The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-18
''The Meaningless Cry Of Reform. I"

The aggressive Blaine campaign has
| broken out in a new form. The Re-
publican State committeeman of Indi,
ana have announced themselves dissat-
is6ed with Governor Cleveland's letter
of acceptance. From the land of soapy
| Republican statesmen comes the ag-
gressiyely expressed opinion that Gov
| ernOr Cleveland letter is too much de-
voted to 1.-The meaningless cry of re-
/ form"
| Three hundred million dollars spent
in fifteen years by the Republican par,
tv for the navy and to day not decent
ship bears the American flag. Reform
in the Navy Department will not be "a
| meaningless cry when Grover Cleve-
land takes the helm.
Two million one hundred thousand
| dollars is reported by the present Re-
publican Second Assistant Postmaster
General as the thefts from the people
of the Star-route cOnspratOrS and yet
not one guilty man punished. Reform
in the Post-Office Department will not
be 81 meaningless cry' when Grover
I Cleveland holds the re;ns.
One hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars is the defalcation of Captain How
gate alone in the War Department.
Yet this criminal was allowed to escape
before trial, and to-day is at lsrge
through the continued connivance of
the department that he robbed. Re-
form in the War Department will not
be "a meaningless cry when Grover
Cleveland garrisOns the fort.
twenty-five million dollars of the
amount on the pension rolls is fraudu-
lent by the estimate of Republican Pen
sion Commissioner Bentley. and pen
sion agents by the score are reaping
rich harvests of eXtortionate fees from
the needy WIDOWS and orphans and
from soldiers themselves. Reform in
the Interior Department will not be ga
meaningless cry when Grover Cleve-
land supervises its business.
Twelve thousand dollars is the short
age in the accounts of the late disburs-
ing clerk of the Department of State
Reform in the State Department will
not be ''a meaningless cry when
Grover Cleveland administers the Gov
eminent!
One hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars is the amount that United States
Marshal Hall, of Pennsylvania is re-
ported short in his accounts. Forty
three thousand dollars is the amount
the United States Clerk of the Court of
the Southern District of Illinois is re-
ported a defaulter. Twenty-three
thousand dollars to four thousand dol
lars each are the sums in which United
Longstreet and Deputy United States
Marshals Robinson and Crawford are
shown to have made false accounts 10
the Department of Justice from the
State of Georgia. Reform in the De-
partment of Justice will not be "a
meaningless cry when Grover Cleve-
land examines the accounts.
We have looked at the seven Cabinet
at Washington, the War,
the Navy, the Post-office, the Interior.
the State, that of Justice; will any hon
est man say that the cry of reform is
needless? The instances taken are
those of the immediate present. Time
would fail to recount the iniquities of
past years. The Whisky ring. the Black
Friday ring, the Indian ring, the Dis |
trict of Columbia ring revelations are
replete with offensive recollections.
= 1t is enough. Moral perversion is the |
of the support of dishonest
and to the supporters of
James G. Blaine the cry of reform is
meaningless. But there is yet left a
of honest men to whom the
victory shtll be. The corrupt holders
Of Office under the Republican party
believe they have divine right to steal
and. judging from their safe experience
lnder Republican administration, they
Ire well founded in their belief But
here comes day of reckoning. 1t is
near at hand. The cry OF reform will
sound to all dishonest men in public
place the knell of doom. And there
hall be no Dorsey with soap to save.
or the supplies of soap" shall be en-
rely emf off - 1IbnD,f ArUUS