The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-02-03

The Star-route frauds as well as the
corrupt methods of the Department OF
Justice, developed in the case. are the
natural outgrowth and sequence of the
supremacy and long continuance in
power of the present Republican party.
Like the Sala-y-grab law. the voting Of
of back pay to members OF Congress
for past services already paid for. and
raising the salary Of the President to
fifty thousand dollars year without
any reduction of his perquisites OF Of
fee. which already exceeded seventy
five thousand dollars q year; like the
Credit Mobilier frauds and briberies,
and their Incidental pcriuries; like the
River and Harbor bill swindle, and the
raising of money by taxing the salaries Of
public officers for the purpose of cor
rupting and controlling the elections
Like these and many other kind ed
practices, the Star-route swindles were
among the natural results of the general
Generalization. introduced into our
political affairs by q polit cal party
coming into power in utter disregard Of
the Constitution, and the compromises
and sacred pledges of the public faith
Can the corrupt methods above al
luded to be made virtues by covering
their perpetrators with Fictitious honors
and laudat onp Monuments erected at
immense expense may be made to gilt
ter with high blown inscriptions to cover
over moral delinquencies, Tut the rot
ten ulcers Of political depravity can
not be hidden and concealed by monu-
ments or mountains of laurel wreaths.
The public records will rem in. the in
fanny there shown cannot be expunged,
and history will tell the truth to future
generations, and brush away the cob
webs of false and fulsome laudations.
And monuments. though raised to the
clouds to conceal and cover up moral
deform ty in a public man, win only
serve to make the facts OF public his
tory more notorious. and to procliim
the degeneracy, folly, and kindred de-
pravity of those who attempt thus to
mislead public opinion and conceal the
monstrous errors and ofienses Of vicious
politicians by covering them with un-
merited honors and monumental per-
versions of public history.
That there are many good men. and
elevated statesmen in the Republican
party, who scorn and eschew the cor.
rupt methods of the party. we have good
reason to know. 1t was the action OF
such men rising above party. and acting
with the Democracy, which gave the
signal and sweeping rebuke to the Re-
publican party at the recent elections.
Let the good men of all parties unite. and
put m end to such high-handed abuses
of power as those above alluded to.
The system of espionage and at
tempts to bride the Jury BY su ordi-
mates, developed in the Star-route cases
are not surprising. The introduction
of the Secret Service Division in the
Treasury Department in course of time
extended the use Of detectives and their
methods into all the departments, and
that of the Department of
Justice--so that the practice of setting
THIEF 10 catch a THIEF became general
and made detectives of all subordinates.
This has resulted in making the Depart
ment OF Justice perfectly lousy with YER
min in the form Of detectives and thieves.
So that if Attorney General Brewster is |
really in earnest, and actually wishes to |
reform his Department. in order to be |
thorough about it. he should make . |
clean sweep, and fully cleanse the |
Augean stable. American Register.