South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1884-06-13

the PREsIDENcY.-The national repub-
iican convention has finished its appoint.
ed work, ard the result is before the
country. There are few Who have rot
hoped that the coming contest for the
presidency of the republic would bring
into the Held on either side men who are
the representatives of tho honor, the
dignity and the conservatism OF a great
anu progressive people. To say that
The nomination OF James G. Blaine is a
disappointment to the conservative ele-
ment oil the republican party is giving
Dat temperate expression 10 the senti.
ment o! bitter discontinue which per-
vades that numerous and influential
class OF men who prefer pure methods
TO bad methods and, in places OF dis
singuished trust, grea: statesmen to cle-
yer pretenders. it is tho misfortune of
The republican patty tina. il has failed
to recognize the demands of this ele-
rent OF its strength, this lenven of its
existence. The leading organs of in
teiiigent republican opinion have from
uay 10 day exhausted every argument
In the boarded logic OF events to avert
THIS very crisis and save the life of the
party from sacrifice 10 the ambition Of
this very man. Mr. Blaine, popular as
he Is admitted to be With toe large body
Of his party, enters the contest for the
presidency an incubus to that element OF
1t which regards him az dangerous
an, man is himself handicapped by the
record OF series OF republican adm in
istralions which stands before the coun.
try indelibly smirched with every spe-
cies OF political crime. In the past the
dominant element Of the party has play.
ed ITS part deftly. With the regularity
OF the seasons Of election it has put on
tic robes Of decency and bowed down
at the shrine Of reform. In its conven-
tional declarations it has swallowed all
the good snd wise things that its moral
sponsors so innocently and SINGER civ
prescribed, and entered the gates of vic.
tory only to cast off its sanity robes and
revel in open-hsn iniquity. At no
period In our history has there been OK.
posed such mass Of corruption perva.
ding every department Of the public SER
VICE as has from time ,otime been brough.
10 light withio the past two decades.
| wherever ON inves;is alton has been or.
dered fresh discoveries Of errors in &C
counts or malfeasances in Office have
been detected. IL was found that the
books Of the treasury would no, balance
10y many millions of dollars, and a bal.
ance had ultimately TO be forced to GOV.
er up deficiencies or mistakes. The
Chief members of the whisky ring were
IN the confidence of officers Of the gov
ernment. and shared with thcm, it was
openly charged, the profits resulting
from their illicit pratices. Large sums
oil money were made by inside parties
In Indian contracts, and one officer who
went into the business poor came ont of
it q millionaire. 1t has been estimated
by the consul for the government tina,
the treasury was robbed Of four millions
OF dollars by the star-route frauds, in
which high officer Of the Postofiice
Department was implicated. With 9th.
ers tho government compromised on the
bases OF a return of a small part Of their
plumber, while many escaped scot free
with their ill-go,ten gains. For years
the republican Congress was besiegcd
10y an insatiate lobby. The sums spent
on getting subsidy for the Psciic
Mail Steamship Line alone was 80 large,
and SO lavishly distributed, that it be
came common saying tina. there was
| money In tue air." The Credit Mobil.
Ter investigation unearthed another
great scandal, AMI the disclosures al
fected the honor aad the reputation of
several OF the most trusted leaders Of
the republican party. Extensive lail-
road grants were based upon distribu.
tious of stocks and bonds "whcre they
would do most gooJ.'
The browning act of all was the
subornatlon OF the Louisiana and
Florida returningboards and the seat.
ing OF Hayes in the presidency to
which Illden was elected. These arc
facts that cannot be gainsayed; they
are part OF our modern history, and
will never relapse into the coveted
oblivion OF antiquity until the people
who have been wronged shall have
been rlghted. They have been estab
llshed by multitude of witnesses
they Lave shocked those honest repub-
leans, who, under the name of indie.
pendent5, have vainly endeavored to
stem the tide of corruption, and have
insisted ON a return to purer political
methods, with such a reform of the
civil service as would take from the
leaders the patronage they have abus.
cd. The republican party numbers
III Its ranks legion ofhonest straight.
forward men, but under the leaders
who have had control Of it, and the
practices they have encouraged as q
means OF perpetuating their rover, it
has long since lost ITS momentum in
the path of progress, and has stea
oily been going from bad 10 worse.
One great financial panic crippled the
business Of the country for five years.
The tremendous frauds perpetrated
recently by New York firm Of bank.
ers and brokers, though not so far
reaching i'll their consequences, have
disturbed public confidence in rail
road securities of all kinds, and oven
in the safety OF banks whose officers
are ola speculative turn. The abund.
ance OF money and the rapidity with
| which Nyaolfl 10, Iro.