Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-22
Presents to Public Officials.

Senator Cattell of New Jersey has beer
presented with elegant service of silver
plate, worth six eight thousand dollars
The present was rendered to him on Tuesday
bv the Mayor Of Philadelphia, a token OF
Mr. Cattells services in the United State:
Senate in furthering the League Island Navy
Yard scheme. Erchange-
The Constitution of the United States pro
vidcs that = No person holding any Office Of
profit or trust under them (thc niteC
gress, accept of any present, emolument
office, or title, of any kind whatever, from
= any king, prince, or foreign state. This
provision does not in terms prohibit sucl
gifts as this TO Senator Cattell, yet the reason
Of the constitutional prohibition applies a.
forcibly to the one case to the other. The
lawyer who faithfully serves his client, OF
the laborcr whose work is unusually produc-
tive to his employer, may be rewarded with
out danger Of the corruption of public morals
or official integrity. But member of Con
gress is sworn to support the constitution
and do what il for the best interest of the
whole country, and should no more he ap-
preached with present for the performance
Of his duty, than should the Judge on the
bench Lord Bacon has passed into history
il the meanest, as well as the greatest and
wisest of mankind, because he accepted pres
cnts from persons who had been successful
-uitOrs in the court over which he presided
Yet presents similar to this given to the
New Jersey senator. have become frequent
as to excite scarcely any remark. and little
condemna ton. Almost the only praiscwor-
thy act performed 10y Mr.. johnson since he
began his official life at Washington, was the
refusal Of an elegant coach and splcndic
ahorses, offered to him by some wealthy gen
tleman among his admir- ers. This refusa
was refreshing. and brought back to remem
brance something of the stern virtue of an
earlier race Of statesmen. who would have
>purncd such present Philadelphia has
bestowed upon Senator Cattell, as they would
an mputation upon their honor. But many
Of our latter day officials receive these rewards
with gratified vanity, and parade them with
pleased ostentation being blessed. we sup
pose. with some trick Of ethical reasoning,
by which they can prove that the bride which
prccedes an official act is entirely different
in the code of morals, from the reward that
follows it. 1t il noticeable, however. that
the easy official virtue which accepts rewards,
is but step from that which takes brides !.
and Senator Cattell will find it impossible to
lcgislate hereafter impartially when the in
terests of Philadelphia are at stake. During
the debate three years ago respecting taxing
whiskey on hand, kind outside friends went
into partnership with members of Congress
in the business of buying and holding whis-
KEY for a rise, and some critics were rigid
enough in their notions to condemn such
practices only another way of giving and
accepting brides. But these whskcv specu-
lators were operating in the same field in
which Cattell found his silver plate, only in
their they made assurance little surer
by taking bill of sale in advance. But
when one is dealing with whiskey spectators
it may be necessary to take greater security
than when one has a generous city for Il
client.
We not certain that this corrupting
practice of giving - testimonials - to public
men, for public services, began with Web
ster, but he and his clients developed it to an
alarming extent. He received gifts of every
Imaginable kind, and of enormous amounts.
Money was given to him and loaned to him
by thousands of dollars. Silver plate. and
horses and carriages, were bestowed upon
him by his rich admirers. He lived less up
on his honest earnings than upon the gencr-
osty of his - friends - and it was simply
impossible, when the interests Of these
* friends - was in issue before him, that he
should not be the advocate instead Of the
Judge. Since his time this system of bribery
has not improved, though few legislators
receive as much now as came to Webster
during his official life. But, if we are to hope
for nothing better in future, if legislators
and Legislation must be bought and sold, as
a matter of public decency, and to prevent
the contamination of the example, the trans
action should be as private as possible ; and
legislators should secretly receive their price,
putting the greenbacks into their pockets,
and, if they must have costly services of
plate. buy them with the money. They
would thus save the scandal Of publicity,
and their families and descendants would
not be perpetually reminded of the stain up
on their official career.
Candidates for State Officers.