Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1840-12-11

EEEcrrox FRAuDs.-The space in our p
PER usually devoted to political matters has been 20
crowded for Two weeks past that we have been una
BE 10 publish full account Of the frauds which
have lately been brought to light in New York and
Philadelphia The entire exposition would Gil our
sheet for Ak weeks, 20 We have copied an article
from the Globe, and one from Bennett's Herald en-
bodying the principal facts with appropriate COM
ments thereon, in small space, and ask readers
to give them perusa, and then say whether an hon
est political party can sanction such crime! Since
the discloe ures have been made, the wing journals
giggle over it as ga hoax-a capita! joke" &c. TO
them it is capital joke. for by the frauds they have
placed their co-workers in lucrative offices, while
they were in the minority, in warmly contested
elections. The Democracy have not been vigilant
and watchful, or the gang had been found out and
broken up in time to have saved the two States from
the disgrace Of being swayed by dollars and cents,
to the building up of party composed of the fag
ends of every faction that has sprung in land
Does it strike any with surprise that they can
chuckle over such disclosures with IMMUNITY? It
need not. To carry their point without any regard
they know that the character of the party has
been SO low that no underhanded measures would
fail to receive the sanction of the party. With but
few exceptions, the wing journals approve of the
frauds, endeavoring to treat the investigation as an
unimportant matter, got up by the Democracy to
make political capital for the Presidential election
and endeavor to keep public attention from their
own sins by charging Democrats of high standing,
with Offering brides for testimony that would impli-
cate the leaders of their party. Such subterfuges
will be found unavailing-the stain is fastened upon
them and cannot be wiped away or concealed from
public view.
Let the Democracy throw it at them upon all oc-
casions--the crime is damning one, and he who is
guilty Of participation in it, is traitor to his coun-
try, and deserves rank as far below mental slave
as is the name of Arnold below that of Washington.
FASHION," Fashion rules the world " is an old
saying, the truth of which every days experience
goes to prove, and that man might as well be out
which it would be difficult to disprove to the salts
faction of thousands whose agency in keeping this
world of ours in its proper track, is Indispensable
Our forefathers, plain and honest old SOULS set us
good examples, but the love of change and variety
has led astray and we have been so long wander
ing that have got lost in the fog, and heaven or
y knows whether we shall ever regain the path from
whence we strayed.
In the days of the patriots, honor and distinction
were acquired only by faithful discharge of duty
towards our common country. 1t was in these days
that our present form Of government was conceived
and established at cost with which all are familiar
In forming government, offices were created for
the mutual benefit of the whole, without any de-
sire to provide good situations for worthy men,
Violations Of public duty were for sometime un-
known, and when first discovered, brought disgrace
upon the recreant But these days were not lasting
Public officers yielded to temptation, and to make
good their earthly fortunes, appropriated part of the
funds of the nation to their benefit, and about
this time fashion had taught great number to rev.
erence wealth above honor, ard hence the tempta-
ton increased as the penalty softened down by the
cncroachments of that austere ruler.
The first instance of the triumph of the influence
ton. is one which would willingly pass, but for
the effect it may have had in producing state of
morals discredltable to people. We allude
to the misapplication of funds by old John Adams,
when President of the United States, as shown by
the books Of the proper Department at Washington
and other indisputable testimony. The sum mis-
applied was small, yet was appropriated for spe-
cfc purpose, and applied to his own private use, for
which he never accounted to the government.
Recoections of his patriotism and noble stand ta-
ken during the gloomy period when the Declaration
of Independence was maturing, caused less to be
said about it than would have been, had a man less
famed in revolutionary times, been the aggressor.-
This fact startling to his copatrots was not pass
ed and forgotten by the younger aspiring scions then
looking forward to the time when they were to come
upon the stage of action. They bcheld patriot of
the revolution, forgetting the duty he owed to his
country and the dangers of bad example, appro-
prating the peoples money to his own use, and up
on looking around, they found large political party
ready to smother, if not approve this demoralizing
act How natural then, did the reflection spring up
in the minds of thousands that if it was no crime
for John Adams, President of the Unf~7 States, to
rob the people, it was much more excusabe in them
of whom the nation not knowing, expected but lit