The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-05-25
THE LIBERAL REFORMERS.
Iheir Address to the People of the
UJnireA Statau


Their Address to the People of tn
United States.
The address to the American people adopted
tue recent reform Conference held in New Yoi
city opeEs mp with statement that "never h
lore IN our history has the public mind been
PROFOUNDLY agitated by apprehensions of DANCE
| arising from the prevalence of corrupt tendeuci
and practices In our political life, and never h,
there been greater reason for it, We will n,
| display here in detail the distressing catalorr
OF disclosures which for several years have 70
lowed one auo' her in rapid succession, and see
to have left scarcely a single sphere Of our mol;
! ical life untouched. The records of courts, {
| state Legislatures, and of the National Congress
speak with terrible plainness. and still they Al
adding TO the scandalous exhibition
| The address goes on to say that such state {
| things is most deplorable, and pecnliarly SO {
this time, when we are about to celebrate the On
hundredth anniversary or oar National exit nc.
and have invited the nations OF the earth tn v;si
our land, and TO witness the evidence OF or ma
tertal progress, well the werkinS and effact
OF that Republican Government which centur
ago our fathers founded.
] THE Centennial anniversary Of the DecIars
nSn OF independence, being in 70 many respect
to all Americans day OF sincerest pride and re
Joichg Is ieit to be in other respects not withou
| PioiCh anu Illumination. VI THIS, the cor
ruptou revealed In our political life is the cause
Io the honor OF the American people be
salu, every patriotic citizen feels the burnin,
shame OF the spectacle presented in the Centen
MAJ year--lnere the mcment0es aud monument
OF the virtues OF the past. and here the shockip
! evidences OF the decentralization and cortuptiOI
:" the present; there the glowing eulogies pro
nonnced on the wisdom and purity Of the fathers
and here, in mocking contrast ths verdicts o
courts and records OF legislative bodies, illustrat
iiS 'he pohicai morals Of today. and this befor
al Al mankind so!emnly summoned as a witness Il
We exnl0ltlou ana guest to the feast. Neve
was there cause for keener modification, ant
keenly does 1T strike every patriotic heart
Ihe question is then asked, How can we aver
suGh dangers and wipe of such stain: BY prov
ing (says the address) that, although the Govern
ment machinery has become corrupt, the grea
oodY or the people are sound and strong at til,
core and that they are honestly determined to re
lorm the abuses of our political life, and to over
throw at any cost the agencies Of evi that stand
In the way"
After ailndine to the great importance of some
OF the questions involved in the impending Ma
tional election, the address saws:
"HraVe as they are, still, In our present situa
t1on W. must, as American citizens recognize II
as our most pressing duty to re-establish the
yate the tone OF our political life. Our
discussions and struggles about other great ques-
ions and principles will appear like mockery
9hu iaree II we permit our public concerns to
drift into that rninops anarchy which corruption
must necessarily bring in its train, because it de-
stroys the confidence of people in their se,f.
government, the greatest calamity that can befail
A corrupt monarchy may last BY the rule of force,
a corrupt republic cannot endure 1t is useless
to console ourselves with the idea that the cor.
fuPuon among US must be ascribed solely to the
immediate effects Of the Civil War and will,
without an efcrt at REFORM soon pass away
There is another cause which is not trausitory.
but threstens TO become permanent. Ii is the
system which has made the offices Of the Govern.
UlpuI Ine mere sport OF party he
which distributes the places of trust and respon-
slblllty as the reward OF party services and the
oohhfy OF favoritism; ; the system which appeals
TO the mean impulses OF seItishness and greed as
controlling motive of political action; the sys-
TEN wnich degrades the civil service to the level
OF mere party agency and treating the officer
as the hired servant of the party, and taxing him
Tor party support, stimulates corruption, and
places IT under party protection: the system
winch brings the organization of the parties un-
der the control OF the most selfshly- ly-interested
and therefore most active, elemeut-the place
holders and the place-hunters-thus tending to
organize standing army of political mcrcena-
ries, TO be paid ont of the Treasury of the Govern
ment, who, by organized action, endeayOr 10
subJUgate the viii Of the people to their ends
through the cultivation of tyrannical party
spirit
b" Every student Of our political history knows
that since the 6p0ils system was iuaUgUrated cor
ruption has steadily grown from year to year, and
so long az this system lasts, with ell its seGuc-
lions and demoralizing Tenderness, corruption
will continue to grow in extent and power, for
patriotism an true merit will more and more be
crowded out of political life by INSCRIPTIONS self
lshness.
The war has only given q sudden stimulus to
this tendency, but without the war it would have
grown up, and will not cease 10 grow AS long as
lhe hotbed Of corruption the spoiis system LASTS.
