Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-08-04
THE PUBLIC Peril.
Col. Fred C0nklins on Republican
Robbery and Legislative
SWindleS.
No Hope but in a Democratic Admin
istration on Democratic Principles.
.ewYork World

iStrdlI0H on Uem0cfa1c PrincipieS.
New York World
RIcHFIELD SPRINGS, July 24.-At
the request of the editor of The
World, Colonel Fred. A. Conkling
who is staying here, gave his views
to-day on the political situation. He
was asked:
"What do you think of the
political outlook in this State?n
1 think" replied he, that but
one thing is needed to restore the
Democratic party to power at the
approaching election and to keep it in
power for an indefinite period. and
that is that it shall be made Demo-
cratic in practice and principle as
well as in name"
"Do you think the republican
party has lost its hold upon the
hearts and minds of the people?"
Mr.. jefferson in defining the
essential principles of the Govern
ment and consequently those which
ought to shape its administration,
gave a prominent place to the fol-
lowing: Absolute acquiescence in
the decisions of the majority, the
vital principle of republics, from
which there is no appeal but to
force, the vital principle and imme-
diate parent Of despotism.' It
was reserved for Governor Tilden
when in Office to supplement this
dictum of the great founder of the
Democratic party by the declaration
which it was understood was formu-
lated by Mr.. Manton Marble: The
party in power is responsible for all
legislation while in power If the
republican party is to be tried by
that standard. is there not abundant
reason to anticipate the fulfllment
of Governor Seymour's prediction in
an interview with reporter of The
World, few weeks ago, to the effect
that a hundred thousand voters who
have not hitherto belonged to the
Democratic party, stand ready to aid
in restoring that party to power in
this State?
=" Twenty-Five years ago the repub-
licun party came into power, with
Abraham Lincoln as President, and
during that whole period, with the
exception of two years, when the
democrats obtained majority Of
both houses of congress, it has con-
trolled the administration at Wash
ington. During that period we
have seen 296,000,Oo0 acres of the
public domain, every acre of which
had been solemnly dedicated by
law to the use of the actual settler.
given to railway and other corpora
tons. Uhe grossest fraud and cor
ruption have been shown over and
over again to have been at the bot
tom of these enormous grants. In
deed it may well be doubted if there
is a single one of them which was
not conceived in sin and brought
forth in iniquity.
"The appalling villainies ofGrant's
administration need not be re-
hearsed. Suffice it to say that the
people by a majority of 265,O0O in
the popular vote, nay more, by a
majority of million of the white
voters of the country, and by a ma
jority of nineteen in the electoral
college, elected Samuel J. Tilden
President and decided to expel the
republican party from power. So
with the utter imbecility, the hypoc-
risy, the Star-Route and other vii
lainies of Hayes's administration"
but viewed in comparison with
the misdeeds of the present Congress,
all former proaigacy sinks into in
significance. Look at the Navy APP
preparation bill. which Robson with
characteristic audacity, has held
back month after month, in order
that it might be passed without
scrutiny, in the hurry and hustle
of the closing days Of the session.
Provision is made by it for the ex-
ecution of the notorious naval con-
tracts for the monitors which he
made when he was Secretary of the
Navy, and which his immediate
successor in office, to his credit be
it said, had the courage to pro-
nounce illegal and disgraceful.-
These monitors, which have been
pronounced worthless by the high
est professional authority, have
already cost eighteen and a quarter
million dollars, or nearly twice the
cost of the latest and best IRON
clad in the British navy. Then look
at the River and Harbor bill, which
provides for appropriations to the
amount of upwards of 100000.
1t is not too much to affirm that
there is not an honest dollar in
all this enormous sum. Unquestion-
ably there are some useful and
proper objects provided for in the
bill, but allied with them in such
a way as to become part and par
eel one grand log rolling swindle,
are scores of appropriations which
are confessedly as rotten as car
rion. The money wrung from the
toiling millions of our people will
in reality be expended to promote
the reelection to Congress in No
vember next of men whose names
stink utterly in the nostrils of
every honest man who knows
them. And this leads me to re-
mark that the expenditure of mon
ey by the Republicans in the cleo
ton next autumn will doubtless
be the most profuse and infamous
that the country has ever wit
messed. How will the Democrats
meet this deluge of corruption?
Again, look at the Arrears of Pen
sions bill. 1t is estimated that upon
the present basis upwards Of $4,000
100000 will be needed to pay the
claims of pensioners. And still
new bills are before Congress, in
fapJaI 70 ipo1p5a additional aI,ecoc