Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-08-21
POLITICAL INCONSISTENCY.
'.Look, Here. Upon This Picture
and ON Thls.',

mere nave Deeu Two pdTtlCuiaIlS
memorable political conferences at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel in recent times.
The first was held OH the 10Th OF
May, 1876. and it's presiding officer
was the venerable Theodore WoOsley.
formerly president of Yale College.
Ii adopted all admirable address,
written in great part by Mr.. Carl
Schurz, now secretary of the interior,
from which the following are *
tracts:
ga national election is approaching
Under circumstances of particular
significance. Never before III our
history has the public mind been So
profoundly agitated by apprehension
of dangers arising from corrupt ten
denotes aud practices in our political
life, and never has there been greater
reason for it.
We therefore declare. and call upon
all good citizens to join us. that at
the approaching presidential election
we shall support no presidential can
didate
1. Who in public position ever
countenanced corrupt practices ; or
2. Who. while possessing official in
tluence and power. has failed to use
his opportunities iu exposing and
correcting abuses coming within the
reach OF his observation, but, for
personal reasons of party ends. has
permitted them to lester on !; or
B. To whom, however, conspicuous
has position or brilliant his, ability,
the Impulses Of the party managers
have sho wn themselves predominant
ove those OF the rcformer, for he will
be inclined to continue tina funda-
mental abuse. the employment of the
Government service as u machinery
for personal or party. ends or
4. Who. however fayOrab1y judged
by mis- nearest friends, is not known
to possess those qualities Of mind and
character which the stern task of
genuine reform requires. ls
In M word, at present, no candi-
late should be held entitled to the
support OF patriotic citizens of whom
the question may finally be asked:
Is he really the man to carry through
a thoroughgoing reform of the gov
erument? Can he, with certainty,
he depended upon to possess the
moral courage aud steady resolution
To grspple with the abuses which
have acquired the strength of estab-
lished custom, and to this end firmly
to resist the pressure even OF his
party friends !?
Whenever there is room for ques-
ton or doubt as to the answer, the
candidate should be considered unfit
for this emergency. The man to be
Entrusted with the presidency this
year must have deserved not only the
confidence of honest men, but also the
fear and hatred of the thieves. He
who manages 10 conciliate the thieves
cannot be u candidate"
The second conference to which we
refer was held yesterday in the same
place. Its presiding officer likewise
was Il citizen of Connecticut ,ex-Gov-
Marshall Jewell, and upon examin-
ing the lists of participants OH each
occasion we Immediately identify our
accomplished editorial compatriOt,
Mr.. Murat Halstead, of Cincinnati, as
assisting prominently at both. But
Yesterdays gathering appears to have
been much more miscellaneous tn all
the M in which he was active four
Years ago. Indeed, it must have re-
minded the Bible readers present
(among whom, of course. we reckon
MIR. Halstead) Of st. Peters vision at
Joppa, in which a certain vessel was
>een descending from heaven, "as it
had been q great sheet knit at the
four corner and let down to the
earth, wherein were all of
iour-footed beasts of the earth, and
wild beasts, and creeping things, and
fowls of the air." Among others
there were ex-Senators Blaine, Cam
eron, and Logan; ex-Senators Dorsey
and Conover, ~ex-SecretaTy Robson,
Messrs. Chauncey L. Filley, P. B. S.
Pinchback, William E. Chandler, and
several more, concerning whom Mr..
Hulstead must have grown deaf in
deed since 1876, if he did not hear a
heavenly voice like that which said
to the apostle, "Rise, Peter, kill aud
eat" While the proceedings were iu
progress, according to the press re-
ports, Gen. Belknap, formerly secre-
tary of the war department, alse was
one of the gentlemen who were pay
ing visits of congratnlatien to Gen.
Garfield in an adjoining room. How
SO promiscuous an assembly got
along peaceably with one another,
aud with Mr.. Halstead. through the
day, would be q wonder, did we not
recollect that there were no quarrels
among the animals in Noah's ark.
In both instances a consciousness that
they were ''all III the same boat" and
tia their only chance of getting to
land depended upon keeping the
peace. perhaps explains the mystery.