Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-19
FIRM o TRUE nErUBLICANIsM.
s~tnuncbIy Republican, Yet Opposed TO
C%nrrnntion WITHIN the Parity.

! NtuunchlN keDUbIIttn. tt pblibN'h w
Corruption Within the Party.
The Bees first national campaign was that
of 1872. Staunchly republican, it yet pro
tested against dishonesty and corruption
within the party. With reference to the
nomination of Grant and Wilson, it spoke
thus in its editorial columns for the issue
of June Z. 1872.
"Now that the republican party, through
it's national convention. has declared the
principles which as a party it proposes to
advocate, and nominated its standard
bearers for the national campaign of 1872,
we deem it our duty to place their names
at our masthead. In taking this step we
have by no means abandoned our intentions
and efforts toward political reform. Be
lieving the language of Senator Sumner,
that the name of Grant was a synonym for
discord in the republican party, we have
up to the present made every honorable
! and legitimate effort toward securing the
unity of our party by a constant opposition
to President Grants denomination. In the
exercise of this prerogative we have ad-
vocatod the reforms which are now en-
bodied in the platform upon which General
Grant must stand. We sincerely believe
that these reforms can be brought about
by the agency of the republican party
49, 49, ~ N'hN NFEH I IL
liberal republican movement which in the
past we encouraged as n means of reform
and publication of the party, cannot succeed
without a direct coalition with the demo-
cratic party, in which the democratic ele-
ment must predominant. The democratic
party may and probably will endorse Horace
Greeley as their choice for the presidency.
But they propose to do so as. a distinct
party organization and not as liberal repub-
Leans. In calling their convention at Bal
flnOrD thpy fatally stabbed tho mnypIOppt
which they profess to encourage. They. re
fused to disband an organization which has
outllVed its usefulness and expect to break
up the party which has a noble record and
is possessed of all the elements which
alone can maintain a political organization.
Within its ranks we have succeeded in eX-
posing corruption and bringing malefactors
in high places TO justice, and within it's lines
we propose to continue the battle for re-
form. While we therefore submit to the
Judgment of the majority of our party and
shall sustain its efforts to elect the ticket,
we shall by no means enter into the slums
of political strife or do the dirty work
usually assigned to the partisan press. The
national issues are, after all. of secondary
interest to the people of Nebraska. Ne
braska has in the past few years been
cursed with dishonest and imbecHe officials.
1t will be our aim hereafter. as heretofore,
to expose and drive them from power. We
shall devote our best energies to regenerate
our party i'll this state and clean its
escutcheon from the blot placed upon it by
corrupt officials. who betrayed their trust
and disgraced their party. We believe we
can accomplish this result best within the
lines of our party. and within those lines
we shall try to fight it out, if it takes all
summer"
Then follows laudatory notice of the
nominees, U. S. Grant and Henry Wilson.
CORRUPTION DENOUNCED.
Further indicative of the position main
tanned Dy The Rec with raforar,, 70 ann.
political leadership for twenty-five years. the
following editorial of July %, 1872. headed
The Duty OF Republicans" may be cited:
The time is now at hand when every true
republican DESTROYS of maintaining the honor
and integrity of our organization unsullied
must step forward fearlessly to graphic with
the obstacles that lie in our path to victory
turing the present political crisis. We of
Nebraska, less fortunate than the republi.
cans of our sister states, are threatened nv
greater disaster from the fratricidal strokes
of unprincipled and corrupt would-b lead
ers than from the common political enemy.
While the former have by their unblushing
mendaclty and corrupt practices in high
official positions disgraced our party and
driven hundreds of good and honest men
from her ranks the latter simply seek to ac-
complish her defeat in a legitimate political
war. Ours is therefore a task which involves
A mortal combat with corruption, disafec-
tion and imbecility from within and the
general assault of the enemy, reinforced by
from without. 1t would be both
criminal and foolish to disguise the fact that
this is a Herculean task, requiring moral
courage and an %unbounded devotion to prin-
ciple. If the republican party shall fail to
rid herself of the poisonous scorpions, which
in the shape OF corrupt and shameless of
ticials-republicans in name, but not in
principle-are sapping her existence, then
nothing short of a miracle can save her, and
we say frankly that we would rather wit
ness her total humiliation in the present
political contest than to aid these cor
morants in stripping her of her honor and
coed name. Every honest lover of rel Ii an
principle, every independent. disinterested
thinker must now step orward and look the
issue manfully and squarely in the face
without a squint at flesh pots and official
3polls. The republican party of Nebraska
only a year ago emerged from a most
desperate struggle with corruption at the
of our state, and she can do so again
by repudiating and bringing TO justice a
United States senator who by his acts has
forfeited all claims upon the party which he
has lishOuOrp1 -