St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-11
CARL SCHURZ ON BLAINE.
Why Blaine's Election Would Mean
Corruption in Public Affairs and
Corruption in Business.

WHY blaln6S EIecUlOn WOulu Mean
Corruption in Public Affairs and
Corruption in Business.
The Duty Of the Citizens About the Cleve-
land Scandals.
The Independent Republicans Of Brook
lyn held mass meeting in the Grand Opera
house last week. The place was crowded.
The platform was occupied by a number OF
prominent Independents. The principal
speech of the evening was made by Carl
Schurz.
After reading several of the Mulligan let
tiers and reviewing Mr.. Blaine's record and
the defence made for him in the matter of
those transactions, Mr.. Schurz said.
Ifyou want to know what the result of Mr.
Blaine's election would be, stop and observe
what the result of his mere nomination al
ready has been. What do you see? Men
high in standing who but yesterday were
shocked at such things as Mr.. Blaine has
done, who thought that the people would and
ought to brand them with their emphatic
disapproval, now meekly apologizing for the
same things and dissmissing them as little
eccentricities of genius. Nay, some of them
grow fairly facetious at the spharisees," or
''saints,'' or ''dudes," or ''gentle hermits,"
who denounce corruption to day as they
themselves denounced it yesterday. Indeed
s'pharisees'' and ''saints." What, then,
are the strange and extravaganza things
which these pharisees and saints
demand and which after Mr.. Blaine's
nomination have suddenly become so ridic-
ulous? Do they ask that candidate for the
presidency should be the ideal man and the
embodiment of all the human virtues? That
he should part his hair in the middle and
wear lavender gloves9 No, not that. But
these strange creatures, these 'pharisees"
and ''dudes'' insist that man, to be elected
president of the United States, should be
man of integrity; that he should have just
sense of official honor: that he should not be
one with a record of prostituted official
power, such as the Mulligan letters and the
Investigation show. upon his back. That is
all Why, how ridiculous this is, to be sure.
Have you ever heard anything SO outlandishs
Well, fellow citizens, when you see grave
men, men of public standing, suddenly dis
posed to laugh at other men, who to-day re-
fuse to honor bad practices which yesterday
they all in common condemned, it is not
altogether amusing. 1t is a rather serious
symptom of the moral effect Mr.. Blaine's
mere nomination has already produced But
ie 1xy ~ No
party once proudly and justly called itself
the party of moral ideas. Where are those
moral ideas now? What is the answer Of
the Thoroughbred partisan when
you remind him of ''the party of
moral ideas'' of the past and point at
the record of his candidates Chang moral
ideas, we are for the party.' And he will
tell you further that whatever may become
of your moral ideas you are in honor bound
to be for the party too. The Republican
party was party of freemen and volunteers.
From the Wings and from the Democrats
they came, proud of having cut their party
ties, and they gathered around the anti
slavery banner, for this they thought the
cause of right. And now the spokesman of
the same party tell you that he who opposes
the candidates Of his party because he con-
scientiously believes it wrong to support
them commits a dishonorable act.
THE DUTY OF THE CITIZEN.
As member of party do not cease to
be a citizen. Under all circumstance the
duties which I owe as citizen to my country
are superior to the duties which can posi-
bly, owe to any party. When 60 as dele
gate to party convention, I consult with
others as to what may be best for party ac-
ton. When as voter go to the polls, I
consult my own conscience about what is
best for the country's welfare. And if
conscientously find that what the party de-
mands is not for the good of the country,
then it is not only my right but my duty as a
citizen to vote against it. Who will gainsay
thisl But now we are told not only that a
delegate to convention has no
right to oppose his party nominees,
but that an ordinary member of the party
is by his honor forbidden to do so. new
code of political honor is invented which
forbids us to be honest, There was an out
cry once in this country against the English
principle: "Once q subject, always a sub
ject." 1t seems the Blaine party wants to
improve upon this by proclamation: "Once
party member, always party slave" And
what is worse, we see men who know that
all we say is true, and who but yesterday
said it themselves, stife their consciences
and wear the badge of that slavery.
But that is not all the mere nominatio of
Mr.. Blaine has already accomplished. AS it
is tainting the present, so it is defi1ing the
past. How often have you had to read and
to hear these days that, as Mr.. Blaine is pur-
sued with charges and abuse, SO were Wash
ington and Lincoln pursued, and that be-
tween these three there is really very little
difference. What comparison 1t is true
Washington was called a monarchist and
Lincoln babboon. But we cannot learn
that either of them found it necessary to de-
fend himself against the imputation. If the
friends of Mr.. Blaine want to establish a
real parallel between him and them they
should carefully examine Washington's and
Lincoln's private correspondence. Among
Washington's letters they would have to find
one somewhat like this:
HEADQUARTERS OF THE CONTINENTAL ARMY
To W. Fisher. Esq, Army Contractor:
MY DEAR Mr.. FISHER Your offer to admit
me to participation in your beef contract is
very generous. Accept my thanks. But l want
more. You spoke Of your friend Caldwell, who
has the flour contract, as willing to dispose of a
share Of his interest to me. / wish he would
make the proposition definite. Tell him that
feel / shall not prove deadhead in the enter
prise. / see various channels in which / know
can be useful. Sincerely your friend, =
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
P. SIN looking over my order books / find
that when Mr.. Caldwell delivered the last lot of
-four there was some irregularitY, which induced
the commissary of the army to refuse acceptance