Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-05-25
The Convention of Orphans.

lllcal Tufltans was held In New
Y ork last week. Theodore Woolsey,
Parke Goodwin, DIR. Leonard Bacon,
Carl Schruz and Charles Francis
Adams, Jr. were in it. They do not
call themselves Republicans, or Dem
ocrats, or Liberals, or Refo rmers /;
nor do they claim any other parent
age. Like an oyster, they bred out
of themselves. Their business was
to deliver an address to the American
people, claiming that they who are
without father or mother, know best
what is the matter with the people
and what they ought to do. The
address is on the first page of this
paper. Carl Schurz is supposed to
have fathered the address. 1t has
in the main the right ring and is full
OF aphorisms. "Passive virtue in
the highest place has too often been
known to permit the growth of active
vice below is apt and true. The
truths expressed are very different
from the Liberal "cussedness" of
three and four years ago. Then, A.
G. Hesing who, it used to be said
carried in his pocket the German
Republican vote of the Northwest,
left the Republican party because 1t
has "moral' ideas. Now, Carl
Schurz, the greatest of our German
statesmen, says, "Our most pressing
duty is to estblish the moral char
acter of our government" He wants
a candidate who "can certainly be
depended upon .to.possess the moral
courage to grapple with abuses and
to resist the pressure even of party
Friends" eve want no passive
virtue in high places" The coming
President must deserve not only
honest mems confidence but the
hatred of thieves ellis life must
have been a guaranty of his fidelity
No woll.wisher of his country can
object to their sentiments. But it is
doubtful whether that convention
would itself have put man in place
who would do as they would have
him DO. Charles Francis Adams, for
instance, made speech and in a
sort ofcamp-meeting enthusiasm said
that his man for the Presidency was
Secretary Bristow Bristow has done
grand work the past year, but what
guaranty is CHS life" to the people ?
He has ridden to popularity upon a
tide. The public is not posted as to
his life work. Mr.. Adams next
choice is Tilden. Tilden has proven
himself a man of words and not of
deeds, while the address before us
says, "No worn out political claptrap
of fair promises will satisfy" New
York city, in Tilden's state is the
center of political infamy-a dungeon
of death to official honesty, yet
he as Governor has not brought to
grief a single one of the corrupt
men of that State. Even Tweed is
free. We doubt whether Charles
Francis Adams is equal to the emer>
gency Of selecting such candidate
as the honest American yearns for,
and as the country in this Centennial
year is in need of. Only one or two
of those who made speeches at that
conference" appear to have under
stood the disease they were prescrib-
ing for. Some of them suppose it is
the "spoils SYSTEM" while one of
Grants blunders has been that he has
not been faithful to the Republican
party in his appointments. The Off
ces about Washington are lousy yet
with sons and daughters of rebels,
who were appointed under the inn
pulse of mistaken sentiment that
those people should be won over by
such exhibitions of interest and love.
The money-making places are largely
in the possession of men whom the
Republican party owe nothing. One
of the doctors (Bacon) seemed to
think the troublesome disease that
We wont pay our debts. "7he issue
before the country" says he, sis, will
we pay our debts 2" Who is troubled
about that? 1t is not "the govern
ment that has acted in bad faith, -
but little handful of men who scarce
make ripple on the political sea.
And "offiees are sought solely for
profit, not for honor" complains DR..
Bacon. No man should seek office
for honor; he should seek office be-
cause he can do good there. Honor
is but an accompaniment. Two
speakers, Csgood and Seeleye, had
some correct views, but the latter is
mistaken i'll supposing the people are
not to blame. The trouble is almost
wholly with them. First, they let the
worst elements make nominations in
both parties. Then if good Cover
nors or good Presidents are elected
the people. the dear, honest, pure peo
pie, will sign recommendations for the
appointment of bad men as readily as
they will the good, and what better
way have the heads Of departments TO
know whom to appoint in distant
community than by the recommends
ton of the people? If the people never
do wrong their servants would rarely |
do wrong. That conference Of poets,
musicians, preachers and professors
may be competent to lecture the peo-
pie on reforming at home but only a
few OF them could select a good Pres
ident