The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-04-03
From the Washington POSI-.
"THE PARTY OF PROGRESS"

nine its value. Thus it often hap
pens that fair and smooth speech is
5he possession of a man whose char
,cter, as indicated by bad deeds, is
neither lovable nor enviable. Thus
it happens that the loudest and most
ostentatious professions of honor are
but a shallow covering for all that is
lishonorable. As political parties
are out aggregations of individual
men, they carry into the aggrega-
tion their individual characteristics,
and the same standard of judgment
by which the character of a man is
weighed is applicable in determin-
ing the moral status of a party. "By
their fruits We shall know them is
as true of a party of millions as it is
of a solitary member of that party.
We propose to apply this test to
the Republican organization to in
spect some of its well-ripened fruit,
and from such inspection ascertain
the true character of the tree on
it grew. We decline to take
the party's estimate ofitself, because
we know that no human organization
is Ealf so good a S this one processes
to be. 1t has boldly laid claim to
all the morality and most of the in
telligence of the United States. It
processes to be the especial and di-
vinely appointed champion ofhuman
and almost the only factor in
the sum of human progress. 1t
boasts of what it has done for the
of mankind, till one would
think the world must have been in a
desperately bad way before that par
ty was born. II claims that, but
for the opposition which it is still
abe to make, the Democracy would
hurl the Republic into the vortex of
irretrievable ruin. 1t is particular
" fordible in pressing its claim to a
monopoly of honesty, and very reluc-
family admits that a man may be a
christian and not a Republican. In
short it makes itself supremely re-
d~iculous by professions to which it's
record gives the lie, and it constant
ly challenges criticism of its faults
by hypocritical stimulation of supe-
rior virtue.
If one were sent out to gather Re-
publican fruit, and was determined
to collect a fair sample lot, there is
no part of the country to which he
would be more likely to go than to
the State of Kansas. And if there
is any Legislative body in the United
States that may justly claim to be
accepted as representative and typi-
cal of the s'party of great moral
IDEAS" that legislature is in Kansas.
We haven't time to dwell on the his
tory of Kansas legislatures in the
bribery and corruption that have
been its distinguishing traits. We
will not recall the chapters Of infa-
my that are suggested by the name
of Pomeroy, nor even glance at the
disgraceful, shameful story of Cald-
wells election. Those things belong
to the past. They Are a part of the
GLORIOUS history Of the party of
progress" Nor will we repeat the
confession just made by Mr.. Hos
sack, that he was paid $1,000 as a
consideration for his vote for ingalls,.
We prefer to draw a hasty sketch of
what %transpired in the Kansas
House oue day last week. When
the House was called to order in the
morning a member appended him
self, and introduced a resolution CEN
surfing such members of the legisla-
ture as had placed themselves in a
position to receive offers of money
for their votes during the recent sen
atorial contest, and committing them
to their constituents for the condem.
nation they deserved. The resolu,
ton gave no names, but was design.
ed to hit right and left, and hi
so many that a scene of indescribablt
confusion ensued. After a deal o
yelling, screaming, swearing and
other moral exhibitions, the house
settled down into something resemb
ling order, and a violent angry de
bate began. 1t not only began, bu'
it went on and on till night. Sucl
an exchange of "pet names" was
never before heard in a Legislative
body. Members called each othe:
thieves, rascals, towards, base cal
umniatros, and hurled epithets o
even more offensive character. The
Speaker, Clarke, seemed to be thu
favorite object of abuse. He was de
nounced as a ''perjured villain" bu
this did not excite him to reply. HI
sat unmoved, doubtless thinking tina
where there were so many "perjuret
villains" no invidious distinction
was intended by the allusion to him
One member accused Clarke O
swearing to a hundred lies durin.
the Caldwell investigation in 1872
and said he was prepared to prove i
by a statement subsequently mad
by Clarke over his own signature
Another accused him of havin,
blackmailed the Kansas Pacific rail
road out of $4,000 while in Con
gress, and challenged him to den.
it. But still the honorable speake
of the Kansas House kept quiet. H
did not blush nor hang his head, bu
as item after item of his record wa
!, brought out he looked prouder an
still more proud, as if he was rapid
developing into a first class cand
date for United States Senator frol
| Kansas. We have drawn the pictur
mildly, taking every allegation frol
: the most reliable Republican source.
so as to be absolutely sure of keel
ing far within the boundary of fac
If we look to Pennsylvania for R
publican fruits, we find them man
2 tested in the election of a man to th
. office of State Treasurer who wa
U -,o-ro fo ho IorC-ajr- iDtorcoEol .