The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-08-23

tereSt, Scrupul0uS honesty, ana the malnten-
ance of the highest standard of official honor.
You must not be surprised if an answer like
this comes back: sold friend, you are behind
the times That was good talk years ago, but
only Pharisees and dudes speak so now, and
they, you should know, are very ridiculous
persons. As for us, VIC are going into politics
to make money. We see various channels OF
usefulness there, and we are not going to be
deadheads in anything that offers itself y
'But," we object, 'the people will never toll
crate such a thing" What will the answer
be? "You are behind the times again, old
friend. Years ago the people might not have
tolerated it. but now they do. They rather
like it. Do you know the story of James G..
Blaine? His case was clear enough. Every.
body knew that he had been 'on the make
when Speaker of the House. There were the
Mulligan letters and the testimony, and the
fact that he had made large fortune without
any business. There could be no doubt about
it. And what happened? The Republican
party nominated him for the Presidency.
And Mr. Evarts made long speech for him,
with several jokes in it. And those who pro-
tested against it were laughed at as dudes and
Pharisees. And he was elected President
and called the great representative American.
You see the American people like this sort of
thing. This is the way to wealth and to pub
Blaine's case. That is what we want too.
1t is the road to the Presidency. And some
of us may get there in the same way. Let us
be 'on the make then" What would you
answer? Wonld not, in case of Mr.. Blaine s
election, all this be true, every word of it?
But more would be true; and here | ask for
the attention of business men. Do you think
that the contagon of that example would re-
main confined to the political field? Do you
think that the sanction and encouragement,
aye the glorifcation which ''being on the
make would receive by the popular vote for
Mr.. Blaine, would not be noticed by your
cashiers, and your bookkeepers, and your
statesmen, and your clerks? viii not many
of them ask themselves why they should be
more conscientious in the discharge of their
business duties and the use of their business
opportunities than the man whom the Ameri
can people honored with the Presidency was
in the use of his opportunities as Speaker of
the House of Representatives? Have you
not had enough of that sort Of thing? Doyou
want to give it an additional stimulus by let
ting everyone in the country who handles
other peoples money or goods know that the
American people regard being ''on the make
by hook or crook rather as an elegant accom-.
plishment which will not stand in the way of
the highest honors?
NOW, hudl uOcS II 10 MIdI
will follow if in electing man with a noto-
rious and conspicuous record such as Mr..
Blaine's to the Presidency of the United
States, the American people take the fatal
step of declaring that the corrupt abuse of
public power, the prostitution of official trust
for private gain, will no longer be branded
with dishonor, but will henceforth not even
stand in the way of mans promotion to the
highest office of the Republic.
There is corruption enough now. But when
the American people shall have proclaimed
that they care nothing for a proper sense of
honor in their public men and the public SER
vice, then crop of corruption aud demorali-
zation will ripen such as we have never
dreamed of. You complain now that the
money kings and the great corporations have
too much power in our public concerns. But
when the American people, by solemn pop
ular election, shall have taught our politicians,
young and old that they can make themselves
rich by the prostitution of official trust with
out fear of disgrace, that they may have pelf
and public honor at the same time, there will
be no limit to the corrupting power of wealth,
and your dreaded money kings and corpora
tions will do in open daylight what they now
attempt in the dark. Corruption will ire
sistibly ''broaden down from precedent to
precedent" Its food may overwhelm all
that we hold dear and are proud of to-day.
Citizens of the United States, | warn you
solemnly not to take this fatal leap. The
honor of the American people, the vitality of
our institutions, the whole future of the Re-
public are involved in the issue. Do you
want to protect that honor, to save those in
stitutions from deadly rot and the future of
the Republic from incalcqlahle disaster and
disgrace? There is but one thing to do. If
a political party, however great and glorious,
lof, 1,,try
as to nominate candidate for the Presidency
conspicuously bearing the fatal taint, then the
American people must show that they have
moral sense enough to reject him, and to re-
ject him overwhelmingly. That is the way of
salvation. There is no other.
1t is in vain for Mr.. Blaine's friends to cry
out that, however grave his offenses may have
been, the people have already again and again
condoned them. If it were so, it would be
the highest time to reconsider before pro-
nouncing the final verdict. But deny it. 1t
is not so. True, the Legislature of Maine
elested him Senator, and the Republican
National Convention nominated him as their
candidate after his offenses had become known.
So much the worse for the Maine Legislature
and for the Republican Convention. But
they have only proved that some people have
forgiven and forgotten his delinquencies. The
question is, How many? The american peo-
pie will pronounce their opinion on those
offenses in November for the first time, and
trust it will be shown by an overwhelming
majority that the American people have never
forgotten them, and never will make the man
guilty of them President of the United States.
If view of all this, of the glaring unftness
of the nomination, and of the fearful demor-
alization and disgrace the election Of such a
candidate by the American people would in
8ipt upon this Republic, do not hesitate to
declare as my honest conviction that the con-
sequences of Mr.. Blaine election, immediate
and remote, would he far worse, infinitely
more dangerous to our future as a nation, than
anything Democratic Administration could
under present circumstances bring with it. |
mean exactly what say. Take all the things
which the most fanatical Republicans predict
and the most nervous of them fear as to the
possible results of Democratic success-a pre-
cipitate disturbance of our tariff policy, re-
newed troubles in the South, clean sweep
and new deal in all the Federal otbces-con-
sequences which / by no means admit as
probable with such President as the Demo
Gratis have nominated, at the head of affairs
but admit for arguments S sake that all these
things would follow; yet all the evils thus pre-
dieted-husiness confusion and financial loss,
violence in the South and another carnival of
a temporary nature. The energy of our bust
ness community and the resources of the
country would quickly help us over our finan-
cial embarrassments, and bad laws can be
changed by amendment and repeal. New
disorders in the South and spoils carnival
would quickly provoke an overwhelming reae-
ton, and the guilty party would soon lose
power again. All these apprehended results
of Democratic victory, if they really did
occur, would, therefore, be only temporary.
Subsequent action would obliterate them to
the last trace. They would be like flesh
wounds, painful enough at the time, but eapa-
BILE Of easy and permanent healing But you
let the American people declare that in the
bestowal of their highest trusts and distinc-
tons they care nothing for official honor; that
gross and systematic prostitution of official
power for private gain, even in the most i'm
portant positions in the Government, is not
regarded by the people as an offense disquali-
flying public man for the most exalted honor
in the land the Presidency of tho TTnitad