The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-19
INDEPENDENT CONFERENCE.
The Address to the People.

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Address to the American people Eel
low citizens A conference of citizens as
sembled in New York, sincerely desiring
to serve the best interests Of the American
people, beg leave 10 submit to your candid
consideration the following appeal The
national election is approaching, under
circumstances Of peculiar significance.
Never before in our history has the public
mind been so profoundly agitatcd by an
apprehension Of the dangers arising from
the prevalence Of corrupt tendencies and
practices in our political life, and never
has there been greater reason for IT, We
will not display here in detail the distress
ing catalogue of disclosures which, for |
several years, have followed one another |
in rapid succession, and seem to have left |
scarcely a single sphere of our political |
life untouched The records of the courts,
OF the state legislatures, and of the national |
congress speak with terrible plainness, and |
still they are adding to the scandalous ex-
hibition. While such a state of things |
would under any circumstances, appear
most deplorable, it is peculiarly so at the
present moment. We are about TO cele-
brate the one hundredth birthday of our
national existence. We have invited ma
lions of the earth in this great anniversary
to visit our land and TO witness evidence
of our material progress as well as the
| working and effects of that republican
| government which n century ago our
| fathers founded. Thus the most inspiring
memories of our past history are rising up
before ms in new glow OF life, forcing
| upon us the comparison of what this re-
| public once was, what II was intended to-
| be, and what il now is, and upon this We
have challenged the judgment of civilized
mankind conformity with our own. There
is much of which every American citizen
has just reason to be proud, an energy and
| thrift, n power of thought and action, a
progressive spirit which in magnificence of
result has outstripped all precedent and
anticipation. A history Astounding in illus
trations of heroic patriotism. fortitude
and wisdom a greater freedom from
foreign wars and revolution and changes
of government than most other nations can
boast OF. Our republic, but a century old
and Just issued from the only great civil
conflict we have had to deplore, so strong
in resources and organization that it stands
in the formost ranks of the great powers of
the earth. And yet with all these splendid
results on record it can not be denied that
at no period during the century now behind
us the American people have been less sat
is6ed with themselves and that the centen
NAL anniversary of the declaration of indie
pendence in so many respects to all Amer
leans day of sincerest pride and rejoicing
is felt to be in other respects not without
self-reproach and humiliation. OF this the
corruption revealed in our political life is
the cause. TO the honor of the American
people be it said, that every patriotic citi-
zen feels the burning shame of the spectacle
presented in the centennial year. There
the momentoes and monuments of the vir-
tues of the past and here the shocking evil
dence of the decentralization and corruption
of the present. There the glowing eulogies
pronounced on the wisdom and purity of
the fathers, and here in marking contrast
the verdcts of the courts. and the records
of the legislative bodies illustrating the po
ltical morals of to-day, and this before all
mankind, solemnly summoned as a witness
to the exhibition and q guest to the presi-
dent. Never was there cause for keeuer
| modification, aud keenly does it strike
every patriotic heart. How can we
avert such dangers and wipe
off such shame? BY proving that
although the government machinery
has become corrupt, the great body of the
people are sound and strong at the core
and that they are honestly determined tC
= reform the abuses of our political life anC
e to overthrow at any cost the agencies OF
! evil that stand in the way. Only such ar
effort well directed and sternly persevereC
in until success is assured will save the
| good name of the nation, prevent tne pre-
yailng disease from becoming fatal ana
restore to its old strength the faith OF our
people in their institutions. AT the impend-
ing national election various questions OF
great importance will be submitted to our
, Judgment The settlement of the civil war
is constitutionally fixed, must be conscien-
tiously maintained, and at the same time
the government strengthened in the general
confidence by the strict Observance of con-
stitutional principles, and the old brother
hood of the people revived by policy of
mutual justice and Cancellation. Our SOL
emn and often repeated pledge faithfully
to discharge all national obligations must
be fulfilled, not only by the payment of
, the principal and interest of our bonded
! debt when due, but also the removal, not
later than the time provided by the exist
ing laws, of the curse of our redundant, ir-
redeemable paper currency, which not only
impedes the return of true prosperity, but
has also largely contributed to the existing
decentralization. These are grave ques-
tions and there are more we might touch
5 were it our purpose to lay down CON-
pete political platform. But grave as they
are, still in our present situation we must
as American citizens recognize 1t as
, our most pressing duty to re-establish the
moral character of our government and tC
elevate the tone of our political life. Hon.
4 est government is the first condition of en-
during national prosperity, power and
freedom. Without elementary virtues OF
political as well as social life decay will
I outstrip our progress. Our discussions and
e struggles about other great questions and
principles will appear like mockery and
> farce, if we permit our public concerns tC
drift into that runous anarchy which cor
8 ruption must necessarily bring in its train
y because it DESTROYS the confidence of the
q people in their self government, the great
T est calamity that can befall the republic
1t ia simply question of life or death. A
corrupt monarchy may last by the rule OF
force. corrupt republic cannot endure. II
< is useless to console ourselves with the ides
e that corruption among US must be ascribeC
+ solely to the immediate effects of the civil
war, and will, without an effort at reform
soon pass away. There is another cause
J. which is not transitory, but threatens t.
!. become permanent. 1t is that system
a which has made offices of the governmen
A mere spoils of the party victory system
II which distributes places of trust and re
spOnsibility as reward of the party ser
vice and bounty of favoritism. The sys
q TEN which appeals to the impulses of self
a ishness and greed, as controlling the mo
u tive of the political action, system which
degrades civil service to the level of mere
), party agency and treating an officer as {
h hired servant of the party, and taxing him
for party support, stimulates corruption
and places it under party protection. The
y system which brings the organization o
o parties under the control of their most sci
q fishly interested and therefore most active
element-place holders and place hunters
= thus tending to organize standing army
J. of political mercenaries, to be paid out Of
the treasury Of the government, who by
A organized action endeavor to subiugate the
:, will of the people to their ends, through
u the cultivation of a tyrannical party spirit
!, Every student of our political history
u Enn..a lhnI einnn Tho sIAcila x.rnc