The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-06-15
The Need OF Reform A bove all Others
TiIden tho Coming Man,

dency, met yesterday at Cincinnati, and
at the time this paper is being printed
that body is in the midst Of its heated and
anxious action. While the struggle is
going on fer the ticket that has but small
chance of drawing prize, and a commit
tee of shrewd and cunning men arc at
work upon Z set of resolutions that shall
declare much and mean but little, the
great public await with curiosity the re-
port of the action Whether the crown
ing honor cf the occasion is to be tossed
by fate to the impetuous and imperious
Blaine, to the proud and self satisfied
Conkling, to the harsh and repulsing Nor
ton, to the ambitious Brstow, or to some
as yet unknown but more eligible aspi-
rant, is the question of the hour. Before
another issue of the journal sees the light
this query will have been answered
But above and beyond this is another
question to which the Convention can by
no means give reply in the affirmative
Will the country be content to take the
Republican party's own estimate of itself,
and in the face Of its undeniable record
for ma administration, place it again in
power? 1t is not to be concealed-in fact
it is apparent to every one that there ex
lists great apprehension among the sober
and thinking men of the country, without
regard to party, that the prevailing official
extravaganza and corruption will fail to
he shaken of, There is a fear that it has
so fastened itself upon the body polite,
and so permeated its yitals, that it cannot
had severed the bonds that bound hcr to
the mother country. and taken her place
among the nations Of the earth. there was
apprehension among the friends Of the
country concerning its future, and there
were not wanting prophets of evil among
the enemies CT free government abroad.
by the older and stronger nations who
by the cunning of diplomacy and the
force of arms, should Cypress and prob
ably di>member the nation. The others
prophcsied that the new government had
not in it the elements Of strength and sta
blity-that it was destined to succumb to
creating sedition, or to fall as Rome fell,
through corruption and luxury.
Each and all of these agencies has in
turn presented itself France brought Sc
we're pressure to bear in the endeavor to
attach this country to the fortunes of Ma
poleon Bonaparte, rs it had previously
tried to induce it to countenance the ex-
cesses Of the revolution. England en-
deavOrcd to crush the mercantile marine
Of the country by her naval superiority,
and to penetrate the country with her
armies, but after a three years war was
glad to make peace 50 ended the pres
sure from without. Next came the efforts
of sedtion. There was the Shay's Rebel
lion, the Whiskey Rebellion, Burr's trea
son, the South Carolina Notification. and
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all ended leaving the government in power
over all its territory And now, last and
most to be feared of all, we arc confronted
by the era and strength Of corruption and
pronigacy. 1t is widespread, powerful,
and most to be dreaded Of all 1t perme-
.tes the body polite, from the lowest up
| ward until If comes near pn0uVb To tho
highest If not to touch, to taintn 1t saps
the revenue Of the country by corruption
Of the service, laying its hands in turn
upon the officials, upon the detectives
who watch the officials, and upon the
high dignitalies who overlook the detect
ives. There are all grades OF itching
palms, with all gradatlons of prices. Of
icals grow suddenly and mysteriously
rich. The " something rotten in the
state is rs apparent to the senses here
as it was in Denmark to the nostrils of
Hamlet.
The country is undergoing its trial
through the Vaccinations of corruption.
|
ciate this The convention in session at
Cincinnati, however much it may he UNI
der the influence Of the corruptionists,
will see the need Of deterring somewhat
to the demand of the time, at least so far
rs to "aSsume a virtue, if it have it not"
The convention will present the curious
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friends Of various aspirants to reconcile
peculation and probity in the case of those
actually guilty, or connivance and con
science in those who have winkcd at theft
and apologized for it afterwards in the in
terests of the party. But it cannot be dis
guised that even the most seemingly viz
tuous will be fearfully weighted by the
undeniable records of the administration
and its adherents, from which there is no
escape.
If the Republican Convention shall con-
cede 50 much to the demand for reform
as to nominate man who even processes
q purpose to remove the blot of corrup-
ton from the administration of public at-
fairs, there will be a moral gain to that
small extent. For the organs and orators
Of the party have steadily sinned against
light and knowledge By the declaration
that no corruption exists.
Tie Democratic National Convention,
which will assemble at ST. Louis two weeks
later, viii be hamperel by no necessity
for lodging or evasion in this matter The
party has protested from the first against
the lax notions Of law, and the loose
ideas of the administration of law, by
which these flood gates of corruption and
disgrace have been opened. And they will
still further emphasize this declaration at
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