, 1876-10-08
THE WAY TO REFORM.

coucede.
THE WAY TO REFORM.
The statement is sometimes made by
few short-aghted Republicans that, as the
Republican party during the past eight years
has deyeloped some cases Of corruption, and
as some of its members have proved to be
dishonest and untrustworthy in Office, there
fore a reform should be instituted by turn
ing over the Administration to the Demo
crafts, upon the ground that reform cannot
be brought about except by change. To
such members Of the party We desire to
make an earnest appeal, and to show them
the absurdity Of the position they have
taken. We might answer them at once with
the broad assertion that charges made by the
outs against an Administration in power are
alwaya grossly exaggerated and perverted,
and that If they restricted themselves to the
truth their charges would be harmless. We
might answer them by asking what have the
Democrats and Confederates in Congress,
after eight months Of Investigation and
a half million dollars of expense, dis
covered, even with er.parte testimony
and star-chamber proceedings, instituted
expressly to blacken and besnairch the Re-
publican party SO as to affect the public
mind in the pending campaign. What have
the campaign orators and newspapers in
nearly three months of work proved against
the Republican party? These are pertinent
questions, and ought not to be without effect
in showing this class Of voters the weakness
Of the position they have taken but there is
another and more forcible argument which
We commend to them.
If the Democrats were in full possession Of
the Government is it likely that they would
give the country purer or more honest ad-
minisration than the Republicans under the
leadership of HAYES and WHEELER? The
proper basis for an answer to this question
is the composition of the membership of the
two great parties. The Democratic and Re-
publican parties are made up Of the same
material oil over the country. The Demo-
Gratis of Chicago and Cook County are types
of Democrats everywhere therefore We may
use them in the way Of illustration We
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change if it is likely that the Democracy
of Cook County, if they were in power,
would give the county more honest Gov
eminent than the Republicans Are they
better men ? Have they more solid and re-
sponsible business interests? Are they men
OF higher standard Of morals and general
intelligence? Do they pay more taxes, or
have more at stake? Are they better
patriots? Did they come to the rescue Of
the country and defend it in the days Of
peril with more unanimity and determine
ton than the Republicans? No man can
answer these questions truthfully without
prdnouncing against the few hundreds of
respectable men and the thousands Of cor
rupionists, bummers, and loafers who con-
situte the Democracy of Cook County. Now
let it be remembered that the Republicans of
the United States are but an extension Of the
Republicans Of Cook County, and that the
same rule holds true with regard to the Dem-
ocrats until the line of the Ohio River is
reached, beyond which the Democratic party
is made up Of Rebels, White-Liners,
and Ku-K1ux- In the twenty Northern
States the Democratic party is neither bet
ter nor worse than the Democratic party Of
Cook County. The character Of its admins
tation, therefore, should T11DEN and HEN
DR1cks be elected, would not differ from the
administration OF our own hummer Democra-
cy, and what that has been the people Of this
city and county know only too well after an
experience Of two and half years. It
reached a pitch Of corruption and dishonesty
SO aggravated that the indignant people at
last arose and overwhelmed it. Since that
time the Republicans have saved two
millions of dollars, and have substituted hon
esty for dishonesty. and purity for thievery.
Place the General Government in the hands
of the Democracy, and no result can be an-
ticipated different from that which has OBJ
tanned in that nest of corruptionists in the
County Courthouse, "a nest Of Democrats
under Indictment, candidates for Grand
Juries under suspicion Of all honest men,
bummers who have made no reduction Of
expenses, who have piled up taxes, who
steal, swindle, and rob paupers, and whose
appetite for 1ucre is just as keen in hard as
in flush times.
Now we would ask these men who want
change, who is to make the reform when the
Government is turned over to the Democra-
cy,-a party made up Of just the same ma
terim as the Cook County Democracy? Will
it come from the Tammany Democracy Of
New York, that fostering sore Of corruption,
from the p1ug-ugl,es and ballot-box suffers
OF Baltimore, from the thugs Of New Or
leans. or the Ku-Klux of Charleston? How
is the condition Of things 10 be improved by
taking the Government out of the hands Of
the better half Of the people and giving it to
the worse half? We appeal to these dscon-
tented men in al earnestness, is it not bet
ter, more practical, and more sensible to
turn in and improve the Administration in
side Of the party than to make change and
expect a reform by handing the Government
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