advocates In the Golden State
IL the authors of slanderous rumors and
lying innuendoes had to come to the front
and let the world know who they are, they
would be more careful what they invent
and put in circulation. II Indifferent to
public scorn they would have a healthful
dread OF the boot toes Of those whom they
traduce. As is well known, many OF the
leading papers of the country nave corre-
spondents at Washington whose duty it is
to keep their papers advised of what Is 60
ing on at the national capital. These cor
respondents are often reckless in their
statements, and what they send their
pspsrs is frequently the gossip of idle
men, or the wicked lies of unprincipled
CUES. A rumor is STATED affecting the
character of some public man; It
spreads over the city and reaches
Newspaper Row, where 1t is seized upon
by the hungry news gatherers there, and
sent over the country on the lightning's
wing. The next morning it sppsars in
many pspers and Is read and discussed by
thousands ever willing to believe i'll oftheir
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Morton was the central figure at the
brilliant party of Boss Shepherd. He was
happy in thus contributing, by his pres.
ence, to the ecldt Of the occasion. And
now comes the Journal and charges this
bosom friend OF Morton with being q
scheming, .disreputable trickster. Poor
Mortoni even the Journal has gone baci;
on his friends.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The organs now claim that the president
proposes to dispense with the services OF
dishonest subordinetes throughout. If
this policy should prevail, "the best
civil service system in the world" will
receive an awful shock, and there will be
more vacancies than there are honest Re-
publican Office seekers to fill. This mi ght
not have been necessary bad the president
set his subordlnates better example.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

1t is in vain that the Republicans start
rumors Of corruption on the part of Demo
Gratis In order to cover up the dishonesty
OF their exposed officials. The rumors are
thin and will not stick, while the written
contracts of corruption are brought out
day after day against the administration.
No power that the convicted party can OK
ert viii be able to hide the shame that
now belongs to that party.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The Cincinnati Times says it don't
believe that Governor Hsndricks's visit
South paid expenses. The Times and its
tribe have a profound contempt for any
thing that don't pay expenses. Post
leadership profits tickle the Times.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15
governor.

If everybody is not already convinced
that the Republican party of this city is in
the bands of bummers and hoodlums, that
work out the bidding of rings and
cliques, let them read the columns OF the
Journal yesterday, urging all the decent
men OF the party to attend the primary
electors or the ward meetings last night.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The Journal persists in calling Belknap
Democrat. 1t is understood that here
after Satan will be designated In its col
umns as an angel OF light, for the reason
that he dwelt In heaven before he fell.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The Journal is in agony about the Cat
ling guns belonging to the stats. 1t wants
to know for what purposes they are to be
used. We viii tell it. They are to kill
off the cows that ate up the iced bought
with the states money when Morton was
oovarnor
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

the leading article In yesterdays Journal.
Ifit was not Halls election, it must have
been Schmidt in the Ninth, one yesr ago.
The conduct of Hall and Schmidt In the
Council has reflected very little credit on
the Republican party, and we are not sur
prised to find the Journal raking Its party
for sending such men to the Council.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Cal. Darnell was the champion of Coun-
Gilman Hall in the recent investigation
about hauling off other peoples bricks
Now Hall can repay the compliment by
defending wood hauler Darnell,
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Many journals speak of Belknsp's pres-
ent wife as being formerly Mrs. Bowers
This is a mistake. Belknap took the
Fort Sill trick by playing single Bower
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Schenck's successor is not the Dana of
the New York Sun, and the Sun still sheds
Its vertical rays upon the fostering carcass
of the radical party.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Grant used to be the champion wood
hsuler of st. Louis, but Cal. Darnell can
discount him two to one. For particulars
see Rowland.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Schenck didn't pay the usual farewell
visit to the queen, but he was so hurried
that be hardly had time to pay his hotel
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The Journal says that tine salvation o.
the Republican party depends on the
kind of men it nominstes." Its dsmns
ton depends on no contingency.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Marsh learned that he was to be persecu-
ted because he had exploded the Belknap
mine, 30 he went over into Canada for his
haalth
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The Journal says "the Republican party
Is amply able to deal with itsown thieves
1t has been kept pretty busy lately.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

There is no danger of Belknap attempt.
ing to leave Washington If assured that he
could be tried alone by the district courts
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

