Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-07-22
Campaign Proprieties.

! He''y' p'i'iy o"oiO
of the vulnerable characters of their
candidates for President and Vice
President of the United States, are
beginning to exhibit an undue amount
of anxiety over the proprieties that
should be observed in conducting the
great political campaign that is now
before the people of the country.
They deprecate campaign of mud
throwing" and plead for "decency,
decorum and dignity" with pathetic
earnestness that is surprising when
we consider how little they have prac-
tised those virtues in their dealings
with political opponents. They pre-
tend to forget the past, and in this
mood of forgetfulness to ignore the
cruel, indecent and unjustifiable man
ncr in which it has been their habit to
assail Democratic candidates, general
ly on the most himsy of pretexts, and
often on the vilest of fabrications.
They are sorely troubled in spirit,
and show signs of distress and vexa-
tion at the mere thought of the pres
ent contest degenerating into one of
personal abuse and slander that would
certainly excite profound compassion
were it not entirely too apparent that
all their tender appeals are merely
shallow and transparent mockery of
sincerity.
But however that may be, we kind
ly entreat these over-anxious patriots
of the stalwart persuasion to permit
their excitement and distress to be
soothed into calmness and resignation
by the assurance that the Democratic
party does not require campaign of
slander to achieve success. With can
didates in the field whose characters,
public and private, are irreproachable
and above taint or suspicion, the De-
mocracy will prefer 10 rely upon more
commendable methods than any of
which it is possible for the Republicans
to boast of in their past treatment of
political opponents. Democrats realize
that against Hancock the usual appli-
ances of abuse and Misrepresentation
fall harmless to the ground. He
stands before the people without
stain or blotch upon his fair fame
either as the superb soldier in the
field, battling for the life of the gov
ernment, or as the military governor
over large section of the South, en-
forcing the principles of law, justice
and freedom, upon which our republi-
can institutions are founded.
How is is with his opponent, Mr..
Garfield? 1t is not for Democrats to
throw mud at him. His own political
friends have told the story, and they
told it with emphasis. 1t was Re
publican committee of Congress that
fastened upon him his connection with
the Credit Mobilier scandal, not the
Democratic party. The De Golyer
fee was made known to the public in
the same way, and it was a Republi-
can judge of the Supreme Court of
the United States, Justice Swayne, who
refused to enforce contract between
the parties TO the iniquitous job for
the reason that the taking of five
thousand dollars by Mr.. Garfield "as
ga contingent fee for procuring a con-
"tract, which was itself made to de-
"pend upon a future appropriation
"of Congress which appropriation
could only come from committee
"of which he was chairman, ,cas
sale Of official influence, which no
"veil can cover against the plainest
principles of public policy" When
these things are repeated against Gen.
Garfield they must not be charged to
Democratic account. If they are un.
founded and untruthful, it is for Re-
publicans to contradict the records
of Congress and the Federal courts
which they themselves have made.
They must settle the matter them.
selves and not charge Democrats with
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