The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-05-15
Political Phariseeism.

low Wetks hROt ~ suos WV U.s. y. Il
The Uaited States, Mr. Blaine, repre-
sentative Republican and prospective
candidate of'his party for the Presidency,
bad the brazen impudence TO stand up
and sag TO his fellow members, 81 thank
Ged i ann not - other men" This dec
lsration might have been passed by as
harmless bit of egotism, had not recent
developments in the Arkansas bonds case
placed the honorable gentleman under
dark cloud Of suspicion, and again at
tracted public attention to his arrogant
assertion. In private life, person who
openly boasts OF his virtues is set down
Is hypocrite. 1t is certainly mild
Judgment to say that the public man who,
in the presence Of the whole nation,
thanks God that he Is not Ms other men,
should be stamped as political Pharisee.
But, the above case is cited only as q
specimen Of the egotism OF the Republic
can party. Ever since its organization
it has arrogatel to itself all the patriotism,
all the intelligence, and a. the morality
of the country. And yet strange as it
may seem, when this "God and morality
party came into power, the result which
its immense concentration OF virtue pro-
duced was civil war, a mountain
of debt, unparalleled extravayance
and general political prCfigacy and pee
ulation. Its public men, instead Of be-
coming sanctiied from association with
.Christisn statesmen" and ready, like
Elijah, to go to Heaven in blaze of
glory, fell one by one under contamin-
sting influences and finally degenerated
into q brotherhood of thieves. The ca
pacity of your journal is not sufficient to
contain the names of the robbers and the
amounts of the public funds stolen.
A late instance OF political self-right-
eousness is found in the proceedings of
the Methodist General Conference now
sitting in Baltimore During the de.
bate on the transfer of the Indian bu-
reau to the War Departments political
question which meddlesome Methodism
considers to be within its legitimate
province-one Lawrence, a member Of
Congress, asserted that the Democratic
party was war party and opposed to
civilization, and that the only Christian
ity left IN Washington was to be found
in the Republican Senate, in which
rested the only hope for protection of the
rights of the poor Indian.
propose briefly to show that the hon.
orable gentlemaLs assertion is simply
hollow, hypocritical falsehood, scarcely
worthy pot-house politician, much less
of delegate in the highest council of a
Christian church.
When the Republican party was yet in
its swaddling clothes, one of its first and
ablest espousers was Rev. Henry Ward
Beecher famous as the pastor of the
Plymouth Church, and since infamous
as the paramount of Mrs. Tilton. He
the chosen idol of this so-called peace
party-in order to give point and force
to his declaration in favor OF shedding
blood on tie subject OF Southern slavery,
had carried into the house of God i'm
plements OF war, had displayed cannon
balls, and himself brsndished
Sharpes rifle in the pulpit. That his ac-
ton was endorsed by the party, is evi.
denced by the continued landatisn of
the man.
Another hostile demonstration was
made by one Hilper in book called
"The Impending Crisis" in which war
and murder were openly advocated
This book received the pen and ink en-
dorsement OF every Republican men,
Der of Congress. Then, when the result
of all this warlike preaching came in the
shape of the Harper's Ferry raid, ard
John Brown suffered the just penalty
of violated law, his body received
place among the Republican gods, and
to-day the party sing peans
to his memory. Then came the wur be-
tween the States, during which the
Democrats were contemptuously charged
with being peace party. And, finally,
when peace came, the Democrats were
first TO offer hand shake across the
bloody chasm, and even went 30 far, for
the sake OF peace, as to rally under the
standard of Horace Greeley, man Oh
noxious in every respect save one, and
that, that he was the representative OF
the peace sentiment of both sections.
And yet the Democratic party is de-
nounced rs war party. The impudence
or ignorance of the man who would ut.
ter such IN assertion in the general con-
ference of a Christian church, is equalled
only by that other precious specimen of
morality who stood up in the Congress of
the nation and said, ~ thank God am
not as other men,"
The truth is, all political parties have
within them the elements of corruption,
the development of which is dependent
on circumstances. The Republican par
ty coming into power, as it did, on the
eve of civil war, rapidly degenerated
until it became the shame ofthe country,
Justly entitled, as respects its public men,
70 the appe'lation, brotherhood OF
thieves.
To this brotherhood the rights of the
poor Indian are sought TO be committed,
which is simply plea for the continu-
ance of the present rotten Indian ring,
which, with its jobs, corruptions and
swindles, has become u stencil in the
nostrlls Of all good citizens. And this
too, is to be done under the cloak of
Christianity, with the aid of the Metho-
dist church crying out against the publ
cans and sinners ofthe Democratic party.
We must judge tree by its fruit, and
judging the Republican party by this
criterion, 1t is safe to conclude that no
trust is safe in its keeping. BAIARD.