Year: 1869

the people oil would be changed and the gov
ernment reformed. Besides, it was said q
little time was needed to cure the evils result
ing from the war. Such were the arguments,
the hopes and the patience of the people, and
they bore their burdens accordingly.


The 4th Of March. 1869, was to be the new
era Of reform, retrenchment, economy and the
like its original functions and practice. The
new President had uttered words to that
effect The popular hero who, by his military
genins, had conquered the rebellion and closed
up the war, was looked to with hope to bring
about the much needed change. But he has
been subjugated and brought under the power
of the old corrupt rings which control the
whole machinery Of the government. A few
weeks after his Inauguration he has succumbed
to the Senate ring Of corrupt politicians,
around which all the other corrupt rings
in and out Of Congress-the whiskey ring,
the Pacific Railroad ring, the national
bank ring, the Treasury ring and all
the other corrupt rings-revolve. That Is
the centre and power Of them all. There
never can bc any reform in the government
and country until the power of that irrespon-
sible and unscrupulous olgarchy be broken up.
With the surrender of General Grant little
hope remains that this can be accomplished
during his administration, unless, indeed, the
people become within that timo SO impatient
and disgusted as to turn out the present mem
bers of Congress and elect better ones. Cen
cral Grant means right, and should body of
honest and able men be sent to Congress he
would work with them but having succumbed
to the existing Congressional ring Of poll
ticians, which sustains all the corrupt and
plundering rings that deplete the Treasury and
overwhelm tho people with taxation, he, in the
meantime, can do nothing.


Nor is there any powerful voice among the
three hundred and more men Of both houses
of Congress raised against the widespread
corruption and extravaganza that prevails.
Mr.. Sprague. it is true, has spoken out boldly
and told some truths very unpalatable to his
Senatorial colleagues. He is Independent
enough, and has the resolution to hammer
away at that citadel Of corruption, but he lacks
the ability required, and the Senate ring poll
ticians only laugh at his efforts. Still he is
doing good. Almost all the members of both
the House and the Senate, especially the lead
ing members, are interested in the railroad,
whiskey, Treasury and national bank rings,
and they play into each others hands How
is it possible, then, to reform the government
How can corruption and extravaganza be
checked when all the power is in the hands Of
the very men interested in maintaining such
state of things, and when the President has re-
signed himself to them?


There appears to be but one end to this
state of affairs, and that is revolution-an
uprising Of the people at the ballot box. It is
certain they will not continue to pay taxes to
the federal government to the amount Of four
hundred millions year. No people having
universal suffrage ever did or ever will bear
long with such astounding extravaganza, cor
ruption and mismanagement and overwhelm-
ing taxation as we witness without revolving


Unfaithful representatives may pile on the
debt and taxes, but the limit of forbearance
will be reached, and the voters, in their tuna,
will have something to say. II we 60 ON as
we have been going It will not be long before
we hear Reputation uttered as popular cry
from one end Of the country to the other. The
party which has brought upon the country
these evils and burdens will be driven from
power, and the one that will succeed it may
take q short cut to relieve the people Of
enormous taxation and throw all the odium Of
reputation upon those who created the bur-
dens. This, really, is what we are coming to /;
this is the revolution which the political oil
garchy in Congress and the corrupt rings that
revolve around it will soon force upon the


country