Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-08-08
DEMOCRATIC LETTER.
THE REIGN OF CORRUPTION
TAKES A RECESS.
Shameless ProfliSacy of the Republican
Administration - Starving the People
to Fatten the Purses of Political Hsoiers
cd High and Low Degree.

Congress has adjourned, and the Is
sues upon which the presidential cleo
tton fs to be fought in November have
ley's administration have proven that
the Republican leaders are drunk with
Imperialism, mad with militarism.
profigate with government funds,
reckless In foreign relations, and cor
rupt in their dealings with corpora
tons. True only to the trusts, the
Republican party has abandoned the
constitution and the principles on
which this government was founded.
The Democratic party will appeal to
the country to bring the government
back to the paths of truth and sober
ness, to stop the radical and reckless
expenditure Of public funds, to give an
honest and impartial enforcement of
the law, to bring the nation out of its
entangling foreign alliances and wars
Of conquest into a condition of peace
and open handed friendship with all
the world, to take steps toward remov-
ing the dangerous control Of the ma
tons finances from the national
banks, to pass laws that will curb the
trusts and take from them the special
privileges whereby they have grown
so great, and last, but not least, to
turn the rascals out" On such a
platform, and under the leadership of
Bryan, the Republican party can be
swept from power in every branch of
the government by combined. united
and harmonious opposition.
The most important and patriotic
duty Of the Democratic party will ba
to defeat the Republican ticket neSt
November. The details of reform in
administration can safely be trusted
to Bryan and Of reform In the laws OF
the congress which shall be elected
with him.
The country is more concerned in
e. bringing the government back to safe
and sound principles Of administration
than in any single law which might be
enacted, however important such law
may be to the welfare of the country.
Honest administration of the govern
ment on constitutional lines Is the
| upOu NulIn ltlOl LII Vi lAt
law must be erected. No law. however
good and salutary, can be of avail un-
less it Is honestly administered. There
are good laws on the statute books
now which have become dead letters at
the hands Of the present administra-
ton The Kansas City convention will
give earnest of its purpose to meet the
demands of the country.
Every honest and patriotic citizen
wants clean government, whether he
be a Republican. Democrat or Popu-
list He wants ar impartial applica-
ton of the law. He wants an econom-
ical expenditure Of public funds. He
wants the public service to be free
from scandal and corruption. He wants
an equitable adjustment Of taxation
He still believes in the constitution.
He Is opposed to huge standing army
and to entangling foreign alliances,
He is opposed to trusts and the spe-
cial privileges which have created
them.
Mckinley has not given a clean ad
ministration. Hanna's political hench-
men have filed the public Offices. have
openly and fagrantly violated the civil
service law and have stolen public
funds. The Cuban scandals in the pos
tai service, In the customs service and
in the army are merely the surface in
! dications OF corruption as wide
spread as the government itself.
Millions have been taken from the
public treasury under the fiimsiest
gloss Of regularity and legal form. No
one who knows will attempt to deny
that political tavorites were permitted
to make contracts for army and navy
supplies at prices out of all proper
tion to the value Of the articles fur
nished. Scores of vessels were sold
to the government at three times their
actual value, with commissions to po-
litical fav0rites quite equal to the price
which went to the actual owners Of
the vessels. Worse yet. legislation was
forced through congress, like the ar
NOR trust grab, for the sole purpose of
furnishing Mark Hanna with Re
publican campaign corruption fund Of
millions This notorious and fragrant
misuse Of legislative power is alone
enough to condemn to political de-
struction the party which has permit
ted it.
Taxation has been so adjusted as to
fall almost entirely upon the shoulders
of the laboring and producing masses
Of the country, while wealth is prac-
tically exempt from sharing in the
burden Of government
A general demand that taxation
should be reduced to a safe and con-
ser%ative basis has been refused, and
all signs indicate that expenditures
even in time of peace will equal the
enormously heavy revenue now pro-
duced. The appropriations for the
coming fiscal year are more than S709,-
100000. Had not certain important
appropriations been deferred. and had
not even the heavy appropriations
made been pared 90 rnItch beIow thp