The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-08-04
A Tempest In Ohio.

Onlo VINO call themselves democrats.
The cause Of this psycho-meteoroIogica
disturbance is y the invasion of their
"time-honored ~ household by
stranger of the name of Bookwaiter,
and his seizure of the highest place OF
party honor. the candidacy for Cover
nor. in virtue of the right of highest
bidder. Until a few weeks ago, the
name of this, stranger had never been
heard in the party councils Inquiry o
his antecedents and pedigree show thar
he entered the. tribe of Bourbon from I \
hostile tribe less than one year agos
General Hancock being the first Bour,
bon " standard bearer" that ever re.
ceired his vote. q Els origin was OBJ
seure. In his youth, he was known to-
o limited circle of acquaintances as
'sSaw-log John" Being an inventive
genius, he made some improvements ir
a water-wheel which laid the founda-
ton of large fortune With the &C
QUESTION of wealth, the name of Saw
log John was exchanged for that Of
John Bookwalter, Esquire. At length
ambition suggested to him the idea Of
exchanging this respectable appeHation
for that, of the Honorable John W.
Bookwalter. To effect the change, he
resolved to be the standard bearer
of party in the Gubernatorial elector-
ate. 1t probably did not matter to him
what. the party might be named, nor
what might be the things called its
"principles. The main point was to
become party standard bearer. Being
a practical business man, he proceeded
to his object in practical, business
way. by packing the party assembly
with his paid servitors and getting the
nomination as he would have got any
other thing at an auction sale where
damaged commodities are knocked
down to the highest bidder. There
appears to be no doubt in any mind
that the nomination of Bookwa1ter was
procured by rabble Of blowers and
strikers who were hired and paid ex-
pressly for the performance of that i'm
moral programme. -.s-i
What was there in that business-hke
operation that should excite the indig-
nation of the virtuous Pendleton, Fol-.
lett, Hubben,. Long, Meldy, Warner,
Mayo, Eannigan, Doran, Milligan and
the rest of the Bourbon priests, deacons
and eldersp These indignant conserv-
ators of the Bourbon idolatry know per-
fectly well that all pretense of an actnat-
ing political principle or public purpose
in that decayed system is an absolute
sham. They know that that historic
party, as political force, is utterly
played out, and that nothing of it re-
mains but q mechanical machine which
Is without the capacity of political
motive. They know that the only force
| which moves that politically motiyeless
machine is the bribery force. The brib-
cry force is manifested in different ways,
but, whether it be in ofice-giving, Of
| fice-promising, or the direct use Of
money, it is the same corrupting force.
1t is directed to no political purpose, no
public end, but, in every form and on
| all occasions, to the base and selfish in
stincts of the Individual. 1t is addressed
| not to o public aspiration, but to . pri-
vate vice. Its guiding sentiment is vic
tory and booty. "Let US capture the
public offices and share the plunder, -
expresses the one only definite idea it
contains or encourages -l.-.v
| What has the new OhiO convert, MIR.
Beokwaiter, done that is inconsistent to
this venal character of the Bourbon
surviyala Is the bribery force by one
method proper, but by another method
improper? Is 1t permissible by the
moral code of Bourbonism to buy an
electorate upon an agreement for future
payment in goods belonging to the pub
lie, but not permissible to buy it for
cash in hand paid out of the purchaser S
own poeketP = Is It virtuous to hire men
to rob by promising to divide when the
goods are stolen, but vicious to hire
them for money paid in advanced The
display of virtuous indignation by the
rock-rooted spoils-seekers at the pro
ceeding of a man who has paid in hon
est cash for a candidacy that is usually
sold for promises of q consideration
never rendered carries an affirmative
answer to these interrogatories.
1t is said, however, that the nomina-
tion of Bookwalter was so plainly 8
money transaction that it bodies " de.
struetion to the party principles and
usages.n As precedent it no doubt
may tend to effect a change of the party
usage. The usage has been to award
the party candidates. to the persons
who bid highest in promises of payment
upon their getting the offices. Under
that usage, the promiser Gn the un
common event of his election) has founC
himself under obligations to fill the
public offices with a horde of incom
petent. worthless, untrustworthy blow
ers and strikers, to the great disgract
to himself and injury of the public
dirty work of his blowers and strikers
Mr.. Bookwalter discharges himself
from all such contingent future obliga
tions. In the utterly improbable even
of his election, he would feel measure
bly, at liberty to dismiss q large part o
the importunate horde of WORTHLESS
office-beggars upon the good ground o
! having paid cash for their services il
advance. 1t has been told of one o
the present Chicago members of Con
gress that when, after his election, b,
| was approached by q certain Office
beggar in want of foreign Consulate
!. hs answered the fellow by produc:n,
! his written acknowledgment of tn
receipt of q sum of money as paymen
in fun for his electioneering services
There is some ground for the opinion
that the country, by that one change o
party yyusage, was saved from the dis
lFhonor of one more untrustworthy min
compoop in the Civil Service. As
precedent that would tend to effect
change of party usage, Mr.. Book
walters plan of purchasing large mum
bers of "practical politicians" on casl
payments deserves approval and com
As regards its boding "destructiol
to the party principles" that is pur
bosh. The party which proposes :"
| tariff for revenue levied and adjuste
with view to- protection has no prin
| oiples to be destroyed or damaged i
the least by any cash transaction i
candidates.. Chicago Times (I1d. }.
y, A lady in Taunton, Mass, has re
ceived from Europe q bouquet contain
ing, it is claimed. clover from Georg
! Elliot's grave. q violet from Melros
Abbey. q buttercup from De Quincey'
i - sxrxr "o1f
old home at Abbotsford, and q bluebe
from the grave of Helen Macgregol
near Loeb Lomond.
Hotel proprietors generally al
: warning against the reception of pal
, rons' pet dogs. Two houses at Cap
May and one at Long Branch prohib