National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-04-30
RcGouncrs and Detectiyes

RefonncIs and Detectives.
We have a suggestion to make in the
interest Of the Republican party. 1t is
! based on experience, and the reader will
readily recall the eminent success which
has always followed the policy we have
| TO propose.
What we most need is reform. A large
and influential portion of the press is for
reform. There is want of exactness in
the general mind as to what reform is.
As We understand it, it is a sort of self
acting virtue, which makes any man good
who says he is good; any man honest who
says somebody else is dishonest. Reform
could not exist without reformers.
Therefore, reforners there are whose
services our party needs, and who need
the services of our party. Our party
could not well have the splendid reviyi-
flying effects Of reform otherwise than
through the agency of reformers. Care
should be taken in the selection Of re-
formers. We have knowledge of the
breed, and deem it q duty, as a public in
structor, IS well as Republican news
paper, to describe, as near as may be, this
most useful class of beings
4 ref0rmeT must be man ofunbounded
stomach as q amotiyeto action. Hcmust be
possessed Of 4 mien calculated to captivate
those " no are searching for moral ex-
pert. He must have a face OF brass. q
heart Of stone, and a conscience of grtta-
percha. Moral sense would be :. draw
back. because it would involve love of
justice, which ali trained reformers know
would be a sad impediment in the way of
Il real yard-wide ali-wool reform. In
order to reform mankind you must make
them detest vice. In order TO make them
detest vice you must first find your vice
No difference exists as to what vice is.
The thing is TO stick the accusation upon
somebody, and then raise anoutcry which
will preclude any explanation. Reforms
have failed sometimes by reason of slight
pause in the outcry. Our main iniunc-
ton would be: Accuse loudly and inces-
sanity. If it can only be made
party is honey -combed with thieves,
and that our entire time is occu-
pied in eXpelling them, our enemies viii
come over to lis in large numbers. This is
quickly demonstrated by the parallel case
of the aiaCrity with which the old market
woman sold her butter as soon as she
stated that she knew it was clean, for it
had taken her and her three daughters
all night to pick the hairs out of it. If
We have no bad men in office, that should
not, and indeed never does, embarrass
the reformer. He will in such dilemma
find it to his interest to manufacture a |
bad main. This is easily done by the aid
of d detective. This animal, although |
human, is of the same character as the |
skunk. His power Of detiIement is such |
that the victim of it is himself popularity |
to be the real skunk An aver !
age reforner and Il good detective can |
work Up any office or bureau in the Gov |
ernment i'll forty eight hours to such a |
corrupt coalition that its head may safely |
be subjected to the lynch law which, |
without requiring testimony, breils the
over the live Goals Of newspaper !
wrath. |
In order to make sure the calling and
election of whoever may be our next can
lidate for President it is desirable that
each Department should be furnished
with a good detective or
sIeath-hound. This beast should be one
we'll trained for the work. He should
lot he so much inclined to ferret out
'eal criminals as to stain the reputation
If decent people. The degradation of
'eally mean fellow will not be nearly as
beneficial to the party as the destruction