New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-29
THE QUESTION OF HONESTY.

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THE QUESTION OF HONESTY.
There il . fair aid decorous discussion
of principle among the journals Of Nev
York. Their respect for public Opinion
induces them to treat each other will
civility and justice.
We like to read the New York World
It amuses us to note the adroitness will
which it wards of any allusion to Tweet
or Lawyer Pendlston, the casuistry tina
can reconcile the States rights Democrac,
of New York with the secession ''rebels'
of the South, or the flush money Jack
sonians of Ohio with the Belmont bull
lionists of Wall street.
The World discussing the question o.
honesty" says:
Speaking for the Democracy of the coun.
try, We deny emphsticslly that the rule
Of our party would be a. corrupt q that o.
base our opinion upon no claim Of superior
virtue in the members of one party over TIE
nacnberso of the other.
With the Democratic centennial thief,
escorted from prison by Democratic
jailors, and now on the tour around the
globe, or perhaps in 8 New York attic, it ia
perhaps a good compromise on the part
of the World to renounce any ''claim of
superior virtue in the members of one
party over the other" The World dis
plays even a Democratic pride in this pub
lie robber, who is convicted of having
stolen six millions of dollars, or more than
any other five Republican robbers with
the best opportunities. It says:
Suppose, for tho sake of argument, that
Democrats are Is much inclined to steal a
Republicans. Take it for granted that they
are - ekillfal in stealing, though this 10 i'm
probable, considering the fact that they haze
but little practice for the last fifteen
years, while Republican Office holders have,
through constant and varied experience,
acquired IN ingenuity and boldness which
Distinguish them among ordinary pecu
are distinguished among thieves.
All parties being equally subject to
this evil, the superior purity of the Dem
ocratic party consists in its having been
for q long time expelled from public
trusts. Suppose we put the proposition
thus: Men of all parties are equally !
honest. Those who, for. fifteen years, (
have had no opportunity to steal, should
be entrusted with the opportunity. 1t
would, therefore, follow that the average
thief so long excluded from the chance
Of theft would indemnify himself for this
abstinence. The World mod
estly suggests the .'want of practice" as the
guarantee of Democratic moderation. This
would, we fear, be an impeachment of small
protection to the treasury. Indeed, it would
q fair use of the Worlds doctrine to
.sk this question: If a Democoatic State
with the limited opportunities of
corporate robbery, gets away with six mil
ions, what sum would satisfy the fam.
shed horde which have been baying and
'esieging the national treasury for fifteen
past? The total abstracted by these
apacious though Impractical robbers
ould scarcely be expressed in figures.
The World, however, proceeds to show
hat though the Republican and Demo-
ratio son of Adam and Eve inherit in an
quail degree the progenital propensity to
teal and lie about anything they may be
atrusted with, that those in the Demo-
ratio line of descent are more worthy of
fduciary trusts of this republic, be-
there is less conided to them. This
,eory, though by no means compliment :
y to Democratic integrity, is a fallacy as /,
lay readily be shown. The World, in :
the proposition that a mill :
one or other article of small value and :
eat weight may be safely conided to q :.
emocrat, employs the following reason 7.
g: :,
But holding both parties to be on q par y
regards the disposition to steal and p
.llity to steal, there remains the important 4
(Which of the two offers the ;.
eater opportunities to steal 2" There Il
. be but one answer to that question. It q
the policy OF Democracy to narrow the /,
here OF government; to reduce the mum. .
OF othcee; to cut down salaries: to re- Il
Do subsidies; to promote enterprise and =,
strict public works-in q word, to be not -
sreIy economical but penurious. p
The Republican party is, on the other G
nd, represented to advocate a policy d
It the opposite Of this. Now, would d
World just pause to show wherein the al
mocrats differ in their public policy 81
m the Republicans? tn
Is it that they wish a hard money gov ps
lment? Mr.. William Allen and his it
stern Democratic colleagues demand a tn
'rency adequate to the wants of the to
'ple. The Republicans have every nc
ere shown a more united regard for q
currency. Perhaps the De-
cracy would marrow the sphere of gov
ment" by renouncing expenditures for al
'structing works of improvement? Why 20
lthern Democracy is now demanding !"
abroad to the Pacific, the reparation :,
the levees and q deep water outlet for
section of the South alone. The
them Democracy even contrasts the -
hundred million dollars of appro- -,
made to the North with the -.
ty or forty millions given to the South ca.
demanding the difference. Hon. Mr.. g