Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-08-27
From Om Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, ID. G., Aug. 23, '84

There can be no end to the compari.
sons between the brief and altogether
sensible letter of acceptance written by
Governor Cleveland, and the dema-
gogical, elaborate and interminablc
trash sent ont by Mr.. Blaine. The
letter Of Governor Cleveland will be
read and will be admired for its scnti-
ments by both friend and foe. In this
letter we find in few lines the plat
form of great party whose mission is
to effect II reformation in the corrupt
political methods that have become the
fundamental groundwork of the dom
inent party, and to wrest that party
from power. His reference to the pat
roDage of the great office OF the presi-
dency, "thc allurcments of power, the
temptation to retain public place once
again, and, more than all, the avaia-
btlity party finds in an incumbent
whom horde of Office holders, with q
zeal born of benefits received and fos-
tered by the hope of lavors yet to
come, stand ready to aid with money
and trained political service, we recog-
nizc in the eligibility of the President
for reelection u most serious danger to
that calm, deliberate and intelligent ac-
ton which must characterize q govern
ment by the people," are words that
should be sufficient to constitute plat
form that ought to secure the emphatic
endorsement Of the American people.
The Republican papers all over the
country are publishing table which
may or may not be authentic, showing
the aggregate receipts Of the Govern
ment during the several administra-
tons from Washington to Arthur. the
total losses in each of the said admins
trations and the loss on each 81 900 of
collections. From this table 1t appears
that Washington's thefts were cnor-
nous as compared with Grants and
that Martin Van Buren, could outsteul
Rutherfraud Hayes eleven times over
and then give him odds. Even Arthur
with the Star Route thieves and ten or
twelve millions Of the Government
money in their pockets, only gets away
with one and eight-tenths mills on the
81 1000. while Mr.. Lincoln is accused
Of appropriating scveuty-siX cents on
the 81 900, before John Roach was a
factor in the Government !, The relja-
bility of this tabulatcd statement, pre-
pared by Mcpherson, may be estimated
from the cold facts Of the developed
larcencs of the Burnsides, the Bel
knaps, and hundreds of other thieves,
convicted and unconvictcd, who have
alone robbed the Government of more
money than the aggregate percentage
Of every stcalings from the first admin
istration down to the end of the Hayes
dynasty. Why, the Indian contracts
alone, would cover a larger percentage
of stealing in 1851, than the whole
four years of Van Buren's adminlstra-
ton which show the enormous amount
of Sill Oh the 81 900, according to
Mcpherson, but it is altogether proba-
bic that what Mcpherson calls stealing
under a Democratic administration, be-
comes only pardonablc and unavold-
able deficiency under Republican SUI
prcmacy.
Mr.. Dorman B. Eaton has written q
letter III reply to somebody in Govern
ment employ who has been frightened
into Il contribution for the Republican
campaign fund. Mr.. Eaton, as one of
the Civil Service Commission, had bet
ter have left this letter unwrltien,
though it is scarcely more than gibber-
ISL anyway. Mr.. Eaton tells the Gov
eminent clerks that they may safely
refuse to contribute to the campaign
fund of the grand old party, but at the
same time it should be understood that
it is necessary to the existence of free
Government that there should be par
ties in general and the grand old party
in particular, and these cannot exist
WllHOul tliC slncWS VI war, WHICH lllust
come from somewhere, and who better
than those in Government employ can
afford to furnish them? In spite of all
that Mr.. Eaton says to assure these
overworked, underpaid and hungered
employees, | can safely assure every last
one of them that the places they know
will know them no more forever, if
there should be refusal or a neglect
to obey the call for contributions that
Steve Elkins and his coadjutor Clapp
are now clamoring for. PHoNo.
The Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance
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