New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-28

y
fortune desests the victim. he ID always seized o.
and the sins Of number viEited on bis hesd. Nor
will Il inoresse public sympathy for Mr.. 6imoaton
that h. has bot met the fate Of al reformers in
being the first to perish IN the fire be hn awoke,
and made with the heroic sacrifice Of his Own re-
mains the path on which Congress ia to pa" to
purity.
But while we thus deem il the daty OF Congress
10 protest sgaDst the scandal of corruption and 70
hunt down corruptonists with the keenest scent
We desire equally to protest against that Urea
.onable ely which would throw discredif on he
publican Government, and proclaim that because
q certain number of needy trafhckers Ut wash
irgton ply q filthy trade, therefore free instltu-
tons are failure and farce. That good time
coming when al men, and especially all politicians,
viii act under no other influence than that Of
honor, conscience or conviction, has not yet ar
rived nor can we see il looming close ahead. Every
vilsge has its Autolycus; every seat Of govern
ment its bribery and bribery brokers', Of one sort
or another. Ard while human nature remains
what it is, come needy men viii be found under
every potcsl system who will endesvor 10 pro-
mote their private fortunes TO the detrment Of
personal honor and public good. But when an
effort IL made on this score to cast discredit on
Republican institutions, let us-thoush the COM
parsons, as Mrs. MaaproP says, is odorOus-ssk
what corruption that has ever been dug out by
Washington Committee, or ever colored up BY
Imaginative bar room gossip, can compare in mag
niicence of criminaity with that which the re-
cords of the English legislature, the
Oldest and presumed to be the highest
in moral tone in Europe, unfolds Not to 60
back to tie times of wslpole, when that fine old
Brti.h Minister openly paid bis supporters In Par
lame Mt fixed price-orto the period Of the Union,
when mep, after delivering speeches against
measure, coOlly rose after few moments pleasing
converse With the Wings, and Iecanted with hct-
tious solemnity their previous aith-et rs grapple
with our own tine. What corruption or bribery 10
the passsge Of private bills at Washington can
c6mpare with that which overswept England IN
1c46, carrying along in its tide ministers, lords,
legislators, even ladies, and two members OF the
Government, Captain Bo,dero and Mr. Bonham
we've proved and admitted to have received shares
smountirg 10 considerable sum TO sacrifice their
public duty in giving preliminary sanction to ceram
railroad bills What fact elected or even charged
before the Washir gton Committee, can compare
with that stated publicly in the leading organ OF
England at the time and since sworn TO IN the case
of the Eastern Counties Railway agt. Hudson, both
BY the Chairman and Bookkeeper Of the Company
at the time and by the fallen monarch OF Rails him.
self that sum of six thousand three hundred
pounds had peen paid to certain members of the
Legislature, whom Mr. Hudson, from the same
exquisite delicacy Of feeling as Mr.. simonton, de-
clined TO name, to secure their votes and
Influence in the carrying Of certain bills Have
we not seen in the debates of 1854 several members
Of the British Legislature declare their conviction
that other members of the House sold places in the
Customs and Excise placed at their disposal BY
Government, and Corruption Committee similar
to that now at Washington hold its sittines tor
months to investigate the charge Have we not
heard, in evidence before committees, Of . oertan
dark chamber beneath each Of the two leading 20
htical clubs in LopdOn-a Mind of Cave Of AduLeu
in which was placed gentleman Of pleasant look
and bland and coaxiDg manner, and to which all dis
contented party men were carried, and golden
balm applied to heal al soresl Have we not dur
ing the very last Parliamentary session, heard, in
the discussions on bills for the prevention Of bribery
The London fines in voice Of thunder pro'laim
that corruption reigned everywhere. and lead
ing member of the Legislature, Mr.. Dfummond,
in words of Rabelai.ian wit declare, in the House
itself, and amid approving laughter that every man
had bis price-one place, another title; one
red ribbon, smother On ice-but al prize; and
that if corruption - discouraged, it was more for
the risk than the immortality We might multiply
instances in other countries-show how in the
Swedish Railway Compsny's Investigation of its
affairs within this year it was found that every
member Of the Swsdsh Legislature who voted for
the passing of the bill was paid-but what need we
travel further We have not instituted these con-
parsons to eXtenuate corruption in this country.
We would give strength and impetus to the arm
that strikes it down. What we have written We
have witt to show that some corruption must, we
fear, prevail everywhere, but that it finds in this
country the least shelter and the tbnnest soil.