The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-02
Morality In Politics.

keeping. And no deviation from this
demand is or can be permitted. The
public good imperatively requires that
an administrative officer shall be faith
full and honest and careful of the honor
of his constituents, which he holds il
his keeping. BY this standard public
man is judged. y loosening of public
thought which tends to lower and de-
grade this standard wavering of the
common people on this one grand cen
trail point of good and stable govern
ment, and the whole fabric which knits
a people together tOtters to its fall. II
is not right, but extremely dangerous.
to excuse glaring corruption and known
dishonesty in public servant with the
remark: ''Well they are all dishonest:
he is probably as good as any one else. :"
This remark is becoming altogether too
common. 1t denotes that public NOR
ais are weakening, or else, in a govern
ment like ours, it denotes that mans
attachment to party is stronger than
his love for honesty and purity of char
acter.
This question of morals enters largely
into the present campaign. Ignoring
altogether the private scandals which
have been alleged against the two prom
inent candidates for the presidency as
unworthy American politics, the voter
should study the official character of
the two men. He should ask himself:
" How have they discharged their pub
| lie trusts have they been faithful to
the people % The honest answer to
this question should determine for
whom he shall cast his vote.
The Union is safe and prosperous.
No sectional differences divide the ma
ton. No weighty or perpleXing ques-
ton of craftsmanship is up for settle
ment. The one great momentOus issue
at stake in this campaign is: "Shall
we, in the election of the next Presi-
dent, demand or refuse an honest and
economical administration of govern
mental affairs ?"
Not as a partisan paper does the RE-
FLECTOR state that there can be but
one choice of all the presidential candi
dates in the field, and that candidates
name is GROVER CLEVELAND. We
are willing to have him judged by the
standard we have laid down. The OPP
position have not and can not bring
anything against him which will i'm
peach his public and official honesty
and integrity. His enemies are detied
to do so, and until they do he stands as
the best representative we have of what
a public man should be. In him we
have the best assurances of an honest
and economical government.
Mr.. BLAINE, we firmly believe, rep
reSentS the worst elements in our poll
tics. He is charged with selling his
official power for private gain, and the
charge is amply supported by reliable
evidence. We find that his interfer-
ence in South American affairs was
actuated by a mean desire for money
and not by patriotism. We find him on
his knees to MULLIGAN, praying to
that gentleman to save him from eX-
posture. We find him the owner at
different times of large amounts of
railroad and other bonds and securities.
We have it over his own signature that
he is mo dead-head - that he has made
himself useful in various channels
that he has least an anchor to the
windward - in behalf of mOnOpoliStS
that Mr.. FISHER says to him: You
obtained subscriptions from your friends
in Maine for the building of the Little
Rock and Fort Smith Railroad. Out
of their subscriptions you obtained
large amount of money free of cost to
you. Ihave your own figures and know
the amount" We find that he entered
public life poor; that he has remained
in public life without following any
other business that he has very eX-
pensive family; that he has built
mansion in Washington costing 100000;
that he is now worth in the neighbor-
hood of 81, 100000. How could he &C
complish all this on salary of $4,000
and 1000 year? These facts should
not be passed over by republicans in
petulant manner and thrown aside.
The republicans claim to be patriots
they claim that they saved the Union
and made possible the unparalleled
prosperity which has blessed this coun-
try. Can they retain that claim by vot-
ing for a man who is an enemy to his
country because he uses her for his own
personal preferment, and because his
whole life is a debasement of honor,
honesty and rectitude, and an uplifting
of dishOnOr, dishonesty, grossness and
venality.
Let our readers examine into this |
matter with minds free from party pref |
udice and passion, and let them cast |
their votes as free men, honestly and |
Understandings.
With, tho Yoct tu-o xraol-C O,,ito a /