Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-10-31
The Democrats Cons cience.

Conscience is not supposed to enter very
largely into politics, and it would not be fair
to Judge the Democratic exercise of it by a
standard higher than that applicable to other
parties But for many months past the Demo-
cratic Party has effected regard for morality
in both the acquisition and use of power. It's
original purpose was to conduct the present
campaign under the influence of whatever
virtuous indignation a loud cry Of ''fraud
might excite. As originally planned, in fact,
the campaign was to hinge upon the exposure
and punishment of frauds alleged in connec
ton with the Presidency. The Potter inves-
tigation was instituted in pursuance Of this
plan; and though all interest in the committee
and its work long ago ceased, the investiga-
tion itself is remembered as token of the
owes its origin.
Unless the cry of "fraud" be hypocrisy
however, they who started it, and still keep
it up, should he prepared to denounce the per-
petrators of fraud whether they be Republi-
cans or Democrats Honest men know moth
ing of party when wrong doing is involved;
and if they object to certain alleged occur
rences in Louisiana, Florida. and South Car
olina, in the interest of Mr.. Hayes, it is with
au equal readiness to assail corrupt or dishon-
orable practices if such happen to be traced
to Mr.. Tilden. Suppose, then, that this rule
be applied to tine managers and journals of
the Democracy with reference to the two Sc
ries of circumstances that have been brought
to light: what will he the result? Their re-
lation to the accusations preferred against
Mr. Hayes is well known. they have treated
as established charges affecting the integrity
of some prominent Republicans and damag-
ing to the reputation of others, but which
so far as the reported evidence goes-certain-
ly have not been borne out by anything pei
sonally injurious to Mr.. Hayes. Against him
the most they are able to say is, that he SEEM
ed to give his confidence to persons not al
ways deserving of it, and that he has treated
with substantial consideration others whose
proceedings in the disputed States, when the
count was in progress, were, confesscdly, not
whollp above suspicion. On this narrow
basis they construct sweeping indictment,
holding MIR. Hayes responsible for everything
that Can be twisted into a pretext for suspi-
cion, though directly attributable only to ac
tive partisans. Unfair though this method of
treatment be, in its effect upon the character
of the President, it might be excused if those
who pursue it adopted the same course in
their treatment of MIR. Tilden and the strong
tens upon their party full share of RESPONSE
bility for the attempted use of corrupt means
to secure the Presidency.
How was the Democratic Party generally |
received the revelations of rascality supplied |
by the cipher dispatches and supplemented |
by Mr.. Tilden's extraordinary attempt to sep
arate himself from the shame and guilt which |
have been traced to his door? While the
publication of the dispatches was going on, a
few of the Southern journals which had been
anti>Tilden in their sympathes,
declared that the candidate of the last cam
paign could no more be tolerated by the party.
The declaration would have had greater sig
nifcance if the journals making it occupied
different position; but at least it indicated the
revolt of moral sense against the man in
whose behalf bribery was proposed and
whose concurrence in the proposition could
not be questioned. Quite different has been
The attitude of nearly oil the Democratic
in the Northern and Western
States. They pretended to disbelleve the
put upon the dispatches. They
make themselves over them as though they
we're good joke. They treated them as of