Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-04-13
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nbasis upon the degeneracy OF those OF the
nresent. The probable reason for this Is the
fact that the attentive observer OF preseh'
events has better opportunity OF seeing 'ne
a.tual manifestations OF intrigue and corrup-
tion than those who look back upon IL
through the vista of years. Precisely as 'ne
last i'll is the most trying, or the last DAY 'ne
hottest or coolest, or the most disagreeanie'
we are apt to regard and speak of the last de-
velopment of political dishonesty ana cor
ruption as the most fragrant and The most
alarming. But with this full knowledge and
admission of a general, and, perhaps, natural
truth. we feel assured that we do not exagge-
rate in pronouncing the present hour TO De
more thorough and universally, more eiaoo
rately and fagrantly corrupt than any that
has preceded it in the history Of this country
When before were there enacted such
scenes as have been witnessed In the past
three years, In the primary elections in many
of the States, especially those OF the Norm
and East, the use of money in the purchase
of votes has become so common and shame
less as to be open and almost unconcealed.
giles are closely contested, votes are bought
and sold as carelessly and with as little COM
junction as any other marketable COMMON
ty. 1t is come to be generally known that
money is as necessary to conduct an eiection
campaign as it is to carry on any industrial
enterprise. A candidate, to be successful
must advance more ready cash than the hon.
est receipts of the Office which he seeks VIII
repay. The system of electioneering has Gre
ated distinct class of persons, in the large
cities. whose only business it is, for salts
fac tory compensation. TO enlist for this or
that man for this or that Office. 1t is their
sole reliance for livelihood, and they pursue
it with an energy that knows no faggihg--
These are generally men OF the most despica-
BILE characters, noted alike for their lack OF
principle and for their audacity. They have
their understrappers and strikers, and they 9TH
ers, until it becomes an organized band OF cor
ruptionists, under regular drill and pay. who
&c to the polls as disciplined cohort, with
bludgeons and pistols and brides, to do the in
famous work of their employers This state
ment has been repeatedly illustrated by oc-
currences within the last two or three years.
The men thus elected to Office, to make up
their expenses and TO prepare for the sue
ceeding campaign, resort to direct pecula-
ton of the public funds, or sell their votes to
still another class of jobbers and corruption
lists. Who, until 1851, ever heard of thous-
andz upon thousands of dollars being ex-
pended in actual hard cash, among members
of Congress, to procure certain tariff rates on
certain articles? And who now disputes
that this was done? The Halls of Congress
have now come to be a rendezvous for job
bers of every description. There is scarcely
q measure proposed, involving the expendi-
ture of money, in which there is not bevy
OF these lobby ageuts interested. The recent
disclosures in relation to the manner in
which the public printing has been done for
the last three years, for which the govern
ment has paid millions of dollars, shows
that il has been a fund for carrying cleo
tions and corruptng the ballot box. Whilst
il has cost the people from one-third to one
half more than was just and fair, it has sup
ported loafng lobby agents in Washington,
and been directly applied to bribing the
voters in primary elections. The known in
stances of this species of corruption are suf-
fcient to sustain the extraordinary and
alarming extent 10 which the thing has
been carried, and the unknown are probably
more numerous and more fragrant than those
which have been brought to light.
But there is another field of corruption
I'll r.
the Federal Executive, medaiely and i'm
medIately, embraces, il il estimated, an
hundred thousand men. These are given
their places generally for the consideration
Of services rendered to the Presidents party,
and almost solely on that ground. Hence
these Offices are frequently filled by men who
have no other qualification than such as Is
available on election day. Not only so,
but in addition to these services these men
are required by the President, as a condition
upon which they are to continue In Office,
in some sections. to contribute a certain
per centsge of their salaries, in money. to
be used to the best advantage among the
people in carrying elections for the party of
the administration AS startling a. this
statement may appear, and undoubtedly is
we make it on the authority of the organ of
the Administration, which shamelessy ad-
United il as a fact. The distribution Of gov
eminent contracts and jobs Is systemati-
cally made to partizan favoritcs. aud some
times, when prices are not fixed by law, the
prices paid amount to the most enormous
and extravagant figures. Thus all the de
parimenis OF the government are enlisted in
the business of bribery aud corrGpiion-to
sustain which the people are called upon to
furnish the mean. The aggregate amount
thus expended for the past two years can
not fall short Of from twenty eve TO thirty
five millions Of dollars per annumi We
have seea the public expenditures amoant up
suddenly from my GO sixty millions to more
than eighty millions annually, without any
apparent necessity.
Where this systrm will ena there Is no
telling. unicss the people put the seal of
their condemnation upon H. That II Is on
the increase there can be no doubt /: and
30 long as II Is tolerated. Il will eontinue IN
Increase Let the people therefore ponder
these faets-let them apply the corrective or
the downiall OF the republic Is certain as
fate.
LARGE SHIPMENT OF AExs.-says the No