Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-08-30
Common Ground for Honest Men.

many honest Democrats. They differ from
US in regard to many political measures
but in their honesty Of purpose, in their sin
cere desire to maintain honesty and purity
in the public service and between man and
man, we have as entire confidence as in any
body's. There are honest Grccnbackcrs.
We think them utterly dcludcd and mis-
taken as to the causes and cure for the hard
times. We think they mistake fever for
health, in the body polite; but they hold
their views honestly and sincerely. There
District the Greenbackism which has 50 sud
denly sprung up is most of it only dishOn-
est ruse 1t is trick TO enable men to avoid
honorable obligations. 1t is simply Barlow
isn-and many of the most active Green
hackers have no more ideas or care on the
subject Of the finances than about the COM
position of the suns corona. They are SIM
ply hirelincs, ordered to work and shout for
4 particular man, and to talk Greenbackism,
because that just now it is the particular
dodge by which he hopes to get votes. But
there are few honest Greenbackers among
u.
Now, differ as they may in regard to
measures, financial or political, honest Re-
pnblicans, Democrats and Greenbsckers have
one common ground in their desire to see
honest men in places of public trust.
The honest Republican will fight as hard
within his party to keep dishonest Repub
lican out of office, as he will to keep Demo-
crat out when the question has become one
between the two parties at the polls. The
honest Democrat wants for his candidate not
a dcmasoyue, but an honest Democrat The
honest Grecnbacker can care nothing Tor
the success of one who merely says he is a
Greenbacker in order to deceive and cajole
him, and he will not knowingly lend him
self to the support of lie or dishonest
trick.
All these strongly desire honesty and
economy in the public service; they wish no
public plunderers in Office, and they frOwn
on corruption, at Washington or at home.
Now, then, we do not hesitate to say
that we can not see how any honest Repub-
lican, Democrat, or Greenbacker, acquaint-
ed with the man and the facts, can support
Bradley Barlow, for Congress. His course
has shown that there is nothing genuine
about the man but his ambition and his de-
votion to his own selfish interests. lie
made great professions Of devotion to the
Republican party, while he was seeking the
Republican nomination. Now he has thrown
them all to the winds and spits on the flag
he but month ago was anxious to become
the bearer of. Is there any reason to doubt
that he would discard allegiance to bis new
love, the Greenback party, as easily, if,
few weeks hence, ne should conceive it to
be for his interest to do so? low lonAis it
since his St. Adams organ, the Messenger,
which is nothing but his mouth piece, was
stoutly denying for him that he was Green
hacker? 1t was only in April last, that the
Messenger squarely denied that Mr.. Barlow
was Greenbacker, and took the FREE Press
up sharply for intimating that he was such.
1t was for Mr.. Blrlow's interest, then, not
to be Greenbacker. Now he tells US that
he has been Greenbacker for eleven years
No man knows whether he was really such
in 1867, or is such now. All that is certain
interest to say certain things in 1867, and
he considers it for his interest to say certain
things now. What he will do in any given
case can only be determined when you know
what it will be for his personal advantage
to do. What he may have sad has nothing
to do with it. Does any one say that this !
lessons objection to Mr.. Barlow? Not at
all. lie has no sound principles on finance
or any other question, for he is man of
policy, not principle. lie has said, through
his mouthriece, that he had nothing to do |
with getting up these Greenback clubs, |
which sprang so suddenly into life, after the |
uydepark Convention. Docs anybody |
believe it? Is there an intelligent man who |
does not kRoc, as well as he cares to know |
anything, that Bradley Barlow is the moving |
force behind the present Greenback move
ment in this District? Yet this should not |
commend him to honest Greenbackers, for it |
is all selfish, insincere.-a dodge on his part |
to get votes, a trick to which honest men /
ought not to lend helping hand. Mr.. Bar
low gave his word, and his hand upon it,
to Gen. Grout before twenty witnesses. that
he would cease opposition to him. In forty
eight hours he was in active opposition to |
him, aud at the same time was saying |
through his mouthpieco that lie occupied
the same attitude" he honorablv took at
IIydepark. 1t was a fiat a falsehood as
was ever uttered. His plghted word went
to the windl, rs lightly as if it had been
bat an idle whistle lie sad what he
thought it was for his selfish interest to say,
and denied when it was for his interest to
deny. without regard to the facts and the
truth.
Mr.. Barlow has thus demonstrated that
he cannot he trusted, either as between man
and man, or in his party. Can he be trust
ed to serve the public interest, if he should
be sent to Congress? viii not the false man,
the iaithless Republican, the promulgator
of distinct, conscious falsehood, make false
and tricky Congressman
But look little further. Mr.. Barlow IL
rich-a wealthy banker and capitalist-how
did he get his money? 1t was made in ex-
profitable government contracts
in mail contracts secured in ways which Mr..
Barlow did not want Investigated. lie
stands on the record, upon his own sworn
testimony, as having paid enormous sums
to "SiiRe Investigation :" and other enormous
sums to get competitors out of the way.
whose bids might have interfcrcd with
his, and saved something FOR the Govern
nent and the taxpayers. lie was "loan-
ing" tens Of thousands to brothers Of Post
office Department officials and feeling part
ners of Postmaster Generals and paying
Obby agents $50 900 a year salaries. And
he was making enough out Of the public
treasury to pay these tens and hundreds of
thousands, and have plenty more over for
himself
Is this the man we want to send to Wash |
ngton, to inaugurate purer ways and secure :
economy and fidelity at the seat of Govern
ncnt? How did he invest his money? lie
nut it into National bank, of which he is
resident and owner. lie had a perfect !
ight to do 80 but can there be Green t