The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-03
POLITICAL Cleanliness.

LII Is one OF the good Signs OF the
times that the republican stomach re-
volts at last against the class of men
who have SO long and so absolutely
controlled its destines. This progress
toward cleanliness is plant of slow
growth. For ten years after the war
closed Blaine could have been elected
surely, had he been nominated. There
would not have been sign of dissent
throughout all the hosts of the faith
full either. Now, however people are
generally alarmed because of the
bad odium the party has been brought
into in this way. Decent men are tired.
worn out with the ever recurring
tale OF double-dealing, dishonesty,
ruthless avarice, nepotism, shrewd-
ness, adroitness and political trickery
in and among the heads of the repub-
lican party. Mr.. Arthur is one of the
cleanest, although one of the most in
ert men of the party. Personally he
is all right, but he. too, is the creature
of corruption. His presence in the
white house is in no way traceable to
his craftsmanship, fitness, or ability;
but is due alone to the fact that the
elements and the planets of corruption
were so in conjunction as that Arthur
conditions were prepared, and the re-
suit of it all is, that for three years
and half he has sat, very
figure head of government for one OF
the greatest nations on all the earth.
Hayes, another man of this dead level
class, had just retired from the same
position. Great possibilities were
frittered away that these pigmy bene-
ficiaries of corruption might strut and
pose for brief season in all the pomp
and glory of regal authority, while
the great cause of progress and re-
form dallied by the wayside waiting
for the hour of chance to come.
There has been too much of it, and re-
publicanism pays the penalty in for
feiting the confidence and support of
the better people of that great party
in all sections of the United
States. The movement in New
England and New York is a plaintive
as well as powerful protest against
this rule of mediocre nastiness. 1t
must bear fruit. 1t must succeed.
And with every accession of decent
70 70 l/o 10 ri or
nail into the coffin of the debauched
and corrupt remains of what was
once the party of freedom and philan-
throphy.
Now then, through this uncontrol-
able disgust, comes the suggestion of
the chance for which the democracy
has been signing so ardently and so
long. Let US nominate our strongest,
cleanest man Bayard and then
note how the better classes
of republicans will vote
for him rather than for the cor
rupt. desperate and adroit man who
to-day stands at the head of the hosts
of corruptionists as the banner-man
in struggle, which is to fix that par
ty in power for years to come, OF to
consign it to an early and dishonored
grave. 1t is through this universal
disgust that the strong protest has
come. 1t is true the move is made as
an Independent one, but there is mis-
chief in it. 1t means business. 1t
means the defeat of the republican
party, and the feeling is deep enough
to induce these men to act with the
once hated democracy, especially when
it give them as strong a contrast to
Blaine as the nomination of Bayard
would be. This movement in New
England places weighty obligation
on he shoulders of the Chicago con-
vention which assemblies this week to
choose the democratic standard bearer
for the campaign. The decency of the
democracy will answer back to the
decency of the republicans, and the
newborn fellowship will be strong
enough to sweep the hosts of corrup-
ton from the field as the winds sweep
the chaff in the winnowing. Let our
people at Chicago never forget this
fact. Let them not mistake the true
significance of the uphedval in New
England and New York.
Revolutions have always produced
state of things out of which the
elements of debauchery have been
evolved, but perhaps the extent of the
retrograde made since 1860, in this
country, has never been equalled since
the world began. Think of it. When
the war commenced, there were not to
exceed a dozen millionaires in all the
country, and one with ten or fifteen
millions was a @rare" one, indeed.
Now there are as many who have
fifteen millions, and several who reach
the enormous figure of hundred.
This all argues an unhealthy state
of affairs. The poor are, if possible,
more abject, more distressed, and
more wretched in every way, than
they were then. The inquiry is made,
by what means has this disparity
been brought about2 and the answer
comes back, by and through the class
favoritism as shown by the admistra-
ton, blythe immunities and privileg-
es given to the few favored ones by
the government-the wretched, dis
honest and corruption-fostering sys-
tenn of tariff which has prevailed so
long. No wonder clearly people
groan and travail, and so deep is the
distress that the honest and the patri-
otto in the republican party are ready
to abandon the old allegiance and
come over to the democracy if only
we give them the encouragement of
good, square, cleanly ticket.
The Cholera.