Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-10-24
NO CORNER ON GRAFT
An Important Thing for self-Res-
pecting Men to Bear in Mind as
the Day of Decision Draws Near.

For many years the American
people have complained bitterly
against the corruption and graft
which have dmimoated the two old
parties. The TRUTH has been
brought home to- them time and
again; amd many an honest manPs
cheeks have burned with shame
as he realizzed that he was at the
best simply tool of crooks amid
knaves, who We're using him I'M
the furtherance of their cumming
political trickery.
There, has BEEN no redress, and
no remedy For is he turned from
one party to the other, he, found
that the same shameful condition.
existed there. Venal bosses and
unprdmcipled tjricksters have direct
ed, and are still directing th,el aft
fair of both parties. No welllin-
formed person could hazard a
guess as to which party orgalniza-
ton has been worse, which one ds
worse at present, or which one
could be chosen as the less of the
two evils.
In the present campaign. there
has been a division of the sheep
from the goats dn the republican
party. The better elements have
separatedl themselves from the
worse, resolved to struggle openly
for civic righteousness, rather than
to stand supinely and blndy for
slmdreamed-of evils and graft in
the adnd nistratiom of public affairs.
saa they have dome in the past.
There has been no SUCH diNisiom
In the democratic party. but there
should be one. For the democrar
tic parity organization ds' rotten,
too. The Journal does mot believe
that any living person cam show
wherein it is less so than THE re-
publfcam organization. For the
same venall bosses, and the same
corrupt machines are ait work IN
1T this year as in former years.
A DIX machine cam be set against
q Barnes machine i'm nearly every
state in, the Union. And besides
all these, 1t must be remember I'd
that the one organization that is
most putrdd of all is Tammany,
whose shameless history is ma
tiomah reproach. We may read and
hear OF other rotten POLITICAL or
gandzatioms, but we can aO but
smell Tammany. And Tammany is!
the rock and fortress Of democrat
tic strength. in New York, the
Empire Stat this year, as in for
mer years Who cam believe that
II expects no 4recompense, or re
ward? And who would cast a vote
to give Tammany what it wants
There should be just such a
house-cleaning as the progressive
party proposes. And sef-respect-
ing democrats OF the nation are
under the same obligation to help
aa are elher decent people. The
hope Of victory ha.; induced many
good men to stand fast in the
democratic ranks this year. But
thsre is far better and higher
motive than the hope of victory,
and there is a better place for
right t-mindedmen to stand at pre-
sent thAn In the democratic dne.
Inses 10 no sophdstry that can
make 1t appear that the republican,
party stands for clean politics in
the present campaign. How the
uathom would smile IL MessrE.
Barnes, Penrose. and the rest Of
the national committee should;
make such claim dm their CAM
y ypaigp ldAerature. But 1t de- impor-
tant &hat every conscientious and
seM-raapecting democrat should
ennow full we'll the vital fact thai
hds own party organizatdon is. in
the light OF AN known evidence
lust aa rotten and corrupt as amy
Other chat can be named.