The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-05-11
SPIES N INFoaMzas.


thing of the history of the last six
teen years will appreciate the follow
ing article taken from the columns
of that sprightly paper, the Balti-
more Gazette. It runs thus: 1.-THE
organs of the administration arevig
orously denouncing the spies and Ia
formers who have turned States ey-
idence, who, to save themselves from
the penitentiaries, are eDdeayoring
to put their employers in them in
their stead. The virtuous indigna-
ton over the deteetiv system is re-
freshing. We are told that it is I'M
American, a relic of the war, and if
these people are permitted to come
into court and swear away the liber-
ties of gentlemen of standing end re-
putation there will be grave danger
to our liberties. The great party of
moral ideas, and not the democratic
party, is responsible for the whole ef
it, and like the dogs in the Grecian
fable it is some consolation to know
that the system is at last beginning
to deyour and destroy its inventors.
During the four weary years of the
war a hord of informers and spies
was let loose upon the north, and at
a hint from the meanest and most
despicable Of them many of the best
men in the country were thrown in
to jails and prisons, k~eptthere for
months and months and finally set
free without even acharge being pre-
ferred against them. At the close
of the war the scene of their opera
tons was changed to the south, and
day after day to subserye mere par
tisan purposes and help carry cleo
tions in the north these outlaws and
ex-burglars, holding the commits
sicns of United States officers, back
ed by the whole power Of the gov
ernment, got up c~onspiracies, and by
perjury and s~ubornation of witness
caused thousands of arrests to be
made in every State in the South. 1t
is too late now to turn around and
/, abuse them. They have done good
service for the party in power and il
two or three OF them have sqpealed'
, and disclosed the names Of those
7 awho set them on" it oasAt to for
give them in consideration of the
. devotion and fidelity with which the
great majority of them served the
christian statesmen of the past. The
organs are very Inconsistent in thu
: whole matter. In calling Bell a THE
and denouncing him as a man un
X
$ worthy of credit they are really as
sailing the President himself. Fo
is it not in evidence that he was nea
and dear to the President until h
o f~arfeited his friendship by sayin;
that in his opinion Babcock wa
5 guilty? Did not the President civ
:, him a card of introduction to two c
: his cabinet officers and ask for hi
t employment in the service of the go,
st ernment? An attack upon him ]
really an attack upon the Prcsiden'
J. The responsibility for the existcnc
% of this class of persons rests with I'll
party in power, and with the admir-
e istration. As long as it needs, ar
is willing to pay for the disreputab1
- services of men of this characte
ID there will be plenty of them found
n, do it's dirty work. An adininistrs
se lion which puts Belknaps and Ha
a ringtons and Joyces in some of i
" highest offices cannot get along wit
is out Whitleys and Bells and Nettl
i'd ships. The way to kill the latt
On and put them whore they belong
~ to reform and sweep out ofexisten
the former"