The Kanzas news., 1858-10-16
From the Cincinnati Commercial.
The Despotism of Loaferdom.

the tendency OF government and OF S0GIe-
ty, is away from the simple forms inaugu-
rated by those fathers of the Republic, whom
we are enormously supposed to "rise up and
call blessed, and toward the Capitalization
OF power, and the legitimacy of It's trans
mission through class, with vulgar imi-
tation of monarchical pomp and circum
stance. Society at Washington takes its
manners from the masters of ceremonies, as
its costumes from the milliners and mantua
makers of the courts of Europe. That por-
ton of the population of the national capi-
tal-composed of the families of dislin-
guished gentlemen from the dominant sec
ton of the Union, of the Diplomatic corps,
Heads of Departments. and wealthy gen
tlemen residing outside the States whose
prosperity is cemented with slave labor, and
whose opinions do not reflect in too intense
a degree the liberal sentiments of a former
generation-to whom the White House Is
especially devoted, is already best known as
the "Court Circle" And the President
himself is not unfrequently nor very inap-
propriately denominated James ".
sa While the Federal city presents the most
pretentious development of illbred society,
aping the gorgeous frivolities and solemn
fooleries of the aristocracy of the nations
where the FEW are supreme over the MANY,
it is by no means the only place afforded by
the country remarkable for that style of
foolishness, or for rascality and incapacity
in charge of public duties The whole
country is diseased with vanity, and has a
woeful itch for the spoiis of Office; and there
is hungering for titles and tinsel that
would be ludicrous to the last degree if it
were not in the first degree offensive. The
Seats of State Government emulate that of
the nation in the sillniess of their social
regulations and the wantonness with which
official decency is disregarded. Dishonesty
without shame riots in the lobbies. Cor
porations that they may monopolise mil
lions of acres of public land, or rob the
people in some other wholesale way, buy
legislators, judges, governors. editors of
''organs," " as vegetables are bought in mar
the bunch. Bribery has become
science and an art, and is associated with
and overshadows all departments OF Gov
National, State and Municipal
A Cabinet officer can have his '.paper'' dis
ness men. A Senator has the land offices
closed that the choice sections may be en-
tered in his name. Honorable Members
and liable Editors are accommodated with
oans; Legislators and City Councilmen re-
,eiye ''pecuniary compliments" and "me-
nentoes of friendship" and whisky and
oysters to lubricate the joints of their scru
pies. Such is the system of scoundrelly
dealing with the public interests that seems
from partizanism. Under va
rious disguises it has its rami6cations, wher-
ever PARTY fills the Offices of trust and profit
with its devotees, from the marble piles at
either end of Pennsylvania Avenue to the
cabins of Wisconsin.
Mingled with the office holders we find
the horde of contractoIs-the camp follow
ers, the suffers of party-the party job
men who never want the Office,
but are always dickering with their friends,
dividing the profits of some double headed
iniquity with others of their tribe who may
belong for the sake of convenience to the
opposition party-men who have always a
Dit of land to sell for a public purpose, or
Eho viii find reasons for the private sales
If government reservations-or who have
he refusal of Offices, for fees-men unwea
led in evil doing, and ready to bargain to
oribe any partisan in Office, from a Cabinet
Secretary to the Commissioner of County.
These are the persons most efficient in di-
Verting the streams of revenue from their
legitimate channels. Observe the yellow
Hood where they cut the levee 1t becomes
\ crevasse- Il makes off into the swamps,
where all Shiny creatures disport themselves.
Every cesspool of society. every moral sink
hole, every focus of perfdious shams, be-
comes place of deposit for the cash that is
Wrung by taxation from the hard hands of
productive industry. Thus are the party
plantations irrigated.
Every county seat, and village. and coun-
try grocery, has its garrison idlers-men
who do not add grain of wheat, a spear of
grass, lump of ore, pod of cotton, al
thread or nail to the wealth of the country,
but whose energies are put forth in the eau
cuses of ward or township. state or nation.
They stand by party always. & scratched |
ticket is to them an abomination. These |
are the makers of parties-the masters of
the "Great Men" of parties. Hence the |
word 'teiectioneer" has come to mean asso-
citation with such men-guzzling strych- |
nine whisky, and lager. And thus out of
Loaferdom comes the rulers of the land.
There are few nations more terribly taxed
than this. The figure of taxation reached
is as high as in most monarchIes. Profit |
gscy in the use of public money is a pre- |
vailing epidemic. Many of our cities are
brought by the wastefulness of the authori-
ties to the verge of bankruptcy. But no
warning. no disaster, seems sufficient to call
! halt in the march under partisan leader.
ship. down the Dark Valley of the Shadow
of Debt, into the bottomless pit of irretriev-
able insolvency. During the past year, the
national debt has been augmented fifty mill
ions of dollars. Cords of city bonds have
been issued for every conceivable purpose
but the good of the tax payers. The mon
strous aggregate of State liabilities goes on
accumulat;ng. and universal public debt in
creases In ratio far greater than the pro-