National Republican., 1876-09-14
REFORM AND REFORMERs,

all Congressmen of this ilk are vociferating
in lofty tones and in grandiloquent phrase
for reform. With hypocritical pretense,
led on by Tllden, there is q piteous cry
for the 'tgood old days" when Polk, Pierce
and Buchanan reigned. These, we are
told, were the palmy days of the Republic,
and it will be the mission of Samuel j.
Tilden, when elected, to restore the Gov
eminent to its whilom excellence, purity,
just laws and economical administration.
In the first place, we are to have reform
in the, civil service. This, like all other
promises from Democratic quarters, is a
sham. Who does not know that it was
Democrat who invented that pestilent
heresy, ito the victors belong the spoils?'
and who does not know that when this
spoilsseeking Democracy got control of
the House of Representatives they carried
out this spoils doctrine to ruinous extentt
1t was during the Administration of James
Z. Polk that proposal was made in Con-
gress to remove the Cherokees to that res
ervstion which they now occupy, and
S., 900, 900 were appropriated to purchase
these lands east of the Mississippi. Subse-
quently further sum of 81, ,647, OCT was
appropriated to pay the expense of re-
moval, etc. A part of the plan was for
the Cherokees to give S500,0OO for the
lands they now occupy, and like sum
was TO be set apart as trust fund in their
behalf 1t will be understood that all ex-
penses having been provided for, S4, ,00Q,-
900 would be left for division among the
Cherokees. Let US see what was the up
shot of this business under the manage
ment Of the ring, constituted of Democratic
Congressman and lobbymen of those days.
When the agents of the War Department
presented their accounts-as this Depart
ment then had charge of Indian affairs-it
was found that not only had the $1.647,-
OG7, appropriated for expenses of removal,
been exhausted, but only S160,000 Of the
S5,O00,OO0 appropriation was left intact.
Thus it is obvious that the Cherokees were
robbed Of nearly $3,OO0OOO. 1t may be
readily supposed that these Indians would
not submit to this swindle, and they ac-
cordingly appealed to the tleaty. They
stood upon the bond, and demanded what
was written therein should be accorded to
them as their just right. The Democratic
Congress was ats that time under the man
agement and control of a shameless and
unprincipled lobby, and the ring escaped
with its plumber. IF there is any chapter
In the history of our treatment of the
Indians more shameful and more disgrace
full than this we fail to see it.
The removal of the Choctaws was
another swindle on the part of the Demo-
cratic thieves. Mr.. Comingo, Demo-
cratic Representative from Missouri, made
to the Forty third Congress an exhaustive
report upon this matter. From this report
it appears that the corrupt ring and lobby
Of spectators stole, absolutely stole,
81, 7S7, ,565. Of all this sum, Mr.. Comingo
says there was not dollar of this steal
which an honest chancellor would have
"held properly chargeabls against the Choc-
" taw nation" There is about $8, 900, 900
which the Democratic thieves of those days
stole from the Indians. And now we hear
such men as Charles Francis Adams, Geo.
W. Curtis and a score of others upon whom
Republican favors have been bestowed
without stint, talking about restoring "the
"pure and good old rule of the Democ-
"racY." Shame on such pretenders, who
owe all they ever have been and are to the
Republican party. With such men rule or
ruin is the law. The country is familiar
with the John B. Floyd swindle. He
made away with $780, 900 of the Indian
trust fund bonds, and clearly in defiance of
law put the rest into Southern States stocks
and bonds. These became worthless, and
the Government had to make good the de-
fciency. Thus it will be seen that John
B. Floyd was not only one of the princi-
pal schemers that brought on the war and
plunged this nation into debt, but that his
fraudulent acceptances made while he was
Secretary of War under Buchanan
amounted to 81, 5,267, 395. Talk of the pu-
rity of the Democratic rule, especially when
such notorious swindler as Tilden is to
lead. Willthe people of the North restore
this sham Democracy to power2 Vermont
and Maine pronounce emphatically against
it. Now, let Ohio and Indiana cry no, in
October, and Iilden is dead cock in the
oit