The SKIN IN corrupt practices acquired by one
generation OF spuilsIneu VIII only be improved
upon by the next. The result we know. We
have already renped so great a harvest of dis
aster and shame that, we repeat it has now be-
come the first duty of the American people to re-
establish the moral character of the Government
by thorough reform.
What can we do toward this end in the impend-
ing National eleciIonY In this respect, fellow
citizens, we consider it our duty to speak very
plainly. Never were the cause of good Govern
meHt and the honor of the American name more
dependent on the character, ability
and reputation of the men TO be selected for the
highest offices. In view of the grave circum-
stances at present surrounding us, we declare
that the country cannot now afford to have any
man elected 10 The Presidency whose very name
Is not conclusive evidence of the most uncom-
determination of The American people
TO make this pure Government once mere Our
duty Ill this respect is plain and imperative The
worn out claptrap of fair promises in party plat
forms will not satisfy it; neither will these fine
professions on the part of candidates Not mere
words are needed, but acts; not mere platforms,
but men; and we therefore declare and call upon
all good citizens 10 join us. tEat at the coming
Presidential election we shall support no candi-
late who, in pubic position, ever countenanced
corrupt practices or combinations, impeded their
or punishment, or oppos d necessary
measures of reform. We shall support no cand-
late who, while possessing official inf 1uence and
power, has failed TO use his opportunities in ex
posing and correcting abuses coming within the
each of his observation, but for personal and
party ends has permitted them to Tester on; for
such men may be counted on not to uncover and
rush corruption, but for the party sake merely
o conceal 1t more.
I'VE shall support no candidate, however con-
picuous his position or brilliant his ability, IN
whom the impulses of the party managers have
hown themselves predominant over those of the
eiOrmer, for he will be inclined to continue that
fundamental abnse-the employment of the Gov
.rnment service as machinery for personal or
party ends. We shall support no candidate who,
however favorably judged by his nearest friends,
s not publicly known TO possess those qualities
If mind and character which the stern task of
genuine reform requires, for the American peo-
Die cannot now afford to risk the future of the
Republic in experiments on merely supposed
;irtue of rumored ability, TO be trusted on the
strength of private recommendation.
- Iu one word, at present. no candidate should
,e held entitled to the support of patriotic cili-
.ens of whom the question may be fairly asked,
Is he really the man to carry through a
borough going reform of the Government? Can
lc with certainty be depended upon to possess =
he moral courage and sturdy resolution to Crap
,le with abuses which have acquired the
treDgth of established custom, and to this end
rmly resist the pressure, even of his party
ion, and doubt as to the answer, the candidate
hUuld be considered unfit for this emergency.
his is no time for so-called availability spring
ng from distinction gained on fields of action
oreign to the duties of Government, nor for that
ar more dangerous sort OF availability which
onsists in thIs-that the candidate be neither SO
'ad as to repel good citizens, nor go good to
isCourage the bad ones. Passive virtue in the
highest place has too often been known to pre-
ent the growth of active vice below. The man
o be inlrusted with the Presidency this year
must have deserved not only the confidence of
onest men. but also the fear and hatred of the
hieves. He who manages to cunciliate the
hieves cannot be the candidate. Every Ameri-
an citizen who has the iutare of the Republic
nd the National honor sincerely al heart
hou,d solemnly resolve that the country
must now have u President whose name is al
eady a watchword OF reform; whose capacity
nd courage for the work are matters of record
ather than OF promise; who will restore the sim
llcity, independence and rectltude of the early
and whose life wi be guaran-
ee of his fidelity and titness-a man at the mere
ound of whose name, even, the most disheart-
ned will take new courage, aud all man kind will
ay the Americans are indeed in earnest TO re-
tore the ancient purity of their Government
Therefore, fellow-citzens, the undersigned,
n addressing you, are not animated by the am
ition TO form or lead a new party. Most of us
ave long been, and still are, warmly attached to
heir party ass ociations. 1t would be most graft
wing to us to see, by party action, candidates
ut forward who'e character and record answer
nese requirements, which present circumstances
ender imperat We. We earnestly hope and trust
will be so. We shall gladly follow such a lead,
nd make every effort in our power to render it
uccessful. But while we are ready to accept
ny and every good result of party action, we
firm that the moral reform of our public con-
erns is infinitely superior in importance to the
Lterests OF any poiltical patty. Glad to 30
note that reform through party action, we snail
INSIST upon it at all events. Should patty &C
on fail, Experience teaches us that the habitual
of good citizens to choice ofeviis pre-
ented to them by party organizations is one of
he most prolific causes of corruption in our poll
les. The acceptance by the people of the argu-
lent that one party may be bad. and still entitled
o the support of good men because the other
'afiy is still worse, will induce each to consider
ow pad it may safely be. 1t will strengthen in
ach the most INSCRIPTIONS elements and subject