Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1903-07-03

ing the divorce evils that have scan
dalized the American marriage fol
years. m .a. I'D
An exchange, whose political pro:
pensities are inclined toward the
William R. Hearst style, has a.temp-
ted to show that the Investigations
now being made in the Postofice De-
partment are the direct result Of Re-
publican corruption. Such journa-
lism is the vilest mud Singing, and
deserves the severest condemnation
not only of Republicans, but of all
right minded American citizens.
That the postal service has become
honey!combed with thieving, graf
ting, and corruption, is quite ap,
parent from Investigations now being
made. That those officers who have
been intrusted with the administra-
ton Of the affairs of the government,
and have proven derelict to their
duty, should be severely punished, is
the sincere desire of every patriotic
citizen. But that the Republican
party is responsible for the private
acts of these men is too preposterous
to consider for a moment. The Re-
publican party is a party of prin.
ciples, not of men, and individual
opinion. These principles are ele-
ments of governmental administration
principles which when enacted into
laws, become the sources from which
the people reap the benefits Of the
government. It is not a party whose
supreme head is a political Gar,
whose opinions expressed on the plat
form or in the editorial columns be-
come binding upon the party. It is
not a party that stands on it's feet to-
day. and on its head tomorrow. Re.
pablicans may, and do differ concern
ing details of party administration,
but they have never differed on the
general principles Of the party. But
those who subscribe to these princi-
Piles, and believe in those doctrines are
not all men without fault, no more
80 than that all who believe in the
Protestant religion as better than the
Catholic will be permitted to mingle
with the sheep rather than the goats
when the dividing time comes. The
men who have been reaping personal
benefit from their positions with the
government were, in many instances,
those who passed through the door
designated by the Civil Service plate.
Mechan was appointed under the ad-
ministration of Mr.. Cleveland. Yet
no sensible Republican has charged
that crime up to the New Jersey
sphinx. It would be we'll to remem
Der that when men are appointed to
responsible positions in the govern
ment, even when the appointments
are p~a1tizan ones, that the applicants
must show a character for honesty
and integrity. The appointing power
p%rocures this information from the
people who best know the applicant.
If a mistake is made, it is the fault
of those who do the endorsing, not
those who do the appointing. No
man in public life, no political par
ty, can afford to place men in respon-
sible positions who are known to be
unworthy Of the same. Such conduct
would political death to the
man or the party. The one great
thing that u contemporary has over
looked is that the Republican party
is always able to purify itself.
While it is not responsible as a par
ty for the corruption that exists in
the Postofice Department, when the
evils began to show themselves, the
party, if the term can be applied to
the administration which was elected
on the party principles, has laid the
axe at the root Of the evil with mer-
CHESS energy, and the political beliefs
of the victims has had no more to do
with their dismissal or retention than
the same beliefs will permit or pre-
vent an immortal spirit to pass the
Gate of st. Pet,r.
With the price Of wheat playing tag
with seventy five cents, the farmers
of this state will begin to wonder If
it would not be better for them to
hold on to the commodity and sell &C.