Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-07-06


watch the desperate and frutless efforts which
the Democrats are making to find an issue
over which they can make a shout without
alternating some element of strength which they
desire to carry with them in next years cam
paign. They are well aware that an issue
might be raised on the tariff question, but too
many different interests are involved, east and
west, for the party leaders to think of making
any such declaration for high or low tariff, or
free trade, as would bring about n square con-
test with the Republicans in this direction
Since the failure of the star-route trial, they
seem to have had an 'inspration," and have
caught at the idea that hue and cry about
rascality, stealing and corruption would make
a good deal of noise and answer in place of a
real ISSUE The result of the star-route trial
has answered for q starting-point for this cry
those who have raised it seeming to forget
that it is a Republican administration which
has done its best to bring the starroute thieves
to justice and employed two Democratic law
yers for this purpose, while it was jury with
eight Democrats on its panel that failed to
convict Brady, Dorsey, and their pals
The cry takes the form of shriek-"Turn
the rascals out and, raised in the first
place by the New York Sun aud papers of its
class, it has been taken up and weakly re-
echoed by the small fry of the Democratic
press. A more complete exposure than the
Boston Herald makes OF this shallow trick we
cannot imagine. The Herald, we need not
say, holds itself TO strictly independent ba-
sis in politics. and distributes its cuffs and its
favors with absolute impartiality. 1t tells its
readers that it has always resented the claim
of the Republican party to a monopoly of the
virtue and intelligence of the country but
this attempt of party, destitute alike of
principles and policy" to make its push for
power upon the one-plank platform, Turn
the rascals OUT is evidently quite too much
for it, and the Herald proceeds:
Considering the history, the constituent
parts, the leadership and the motives of the
organization that calls itself Democratic, brass
is liquid in Ingersolls words, compared
with the brazenness of this proposition. To
the cry, Turn the rascals out, the reply will
surely be made, Keep the rascals out How
would the Democratic leaders enjoy a cam
paign on this line? The Democratic party is
the party of Swartout and Tweed Keep the
rascals out. The last Democratic cabinet and
the last Democratic collector at New York
stole more than all their successors for twenty
years. Keep the rascals out. The Demo-
cratic state of Tennessee has had three de-
faulting treasurers in succession Keep the
rascals out A full proportion of the votes
cast in Congress for the river and harbor Jobs
have been Democratic. Keep the rascals
out. Eight of the jury that acquitted the
star route thieves were Democrats Keen
the rascals out The Democratic mayor of
Albany has just resigned to prevent a trial
that would have exposed the gross frauds by
which Democrats seated him. Keep the ras-
Gals out The Union League club of Chicago
has just discovered incontestable proof that
the worst kind of ballot-box -stuffing was re-
sorted to in the reelection of Democratic MAY.
or Harrison, who has nullfied law of the
legislature to pay his debt to the rummies and
criminals who supported him. Keep the ras-
Gals out Elections in more than half of the
southern states have been turned into farces.
and the rights of majorities openly trampled
under foot, to insure Democratic ascendancy.
o. keep the rascals out Would the shriefy
leaders of this tom-tom crusade. headed by
the New York Sun, relish this sort of cam
paign! The retort is just as decent and as
strong as the accusation"
One would think that this might be forcibe
and direct enough for even the hungriest
Democratic spokesman to see the point. After
remarking that the 'rascality of rascal does
mot depend upon his party convictions" and
that the proportion of rascals is as great in
one party as in the other, the Herald con-
tinues:
Just so long as offices are held up as
brides and rewards in the elections, and are
used to pay political debts to afford heelers
and strikers chance to live without working.
and to form the running gears of partisan
machine, just so long they will offer attrac-
ton to the rascally element which they would
never do If they were regarded, as they for
merry were, as agencies for conducting the
public business ON business principles The
people understand perfectly well that the
character of the men in Office is quite as good
as it would be likely to be if the Republicans
were turned out and Democrats put in. Their
interest in the election will centre upon prin-
ciples and policy, not upon men. They de-
mand a reduction in taxation, economy in ex
penditures, a relief from unjust tariff discrim-
nations, reform in administrative methods
prompter aud better legislation and purer
politics. And in the pursuit of these objects
they Will not be arrested to make choice be-
tween 'rascals'."
Herein, VIC believe, lies the essence of this
whole matter. The last three years have seen
ehange In the spirit of things and in the
political outlook in very many respects. The
old rallying cries, the old issues and the old
blind adherence to party leaders have very
largely died out, and the people are thinking
more and more of clean government and clean
politics, with all that these terms imply. What
they will require in next years campaign will
be, not denunciation of "rascals " but a direct
and unequivocal declaration of principles on
the points mentioned by the Herald, and the
nomination of men to whom the people can
pin their faith that they will carry such a dec.
laration into effect. If the Democracy get
around to do anything of this sort within.a
twelvomonth it will be more remarkable |
case of being born again than the world has
lately seen.
The Pacific railroads have begun to run
faster trains bpfwaen nnnaba o,l c..