The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1860-05-12

Mr.. William Allen Buffers Fungus paper in
the Independent Of last week embraces scorch-
ing review Of the recent session Of New York
Legislature. The paternal Fungus appears in
character Of . broker in Senators and Assembly
men. We copy few Of the concluding para
graphs:
Being somewhat flushed with success, and
knowing that could never discover where he
had made his bold operation, Fungus let me into
the secret Of his method Of procedure He SAYS
he found . community where the honest and en-
terprising men we're all hard at work attending
to their own affairs; if they were poor, they
we're trying to earn living; If they were rich,
they were trying to take care Of their property.
Those who had no other means Of Obtaining .
livelihood, or dsliked earning their bread by the
sweat Of their brow, gave their special attention
to the science Of government, and made it bust
ness. Snow, it's a very poor business that
won't pay" says Fungus, land If you are in q
business you must make it pay. There's nothing
wrong about that, is there - Diligent in bust
ness isn't that Scripture Very well these
fellows have nothing Of their own, hardly shirt
apiece to their backs, but if they get into the
Legislature don't you see, thew have all sorts Of
property at their disposal. They are the people
Of the state, then. The people are sovereign
That's the theory of our institutions and the
people can do what they like with their own 30
Isn't that Jeifersonian Democracy? The people
can be liberal if they like. IF they want to con-
tract for new buildings, or give away public
lands, or acknowledge old claims against them
which could never be collected, or pick out 4
dozen or twenty fellows and give them the ex-
elusive right to use the roads or the streets OF
anything else that is public; il they want to run
their arms into the pockets Of rich corporations
and make them pay the debts Of other people
If they choose to pay Tom, Dick, and Harry
eighty or ninety thousand dollars for printing q
list of old deeds and mortgages, or to take the
public money and build q railroad down through
the wilderness to carry one passenger every six
months, don't you sec, nobody can complain, be-
cause they are the people. That's what II is to
live in free country" continued Fungus
"Says I, il they have got the power and are
going to dispose Of the pieces Of property, may
as well step in and take my share; 50 I stepped
relation Of Capital to Government. OF course |
had to pay, but you can't get property without
paying somebody for it. That wouldn't be hon.
est"
" And pray" says I, Tin this precious com
munity Of which you speak, Is there no Governor
and no veto power, such as we have heres'
Fungus laughed as If this reminded him Of d
good joke. "Of course they have, but the best
Of it is, that 1t takes fewer votes to pass bill
after a veto shan before. The sly fellows have
fixed it in the Constitution. never thought 90
well of Constitution. See how ingenious it is
It takes majority Of all the Senators elected to
pass bill at first Out of thirty-two, that re
quires seventeen. But after q veto, only two
thirds Of the members present are required II
enough happen to step out and there are only
eighteen present, twelve can do the job. This !,
great country"
And when your delectahle delegates of the
people get through and 60 home, what thens
"Oh. = little fussing and fnming in our rather
szeable village, 1t the mouth Of small stream
where the shopkeepers live, and which Is plum
dered somewhat extensively, but nothing more
Why sir, the party in power held a Convention
the very same week after had paid OFF m,
troops. almost before they had time to coan
their money, and didn't dare to say word agains
them, not syllable, and what Is more, amt /
great many cf them IF 70 aid IN choosing a Pres
;dential candidate on 9 platform 81 pare principle
while the other rogues; Of different stripe, bu,
who shared in the plunder, published long ad
dress to the people, cautioning them agains
electing dishonest men to Office. That va
prime; beats the Pharisees! r
was silent. "Whatarc you thinking Of ?" sait
| Fungus.
Il am thinking" said !, "how the chicken
you and your legislative tribe have Matched vii
come home to roost How certainly retributiol
follows upon the faithlessness in public duty
How these shameless fellows will be gibbeted in
history. How the finger Of score viii point 4
them; how their scared and blackened memorie
will hang like scarecrows In the annals OF th
state, to frightcn others from like crimes and al
equal infamy.r
That 10 rather highAown," said Fungus
"and | should advise you 70 put it into th
newspapers. But, my dear fellow, we don't min,
it, otin the least-and what Is more, it doesn'
pay
And be liz his cigar with the air Of man VII
had successfully solved the great problem Of tn
true relation between Capital and Government