The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1860-05-09
Our public Periis.

which good men should watch and guard
against? Here, in this State of New York,
is there not some peril quite as great as that
which grows out of the Lennon Slave
Case, and the effort of Virginia to bring
Slavery to our borders? We respectfully
ask our neighbor of the Tribune whether
this State,-the whole cOuntry,-and the
entire fabric of representative government
are not in greater danger of being conquer
ed, disgraced and ruined by venality and
corruption than by negro slavery?
Our State Legislature has just adjourned.
| 1t consisted of 1913 representatives of the
people in the Assembly and 80 in the SEN
ate, men chosen by the people to make
their laws. They have been in session over
one hundred days, and have passed some
unimportant and perhaps unobjectionable
bills. But look at the main features Of
their legislation.
The only bills which have created any spe-
cial interest are those involving money: and
no man of common intelligence can doubt
that their action upon these bills has been
purchased and paid for. So systematic
disregard of the public interest,-so meth
odical a contempt for justice, decency, and
the rights and wishes of those concerned,
can be explained upon no other way than
that of bribery. Take our city railroads
as an example. Nobody asked for the pas
sage of those bills ls:-everybody rcmonstra-
ted against it. The only portion of the
State in the least degree interested either
way in them was the City of New York
everybody in New York except the grant
ees resisted their enactment unless they
could be amended. The amendments ask
ed were such as were needed to protect the
public against the monopolies they created.
What public interest could lead the men,
bers from the interior obstinately to resist
every amendment, and force the bills thro'
in their most obnoxious shape? What mo-
tive could prompt honorable members from
Utica, from Oswego, from Rochester or
| Buffalo, to persist-against every dictate of
Justice, and in spite Of the most earnest re-
monstrances-in fixing upon the people of
New York the most oppressive monopolies
ever fastened upon any city? Why should
country members insist, with such uncom-
, promising pertinacity on giring aray grants
for which responsible men were willing tc
paw million dollars?
There is only one answer to these inquir
: ies:-THey acere 6ribsd to do so! Their
;, votes were bought and paid for. If th'
a its duty,-if respectable men, cognizant o
e the facts, would give justice the benefit o
n their knowledge believe score o
e members, at the lowest estimate, would b
c indicted, tried, convicted and sentenced t
<: the Penitentiary for the crime of sellin
;, the public interests to put money in thei
k own pockets. In any community properl.
S alive to the base degradation of such con
e duct on the part of public men, these per
y sons would be promptly punished for thei
j. misconduct Even in the despotism OF Aus
It tria, malfcasancc on the part of public off
e cials is punished with the utmost rigor, ant
;, numbers of them have committed suicid
n to evade legal responsibility for thei
It crimes.
S But it is notorious that in this Republi
d in city, State and National affairs-cor
e ruption of the most fragrant kind is infect
y ing every department of the Government
e No regard whatever is paid to the wants O
d the public or the rights of individuals. /
IS set of men seek to obtain Office, utterly I'm
d fit for its duties, insensible to Its obligation
le and eager for place merely as means G
le plunder Year by year the whole contrc
- Of legislation is falling, more and more int
e the hands of these unprincipled adventur
l, ers Government under sucha = system be
II comes merely an organized robbery. Tn
IS whole community lies at the mercy Of tn
sr worst portion of it's members. The ener
= gies that elsewhere are expended in warrin
is against the laws here control and max
n them. Men who, under firm and uprigh
% administration of justice, would figure a
'g criminrls at the bar, here get upon tn
Is bench.
is tits not easy to see the end Of such c:
t reer as we are now running. Every on
of sees and admits the evil, but no one seem
m disposed to apply remedy. Politicians
if those who are not partners in the game (
robbery,-are so busy with their part
schemes that they have no time to think (
the public morals. We are all so bus
r checking and restricting Slavery that "
I'd have neither time nor thought for the mol
monstrous and deadly disease that is gnav
G. ing at our vitals at home. Yet our Repul
n. lie is threatened with much more serior
in disater from this source than from SLAYER,
IS 1t is corruption-the debasement Of publ
r. life, the degradation of political morals
n that brands our institutions in the eyes
"a the world, and causes the best friends
popular progress to pause before imitatir
he our example.--N Y. Times.