Year: 1877


yield implicit obedience to party, right or
wrong, and thinking that their whole du-
ty as citizens and voters was fulfilled in
so doing-even if "by ways that are dark
and tricks that are vain," that it seems
to have escaped their mind that the time
might come when the masses of the peo-


pie would no longer be blinded by party
sophistry, nor satisfied to run with any
party machine simply for the sake of ag-
grandizing the would be leaders. They
expected to see the promised results of
their party fealty, instead Of being con-
tinually fed to engagement upon the
dry husks of past victories and being ex-
pected to roll them as sweet morsel un-


der their tongues and be satisfied with
such diet while the grim, gaunt skeleton
of corruption fostered by the natural
gravitation of unscrupulous demagogues
to party in power, was clutching with
its skinny fingers at the throat of public
virtue and official purity and sucking
into its capacious NAV the substance of a
tax ridden people under the spe cious
guise and in the name of liberty guaran-
teed to all men. This putrescent form


rendered obnoxious to the nostrils of hon.
est men by the lapse of time since it pos
sessed any virtuous life, was weaving the


SHINY folds Of its fngus shreds into our
very national existence. Its cutie fish
like arms were reaching out in all direc-


tons for new material upon which to
feed its diseased and decaying body, and
men were continually being drawn into
this maelstrom Of party corruption by the
seductive allurements of power and plum
der until no doubt it seemed necessity
to these men that they be kept in posi-
ton that class legislation might be foster
ed and they permitted to complete by
intrigue the party structure which would


perpctuate their power, but the honest
people of the country cannot always be
led captive by hypocritical rawlings Of
men only held together in party alliance
by the cohesive power of disreputable
gain. The great good sense of the peo-
pie vas sure to work itself clear, and the
result is that the efforts of President
Hayes to cleanse the old ship of state
from the barnacles which have so long
clung to her sides that the original plank
ing could scarce be seen, has met with
hearty response from honest men of all
parties. It really seems that civil serv-
ice reform now means something more
than party illumination on paper only.
It now means that the vast army of blood
suckers made an alleged necessity to the
party by the late pernicious system OF
patronage shall be mustered out of their


sinecures where they have fattened at
public expense and permitted to share
with others the burdens OF life. It means


that vertebral columns sufficiently linn
Der to yield to the demands of credit Mo-
b,liers and whiskey rings shall no longer
be considered legitimate voucher for
peculiar fitness for positions of trust and
honor. It means the affairs of the peo-


pie shall be conducted just as economi-
cally as the business of individuals should
be. A mans party zeal is no longer the
enc thing needful to secure him position
at the hands of the administration, but
he is to be weighed in the crucial scales
of honesty and ability, and if not found
wanting those essential qualifications he


need not stultify himself to glatify wire
pullers, Office seeking or political cor
morants of any kind. No wonder the


heart and brain of New England pays


homage to official purity IN high places,
otherwise she would be untrue to her
glorious ancestry. But the west will not
be behind in this matter, and those who
are building their political hopes upon
the downfall of the present administra-
ton will find their political structure rest
ing upon the quicksands of antagonistlc
elements which, although united in the
one common desire to make an honest
administration odious, yet in all things
else discordant and belligerant.


No man ever had greater, more mo-
mentuous tasks before him upon his in
duction into official position than Presi-'
dent Hayes. Even Abraham Lincoln, of
blessed memory, could hardly have been
more tried, but with brave honest pur-


pose to do right regardless of consequent
ces, he has overcome all obstacles SO far


assisted by an able cabinet; and although
politicians may rant, and sore heads
thunder forth their, anathamies, yet we
..,,-enard President Hares, ,,osition ar I'M