The daily gazette., 1882-10-27
rhs " rarrty q elreA. -Moral Idsa.. :,

The Party Of Great Moral Ideas"
When an individual spends the greater
part of his time In boasting Of his own
morality It is generally a safe principle to
include him In the same category with
Joseph Surface, and to regard him as a
consummate hypoerite. As with individuals,
so with parties The orators and writers Of
the Republican party never weary of assent
ing their claims to being better and purer
than their political opponents. With the
most unblusbIng effrontery they harp ON
the same well-worn string and exhaust their
vocabulary OF superlatiyes in outriyaling
the Pharisees of old In selflaudation. But
10 persons OF ordinary intelligence the
falsity of the ridiculous assumption by the
Republican party of all the patriotism,
virtue and intelligence Of the country is
apparent at once. Let US take brief glance
at the political history of the country for the
past score OF years or more and see what
this self-styled "party Of great moral ideas"
has done to enu le 1t to the claim of immac-
ulate virtue. 1t has had It's firm grip upon
our Federal government for nearly quarter
of a century. During the dark days of our
civil war, when patriotic Democrats and
honest Republicans were fighting side by
side TO maintain the integrity of our Union
and the honor of our flag, the magnates OF
this great party, in the seclusion of their
homes, employed their talents in procuring
contracts for the army and navy, by which
many Of them made colossal fortunes. The
Infamous frauds practiced upon our poor
soldiers and sailors, in which worthless
shoes, rotten blankets, decayed provision,
and shoddy clothing were palmed off as
genuine aud valuable articles of merchan-
disc, are still fresh within the memory o
many of our readers. The war was a god
send to these harpes. AS buzzards ant
other birds of foul habits grow fat and sleel
through the filthy instincts which natur
has implanted in them, so did these Repu5
lican contractors fatten and become ricl
upon the necessities of the Unions grea
tribulation.
After the war was ended, when Repub
lican mismanagement was forced upon thu
people Of the Southern States-when thes
States rolled up enormous majorities 70
Grant and his satellites, what was the actioi
of this "party Of great moral ideasl" Ian
guage is Inadequate to express the hideou
corruption, the abominable rascality, tn,
Sodom-like villainy, which characterize
the rule of this party in the South. Unde
the leadership of unscrupulous scoundres
who found ready and compliant follow
ing among the rank and file of the party
black as well as white-the most stupent
GUS political crimes were unblushngl
committed-crimes which in any 9th,
civilized country would have been yiste
with the most ignominious punishment. TAX
the history of Republican rule
South Carolina for example. Under Il
administration of Moses and Chamberlai
backed by the influence of Grant and
cabinet, the reputation of that ancient col
monwealth was dragged into the filth
corruption to a degree unequalled in t
history of modern times. A legislator
almost wholly Republican, composed of t.
most disreputable scoundrels of both color
imposed taxes which virtually rendered Il
ownership of property fiction. The enc
nous revenues which accrued from the
ruinous taxes, was expended in the mC
dabolcal orgies. The sessions of the leg
lature were scenes of the most revolti
licentiousness. The most disgusting ribaldi
the most hideous profanity and blaspheI
were SO commonly exhibited as to dead
the senses Of those who were daily compel
to witness the loathsome scenes in the Sta
capitol. And yet this was the work of t
"party Of great moral IDEAS"
Had we time To review the history Of {
other Southern States under Republic
rule, the same experience might be reveale
Plunder seemed to be the sole moving 4
pulse of State officials. The people W,
robbed right and left. Their earnin,
stolen from them under the guise of tax