The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-10-14
CARL scnURz coRNEREp.

The S26O Flying DutchmRn Ii once
more ON the stump in Indiana and Ohio,
earning his fee and eating the brave
words he uttered few years ago. When
asked at Cleveland the other day wheth-
er he thought a Cabinet officer taking
part in campaign was consistent with
his ideas Of civil service reform, Mr..
Schurz became very snappish, and told
the reporter to go about his business.
He did, and dug up this extract from a
speech made by SChurz when he opposed
Grant and supported Greeley in 1872:
"Ths pen which wrote the message
laying before Congress the civi, service
regulations was not yet dry when it sign
ed another paper ordering their sup
preston. The old traffic in Offices con.
tinued without blush for years, and
from one end of the country to another,
the whole official force has been em.
ployed in pulling wires to dragon the
party into the denomination of the Pres
ident, and at this very moment the en-.
tire civil service of the country, from
Cabinet minister down to the meanest
postmaster, is converted into vast po-
litical agency to secure the Presidents
re election. The attorney general spent
many weeks, if not months, thousands
of miles away from his Office, to fix his
state of Oregon. The Secretary of the
Interior has almost become stranger to
the walls of his department. The SeCre'
tary 0f the Treasury has taken the stump
in North Carolina to sing the praises of
his master. The Secretary of the Navy
if am rightly informed, will soon give
the cause of his chief the support of his
guns, and the money of the Govern.
ment, we are assured on good authority,
poured like water into the contested
states to effect what the eloquent urgen.
Cy of Cabinet ministers cannot accom-
plish."
Mr.. Schurz's picture of 1872 fits very
we'll the canvass of 1880, and describes
his own part in it. "The Secretary of
the Interior" he urged against Grant,
"has almost become stranger to the
walls of his Department" This is as
true of sChurz as it was of Delano. We
reed almost every day of officials black
mailed by Republican committees, and
in case of refusal, their summary reno.
val from Office. This is the way Schurz
described uch proceedings under Grant;
II need not tell you what the subordi.
,G1 of thn (NOuarV, ant
engaged in. Woe to the unfortunate
placeholder who dares 10 call his soul
his own, and to utter doubt as to the
perfection of his master. He will soon
learn that men can be reformed out of
office as quickly as into it. Civil service
reforml Never have worthless favorites
or political agents been kept in protta'
BILE and responsible places in bolder de-
fance of principle and public opinion.
Never has the political conscience of the
offieholders been more despicably con.
trolled. Never has the hand of the Ma
tional executive, through the patronage,
been more insolently thrust into the bu-
siness of legislation"
And this general description of Grants
administration, how truthfully it de-
scribes Hayes's fraudulent usurpation;
"More han three years are now be-
hind us as part of history, and what
has become of all our hopes2 Disap-
pointment, which makes further hope
appear like mockery. This admins
tration, which commenced its career un
der such happy auspices, has in so alsr
ming degree developed some of the
worst tendencies of cur political life, that
its continuance in authority appears as
danger and a menace to our free institu-
tions. In no period of our history, per.
haps, has the aeIf3hness of power and
grasping greed of party stood more in
siduously, stubbornly and ConspCuously
in the way of manifest duty"
And in this same speech, made in st.
Louis July %, 1872, speaking of Repub.
lican rule in the Southern states, Mr..
SCburz said:
"As it was, a system of robbery and
ruinOus migoVernment ensued which has
hardly had a paral ell in history. Most
of the states were with incredible rapid
ity burdened with enormous debts, with
out any equivalent, Scores of millions
disappeared as if by magic. in the capsC-
ious darkness of private pockets. Im
poverisheC as hase states were by war,
they were now stripped naked. Public
expenses became absurdly extravagant,
the taxes unbearable. Who was respon-
sibe for thieP Those governments were
and are at this moment carried on in the
name of the Republican party. 1t was
through it the Southern people felt the
touch of degrading power"
Abiding to stalwart Republicans who
were pressing reconstruction, Schurz
said:
"Such measures served directly to sHs
tain in power the very adventures who,
by their revolving system of plunder,
were violently keeping alive the spirit of
disorder which the legislation was to re
press. Some of the very worst of that
thieving fraternity has been constantly
hanging around Congress, bawling and
pressing for the EXTREMIST measuresand
with no other view but that every such
act would be likely to give them new
lease of power and extend them freedom
to steal"
The Democrats are following up Mr..
Schurz with these extracts wherever he
speaks. They confront him in German
and English.