The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-08-06
Conscience Money.

I"1he reason why the seven stars are not
more than seven is a pretty reason" So the
clown in Shakespeare affirmed with the frank
explanatory admission that it is because that
particular association of luminaries does not
honest can be given only by similar clown
ish avoidance of philosophic explanation, and
a like falling back upon the nature OF things,
and the fatalist's reference to ''things as they
are" The reason is simply because they are
arrant rogues, with tendency to lie, steal
and fight,-with corresponding disinclina-
ton to be truthful, upright and peaceful indi-
vlduals. Let the optimists say what they
will, the first thing human being does with
his tongue after it receives its power OF utter
regard OF the maternal injunction. The first
thing he docs with his hands is to sleDd one"
to some confdins playmate. For all these
perverse attributes of humanity, with other
mysteries pertaining to this state of existence,
old Butler himself mot DR.. Benz. f., but he
of the Analogy can afford no better explana-
ton than that "the constitution of nature is
as it is" np .1'toa ad1 1oi me
This being the case, it is gratifying to OBJ
serve any indications of amendment. 1t is
especially gratifying when the indications
come in the shape of public money returned
to Mr.. Spinner, as the representative of the
United States. 1t is said that more than ten
thousand dollars of conscience money" has
already been received - enough to pay for
two congressman at the present low fig
are quoted. The sum is trifing, to be
sure, for the man who in six years has.
handled his cool fourteen billions; but as
earnest of The millions that will naturally
follow it is not to be regarded LIGHTLY. Cen-
science, having commenced its work, win of
have helped themselves out of the public
treasury, probably under the impression that
little out OF so large 'fnnd would never be
missed. II is mol possible that five dollar
note, dishonesty obtained, can throw men in
to the agonies of disbursement and restitu-
ton even to the extent OF postage and inter
est, while thousands of times that sum will
permit them to rest in peace. 1t cannot be
that extensive stealing like large dose of
poison, defeats itself by its Gown too much
No, the thing must go on. 1t is ew, has a
bran new phrase to designate it, and there is
no reason why it should not become fashion,
able. Particular forms of immortality some
times become epidemic Burglary, robbery
and homicide are alternately the most popu-
lar ways Of making war upon society. The
most natural reaction in the world may be a
mania for restoring the proceeds of official pee
ulation, fraudulent contracts and wholesale
embezzlements. r 4V-s s. roistsasg III
The expenditure of the government for sew
eral years has no doubt been increased very
largely by reason of the dishonesty of many
of its employees and officials. We have mo
idea, however, OF giving our Democratic con-
temporaries text for new Jereniad upon
Radical corruption and extravagance. On the
contrary, wherever Democracy has been in
the ascendant, whether in its conservative or
its rebel form. there fraud has most abound
ed. If the rate at which Buchanan and his
cabinet were squandering and stealing had
but continued through the last six years,
wEie the facilities for those branches OF in
dustTy have been SO great, the national debt
would be double what it now is Floyd, Tou-
cey and Thompson have never been equalled
in these later years in the department of fl
nancial craftsmanship to which they devoted
themselves. Talk of Radical corrupton!-
New York city, good for any Democratic ma
jority, has that almost unprecedented thing,
a corrupt judiciary. Judges McCumn and
Cardozo not only buy voters, but sell them
selves. So we may lay it down as first
principle that bad men in Office, irrespective
of race, color or party, will line their own
pockets. Consequently, if all the money that
has found its way out of the treasury through
illegitinate channels should be returned, the
American people would have great reason to
congratulate themselves. Instead of the daily
reports of internal revenue receipts, we should
have still more formidable sums to note as
pouring into the conscience fund. Fiye-twen-
ties would suddenly appreciate in value, and
become more precious than consols and far
more desirable than rentes. Taxation would
no longer impose its burdens, and the gold
and silver coinage of the United States would
cease to be matter OF tradition, regarded by
all young people as a myth, like the gold
en- fleece or the golden apples,-or fiction,
like the Golden Dustman,-or metaphor,
like the "silvery laugh" of romance or the
'silyer wedding" of real life. @