The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-11-03

The next defense. if may call it so, that
have been able to gather from tue Repub
licun speeches, is this; "Well, yes, we
have been little wrong occasionally. We
have made away with the peoples money
to an inordinate extent. We have given
away in Jobs to railways about us much of
the peoples land as comprised the original
thirteen States; and we admit that there
were peccadilloes which some OF the PEG
pile may Object to, but we will do better
I the future. We will mend. Give US
another chance, and if there is any reform
ing to be done, as one of their orators is
reported to have said, why, we will re.
form our own rascals for ourselves" Well,
my fellow citizens, it is II remarkable fact
in the ordinary workings of society that
we do not allow rascals to reform them
selves, but we reform them. When, for
instance, VIC find a trustee q dcfautcr.
faithless to his trust, we reform him by
turning him out of office, and if his sin
goes very far, by clapping him into Jail.
That is the way we reform him. 1t you
employ ploughman to plough your field,
and you find that he does not know the
slightest thing about ploughing, how do
you reform him. Why, you reform him
out of the field and get somebody else in
his place. Did you ever get pair of boots
that hurt you that you did not reform the
bootmaker by going to somebody else ?
Well, now that is the kind of reform that
we think is proper to be applied to our
friends in Washington. We will reform
them, but not at our expense. For instance,
we reformed President Grant by giving
him permission to retire to his farm in
Missouri. In point OF fact, there never
was corrupt party yet that ever reformed
itself; it had to be reformed. Now, who
is to reform the administration party ?
Let me picture to you little scene. We
will suppose Gov. Hayes, who has a sort OF
idea that he is going to be President of the
United States-you know men have queer
ideas in their minds sometimes-we will
suppose Gov. Hayes calling together the
leading men of the Adm Illustration party,
and among the rest, if there could be a
place large enough to get them together,
the one hundred and two thousand Office
holders of the Administration party-we
will suppose them all collected in compact
shape, and Gov. Hayes says to them, Gen.
temen, reform is the great necessity of the
united voice of the whole people. We
must economize, gentlemen; we must econ
omize." Fancy the feelings of the one
hundred and two thousand officeholders
whom may for the present call the Grand
Army of the Republic. You see each OF
these men is expected to work hard for
President Hayes that is not to be; to work
hard not only by personal influence, but
by putting his hand in his pocket and
paying down in hard cash what they call
his political assessment. Fancy the feel.
ngs of the 102, 900 ufficeholders when they
find that they are to work and pay hard
cash in addition for the purpose of econo
my, and then be turned out of office. The
scene that l have pictured, gentlemen, ii
out of the question.
HOW THEY WOULD ECoNoMIzE.
But such observations might be mad
by Gov. Hayc to the 102 900 officeholders
with the addition of appropriate action
and be Ineligible enough: 1--WE mus
economize; half of you must leave office.
And having said this, he slightly wink
with the right eye and places bis fnge
quietly along the side of his nose !; and tn
1922 900 otficeholders do likewise, becaus
he would not believe what he said, anC
they would not believe what he saio either
Now that is the very way the Republican
party, So called, is going to economic ant
retrench. Fancy, for instance, Mr.. Blaine
the advocate Of retrenchment Fame
Schuyler Coliax the apostle of economy
Why, citizens, it is great joke. If MI
Hayes really did wish for economy, re
trenchment and reform, the moment b
succeeded in becoming President ever
good wish of his would be counteracte'
by the men that of necessity would be hi
Cabinet, his ministers, his advisers, ant
overseers. They would make the thin
impossible, because their supporters-th
men standing behind then-would no
allow it. Citizens, am not talking vagu
political theories to you. AS | look dow
this hall, see the faces of men who ear
their bread by the sweat of their brow
and whose wages are not very much NOR
than is necessary to support them honestl
| N cnrnfcrt Rornanhar falloxy oit izpns