It seems that Dana, the new minister to
England, is relative OF the president.
Blood, like bsbbling gossips, will tell.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Charley Rowland will very closely
scrutinize the wood bills of Cal. Dsrnell.
should that gentleman get into the record
arJa OffiCo
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

1t is now suggested that Kellogg VIII
appoint Pinchback senator, the legislature
Of Louisiana having adjourned.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Will the Journal charge that Cal. OAR
nell was a Democrat when he was IN the
wood hauling business.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The stupidity of the Journal may be &C
counted for by the fact that it has taken
an overdose of o. p. M.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

washington diamonds are losing their
luster in the eyes of the honest men and
women OF America.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Alaska seals always take to water when
they see bloody shit.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Diamonds in the rough are appreciating
in the Washington market.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

that direction. The robbers of the soldiers
can not receive the vote of airy true and
brave defender of his country. -
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Noguilty man has been permitted to escape
by the Republican party. journal.
This Is Journal joke. Babcock was In
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

"woodmsp, spare that tree" is what
Rowland once said to s county candidate.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

Belknap didn's hold the right Bower
when called to show his hand.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

The election OF Hall from the Eleventh
Ward two years ago must have suggested
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

WEDNESDAY, MARCH Is.
The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-03-15

nocent.
, 1876-03-18

INDIANA PoLITIcs.-A movement
has been inaugurated in Indiana which
may possibly upset the calculations OF
politicians, not only as to the result Of
of the Presidential election in that
State. but also in the Onion. This
movement is Independent of either of
the two parties, bat is possible an en-
terlng- wedge which may tear either
or both asunder. The currency is the
only question which the convention
touches. It's platform demands the
repeal of the resumption act the with
drawal of all bank notes and their re.
placement by treasury notes; that
the Government hereafter issue all the
currency used; that these Treasury
notes shall hereaftere be legal tender
for all debts, public and private, in
cluding payment Of fduties on imports,
but excepting such bonds as are made
payable IN gold by the law creating
them.
, 1876-03-18

Tup President ARRAIGSgD.-The
New York Herald is terribly severe
in its animadyersions upon the Belk-
nap explosion, and does not hesitate
to inculpate the President. 1t says
that one Of the worst features Of these
muI,itudinous scandals in the intiexl-
bla uniformity with which the Presl-
dent has defended and protected the
officers whose regulations have been
assai,ed. He has turned a deaf ear
to charges and proofs, and has done
bi, utmost 10 slifle and defeat every
searching investigation. He stood BY
Williams and Richardson and Delano
until an outraged and indignant pub
lie sentiment forced them ont OF the
Cabinet, end then gave them certlh-
Gates of character, either IN writing
as in the case of Delano, or by ap-
pointment to office as in the case OF
Richardson, or by public acts OF
friendship as in the case OF Williams.
His efforts 10 shield and save Babcock
were not more indefensible than
the attempt he made to rescue
Belknap from the disgrace of de-
served Impeachment. Belknap con-
fessed bis crime by offering his resig-
nation. and :he President not only ac-
cepted it, but took pains to convey
prompt information of the fact to the
committee Of the House with a view
10 forestall their action. There can
be 10 excuse for this interference with
the regular course Of justice. The
President might with as much pro
priety accept the resignation of an Off.
Ger after articles of Impeachment
against him had been presented TO the
Senate. The purpose of an impeach-
ment is not merely to remove the
guilty officer, but 10 brand him with
indelible iufamy and make his punish
ment a terror and a warning TO de;er
others from similar crimes. The
penalty is not merely removal from
office, but the stigma of Disqualified
tion for ever holding any other posi-
ton of trust under the United States.
The President has inJerposed TO
shield Secretary Belknap against the
Just punishment Of his deplorable
crime.
, 1876-03-18

VoN ARNIM,S TROUBLES seems un-
likely to decrease. The Emperor has
refused his petition to visit his sick
son, and Las rot replied 10 Ills famny's
prayer for pardon. Meanwhile the
foreign Office, which his foe, Bismarck
controls, has preferred Ggainst him
accusations of high treason and in
sulting the Emperor, Bismarck and
the foreign office. The moral of all
this is that Bismarck is Germany, for
Won Arnim's offences are purely per-
sonal to the imperial chancellor, no
matter how they are twisted. This
Juggling in Of the Emperor, high trea-
SOD, and so forth, is only to show that
the great crime OF treadIug on the
man of irons corns includes the lesser
offences Of walking on such small
things as the kaiser and the rest of
the government.