The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-27
LEGISL1TITE CORRUPTTOM.
THE EVIL OF rNpisoRmrNArE DENUNcIATroN.

THE EVIL OF INDisoRMINATK DENUNoIATIoN.
TO the Editor of the Evening Telegraph:-
Tread with considerable. pleasure your edlto,,
rial relative to legislative corruptlon ana
the General Assembly of this State, as well as in
the state of New York. The public mind has
this monsIrous evil and wrong, without the
power to apply a remedy. The political ma
chinery OF parties, both Republican and Demo-
cratic has been securely seized by the lowest
order of intelligence and honesty In all
suit Is Ike has nr6s6uoed IiRe and % we have
been represented these latter years in
our Legislatures by elections unht TO be
made. l am not very young, neither
am very old, and cannot tell how far back
in our history commenced the system or
bribery and corruption in our public bodies
which we 50 much deplore, and which seems
to be breaking up the very foundations of our
free lnsti utions. The first great sale of politi-
cal and personal integrity which took very
decided shape in Pennsylvania was tnat con-
nected with the rechaIter of the old United
States Bank, as q State institution. From that
time down TO the present the public ear has
grown more and more familiar with such
Transact ms and we now cease TO marvel at
any fraud or any wrong that those whom we
choose to mis-. represent us may see tit to perpe-
trate. The time was when our best citizens
were chosen to be our law-givers-men OF in
tegrity, OF probity, of intellectual culture, and
OF social and moral worth.
In the earlier days OF the Republic we heard
of no betrayal oil the peoples interests, no
violence done to the honor and dignity of the
legislative character, wnen the Sergeauts, the
Tolands, the Biddles, the Dallases, the PEN
roses, and host OF others of like character
were selected to do the business pertaining TO
the government of the State.
But as your editorial, to which ! allude, inn
plies, almost the entire foreground of our re-
present alton has been changed From the best
OF men as Representatives we have fallen down
TO a class that no man who respects himself
cares TO associate with in public, and certainly
not in private life; and we now seek to correct
The evil 1t is easier TO JalK about a remedy
than to apply one The present system I party
selection is cheat and fraud and yet how
can we escape 1t?
money the "roughs," usually secures the nomi-
nation, and no matter how many votes an
honorable and honestopp ponent may poll at the
window OF primary party nominating contest,
unless he has the inside judge and inspectors
he will tie declared in the minority. There is
no reuress for the wrong and the fraud is so
obvious, that high minued and competent men
care not u enter the arena where rum has
more influence t. control tnan purity of
character a d intellectual qualifications. The
evil to be dreaded Ia defeating such unfair
nominations on election day, you very fairly
the private wrong.
But, Mr.. Editor there is another side to this
picture-a feature of blame which attaches
itself to the press, and also to the community.
WehaVe become so Accustomed TO the cry of
uau uos, lHay We MAKE an lnulScrllnl-
nate accusation Of corruption against every one
of our Legislators. / am not prepared to Judge
thus harshly of all who 20 to Harrisburg or AL
bany. believe that many of them are honest
and conscientious men-men who go and come
untainted by corrupting influences. 1t does
not require that the whole of a Legislature
should be bought, to pass unjust and partial
laws. Twenty bad and corrupt men-havlng
talent and recklessn esS-can easily control the
balancing power of one hundred men. L can
speak from some little experience in this matter
Therefore, when the press and the community
denounce all as venal who assume the charac-
ter of legislators, a serious wrong is perpe-
tated. And it has this bad effecJ-it dete1S men
OF ability, honesty, and integrity from desiring
to fill such positions, allow their names TO be
used in connection herewith. This is the point
wish to make in this article:-As long as this
indiscriminate hue and cry is continued against
all who go TO Harrisburg, only bad men will
seek to go there, and only bad men will be sue
cessful in their seeking. Justice requires that
we should discriminate in our denunciations as
well as in our praise. E. G. w.