The Red Cloud chief., 1884-02-29

AhC AolCoG
furnished by Senator elect Payne, of
Ohio. 1t was evidently constructed
| with care, and with q view to covering
the who'll ground. There is a classical
! quality in it, and yet it is at the same
time modern and practical. 1t runs
like this: ''The Augean stable must DO
| cleaned out with a toothbrush" The
average Democrat hasn't the least idea,
t O be sure. what an Augean stable Is
like. or why a toothbrush should he
called for in the work of cleaning it
out; but instinct tells him that its use
in this connection is to specify the Re-
publican party. and that the figurative
toothbrush has reference to n change
in the oiiices-and he is ready, there
fore. to Eli his mouth with 1t, so to
speak. and 90 to shouting as only a
Democrat can shout On the vital ques-
ton of spoi.s.
There is one serious difficulty in the
way OF making such a cry effective.
Conceding that there is actually an
Augean stable in sight, and that IL needs
to be cleansed and fumigated, it does
not follow by any means that the people
are w Hing TO turn the Democratic
party loose upon it with any kind of im-
PIGMENTS, or even with naked hands.
1 he experience of the country in that
direction has not been of 4 character To
encourage such experiments. If the
Democratic party had never been in
control of the Government. 'and had
never given practical illustration of its
spirit and capacity as a custodian OF
public funds and a manipulation OF pub
lie expenditures, there might be ground
for surprising that it could coaN a ma
! iority OF the voters of the United States
to intrust it with the anagement of
National affairs and the Inauguration of
an improved system OF integrity and
economy. 1t SO happens. however, that
it has IA record, and a very plain and
impressive one at that; and the people
insist upon measuring its present pre-
tenses by its past C nduct.
1t is a part OF the history OF our pol
tits, for instance, that under the Ad-
ministration of the great and only Jack
son-the period of glorious summer in
the annals of Democratic con ,uest and
supremacv-tte defaIcatiOns amounted
to over So. 80. 900. On every $1,000 OF
public funds handled there was a loss
S7.52. Under the Administration OF
! Jackson's friend and sue es-Or. Van
Buren,, the de: a~lcatiOns. or stealingS.
reached the startling sum Of over 3d.
$40, UO0 in four wears, or nearly Sl2 on
every $1,000 that passed through the
hands of Democratic officials. The loss
under Polk was a little more than u
on each $1,000: under Pierce it was
So. Sc; and under Buchanan it was
1881. Under the rule of til Republic
an party, on the other hand, the losses
have steadily Unfinished until now
thew amount to only a few cents on
each $40 0-not so much rs the annual
leakage in the cash accounts of the best
conducted private business firms or cor
porat ons. The contrast speaks for
itself, and shows very clearly what
might be expected if the Democrats
were given q contract to ''ciean out
the Augean stal L. with a toothbrush"
There is another glaring historical
fact, re entity certified by the Secretary
o, the Treasury. which has II direct APP
plicaiion to this proposed tooth brush
crusade. In the latter part OF the
Buchanan Administration IDS we're in
vited. under authority of an act OF Con-
gress. for $1,000. 600 of Treasury notes.
the bidders to state the ate OF interest
at which they We're willing 30 loan the
money on said obligations. The bids
ranged widely from $ X to thirty-six per
cent, and finally the notes were DIS
posed of at an average rate OF over
eleven per cent per annum, nearly one
half of the entire sum being ut twelve
per cent. This demonstrates in a very
plain fashion that, after its long lease
of power, the Democratic party had to
paw four times as much for money as
we are now paving under Republican,
rule. That is to say, it had 50 a
AGED the business of the Government
that the capitalist would not Ian
money on the public credit or less han
twelve per cent, whereas he Is now
glad TO get three, though our indebted
ness is much larger than it was then.
and we have since passed through finan-
cial trials of the most p%erplexing and
critical description.
The sober truth is that the Republic
ans have managed the National inter-
ests with more ability, skill and dis
cretion than any other party that has
ever controlled the Government. In
comparison with the Democrats On that
score, their record is signally surprising
and splendid. There is no Government
on earth to-day that has its financial
affairs conducted with less of cOrrup-
ton, extravaganza and incapacity. In
this one respect alone. the Republican
: party might safely 60 to the country
and claim a renewed grant of power;
: and in no other respect, it is safe to
: say, has the Democratic party so little
to Ger in suggestion Of its fitness for
the duties and responsibilities which it
{ is so anxious to have placed upon its
shoulders. When Democratic leaders
talk about cleaning out the Augean
stable with a toothbrush" they pro-
woke contrasts that they would do
| much better to avoid and prevent.
The Republican party is not in
{ fallib'e, and it has not always escaped
mistake or kept bal men from
bringing reproach upon il; but when
q square choice must be made between
it and the adversary with which it has
; contended from the time of its organi-
zation. through all the perils and exac-
|. tions of the most important quarter of
; ; a century in the cOuntry's existence, its
I x:-<,o, oo1 rlov;aS ch;no ont IN n upov