Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-06-07
Reform Politics.

to say however, that some of it is simu-
lated. Those who profit by politics study
the temper and dispositions Of the people.
and rarely appear to oppose what the peo-
pie want. If they are honest. or appear
to be honest, it is because they think hon
esty for the time being is popular. This
year they are mostly reformers-on paper.
The democrats are noisily in favor OF re
trenclmcnt, purity. civil-service reform,
honest officials, and everything else that
has good namc-at least they resolve ut
all their conventions that such is their
present attitude, and then thoughtfully
add that they have always been virtuous.
The republicans are not Il whit behind IN
these protestations Of unseltsh love of
country and honest hatred Of everything
crooked in politics. Even the Spencer
crowd in Alabama. and the Clayton
striker, in Arkansas. aud the Kellogg
ring in Louisiana, and the rascalS led by
Moses in South Carolina have resolved
tht We must have, a> Il new departure,
honesty and simplicity and economy in
administration.
We have had this Kind of reform in pol
itcs for many years. 1t is easy, end if
the people are all satisfied with it the pro-
fcs,onul politicians certanly will be. 1t
has been noticeable that the rcformcr> =
the real rcformcr5-hlvr no great difficult
" in getting tir,t-cla>, resolutions adopted
by any convention. It has also been
noticeable that, by some singular chance,
they very rarely get nominated for Office,
and those who are nominated and elected
are no more friends of reform than their
PIE dccrS>or>. With some observing pro-
pie this has grown mOnotonouS, uniutcr-
t>tinr and Nl>pcratinw, and they have
intimatcd Il purpose this Year OF trying
thr experiment of nominating candidates
whose character and record will be 4 guar
untcr of reform. A. rcf)rmrrS they have
tried the resolution business long enough
they now propose to consider the fitness
of canlidttc>.
Until recently Mt. Blaine has been tAe
most prominent of the persons mentl med
IL tit for the republican nomination for
president. and. strange a il may seem I,
those who know Mr.. Blaine, and have
some acquaintance with h. record II Il
public man, many persons who may be
supposed to favor u real reform in politics
We're either hi~ cnthu~i ,stic supporters, or
NJ least, seemed to be quite satisfied viii
the possibility Of his nomination. Wa
there any rood reason for this pp,ulal
t support?
1t may he conceded 1T once that Mr.
t Blaine has ability. ana acquaintance viii
men and ',ir>. In intellectual equip
. mcnt he would make a respectable clnli
date for president. But he has not th'
/ iir>, quality that ough: to Recommend hin
g to ;tnv one who j. for reform in admins
tr;l.ion. H., i not by nlturr, by habit, ol
in purp e a rcforn,.r. He has serve
= more than twelve wears in Congress, an'
r has during tina, timo identified him~cl
with no measure looking to 4 rurrr admin
~trttion He WAS Speaker six years, an,
. wi,bleA 4 power over legislation create
= by fur than the power of the president
: yet lis supporters cannot point to t
act performed by him that fr:llc>>l
t struck ut any political iniquity. His com
l. mittoc~ We're never made by an enemy {
Y corruMion The millions stolen by tn
t. rim Of tn Di,,ri of Columbia wcr
I taken while lie WAS Speaker, while Ii
appointed the committee on the Di>trc
Il while he Wa i resident of the D.>.ric,
y and :. friend of Jav Cooke, Btbcocl
II Shepard, and the rest Of that uHrctornt
crowd The Credit Mobilcr inyr>tiys
n ton rot no help from him. The stead i
-. self was pcrpctratcd while he WAS in Con
+, grc~> buc it, exposure was tn work q
Others He wa, rather i defendant tina
u dent in his messages, and the leltublica
= party ut the last national convention h:
pronounced for civil->ervirr reform. NJ
: Blaine Is Speaker, made successive con
ut mittccs hostile to the measure. Ncith
/ in the chair nor on the tloor was he cv,
IA its friend. No Congressman asking for
y land grant, a subsidy. an appropriation
any sort. ever counted the EN->pcakcr
Il in his way In short. the speculative p,
N itician>, the Tom Scots, the JAY Gould
the OakcS AncscS. the men wholook up(
.l ~. II
lawful plumber Of every man who wan
more money than he can honestly ear
lv were never hostile to Mr. Blaine, but 4
l. ways were. rs Tom Scptt and jay Coal
10 are now, his friends.
e In this statement Mr.. Blainc'> lre>e
H. position,-in the midst of invest cations
u which, ut least he is shown to he cXtrem
10 " anxious to keep some of his hi>to
n from public cxlmination-is not consi,!t
ii ed Independent of what he may be shov
~ to be, or suspected of being by these invt
tirations, what reformcr can support hi
for Il moment? fmorc than twelve yea
of public life have in them no act SIAM
&c inc hin. as y rcfOrmcr-if those years ha
'e in them hundreds of acts showing that
OF made no war on corruption when the pu
Sc lie welfare demanded that every man wi
O. an arm to strike Should join battle wi
&c thai enemy of the governmcnt-what
~ insult would it be to those demanding
ht form to put his name at the head of t
le Republican ticket. When the people a
III for bread shall they be given 4 stone?
IN But if the disclosures in Mr.. Blaine
I'd case have happily made his candidacy
impossibilitv, the strength which 4 pc
son. SO utterly disqualified to lead :. rcfor
RI movement, only last week promised
H. show in the convention, ought to admoni
t. the people and their representatives
ne make no further mistakes. Mr. Blaine
e. nomination would have been every w