Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-21
SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 81, 1885
shameful Maladministration.

Eighty thousand dollars Of Govern
,nent money were expended last fall by
MIR. ARTHuR's Administration in the
effort 10 compel the State Of New York
10 vote for Mr.. BLAINE. Nay, eighty
thousand dollars OF Government money
were expended in providing deputy
inarshals and supervisors OF cleo
ton in that one State. But IL
TO that sum you add the thou
sands of dollars collected from the
thousands Of Federal officials in the
same state, you will find that more
than hundred thousand dollars OF the
money wrung from the people IN the
shane of taxes was used in the vain at
tempt 10 bride, bulldoze. and terrorize
the voters of that one Commonwealth
into casting its electoral vote for
BLAINE and LOGAN.
Suppose there had been fair election
last November. and the peoples money
had not been wasted in unlawful ways.
what States would BLAINE have car
ried. In 1876 and in 1880 the people
were cheated out of the man OF their
choice for President Of the United
States. In 1876 they were openly de-
frauded. In 1850 they were deirauded,
ss they came so near being dcirauded
in 1884. by the methods first
above alluded to--that is. by convert
ing the National Government into an
integral portion Of the Republican par
ty. and using the peoples money as if
it had belonged to the Republican party.
and the peoples servants as il they had
been the servants of the Republican
party. A party so hideous and cor
rupt never before diSgraced the
country. and il is to be hoped
will never again disgrace ia party
whose highest officials were not ashamed
TO prostitute their places to partisan
purposes. nor TO excite sectional strife
as q means Of perpetuatins their power.
nor to use the public money as if it be-
lcnged TO themselves.
How was il that even the best men
in the Republican party were unable TO
see that they were shining against
their country: Sectional preiudiceS
and partisan passion blinded them.
This is the only charitable explanation.
But what would they say-what could
they say-if the Democrats should
{. follow a multitude to do evil y: What
if Mr.. CLEvELAND's Administration
should spend hundred thousand dollars
in New York in 1886 in order TO make
certain the election of Democratic
House Of Representatives: What if
they appoint twenty thousand supervi-
sors and deputy marshals in Cincin-
nat;--nay, in every large city and
arm them with bulldog revolyers: Ii
j. ~ certain AZ anything in the
future can be that if the Dem
ocrats choose to follow the bad
example set them by the Republicans
they can control this Government for
the next twenty years, or, we might
say. fifty. Why, it is enough to make
= friead Of free government shudder to
think Of what this country escaped
when il elected GROVER CLEVELAND
President Of the United States. The
campaign Of 1884 was tentative. lfh
had succeeded, the campaign of 1888
land all beyond that would have
been campaign Of Just as
many deputy marshals and Su-
pervisors Of elections As il
would have been necessary TO appoint
in order to compel the election Of Re
publican House OF Representatives and a
Republican President. The eighty thou
sand dollars of 1854 would have swelled
to hundreds Of thousands in 1883. The
thousands OF deputy narshals would
have been increased TO tens Of thou
sands perhaps to hundreds Of thou
sands certainly to as many as the in
cumbent Republicans deemed il aeces-
sary TO appoint in order to effect their
purpose Of perpetuating Republican
rule.
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