The Greene County Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 185?-1867, 1867-04-17
from the Waynesburg Messenger July l6tl
1921
THE PURITY OF GOVERNMENT.

IhH UNA l. Or 'ON DiNNuDN -
Mr.. EDIToR,-Tho writer of this has
observed, for the last twenty years q
spirit of degeneracg not only III this
county, but in almcst every section Of
our Union in the N lnners OF the people
in the exercise Of enc Of their dearest
rights, the elective tianchise,
AS this right is Ct primary impor-
tance, not only to ~ but to tire whole
civilized world its character ought to be
handed to poslerity pure and unsulied,
and all exam pies that go 10 impair It's
genuine intentions ought to meet the
reprohation of thoso who consider Them
selyos either good OF wise
Our governmentAin its structure, is a
representative democracy, in which the
people have rigEt TO elect, 10y thew
suGrages who they please to represent
them, and in most Eases the will Of the
majority is conclusiFc a. to their choice
Any abuss the ciore, ct this impor>
tant privilege Cughtto meet at once, the
cxecmtion of every individual in socie-
tyby scouting trOl9 confidence and
councils those, whoby any other means,
than those known 70 the acknowledged
principles OF our government and laws,
warrant.
IL is with no incinsidcrablo degree of
pain and shame, ,thit we have to confess,
that the purity OF cir elections have been
sullied and their vFtuous intentions, in
some degree erased, not in the first
place by the Immediate impulse Of the
people, but by the attempts OF those.
who had the goodness to come before
them as their huntle servants, willing
10 serve them. but, well knowing their
want Of capacity to be useful, have had
recourse to 4 kind Of management which
if closely eXamlr q, must mix with It
shame and regret g all parties concern
cd.
In 'hc first placa,we are now common.
ly told tha.in ord & 80 be successful as a
eaoljaw 90 ~ A4y Office in the gltt OF
d.. pc gamvl purchase their votes
10y att~..g goj shops, lavern', and
still house, aud II "a the canailla lGral>
lv, OF We cannot get their votes, and
indeed, 50 preya,EuC has th, opinion
been that men OF DE best orders in sor
c;ety have bent tcit
Well has it he TO this, !hat virtue,
talents and intorn htion must be neglect.
ed, and the persols who choose to sport
with the best a. ulsest institutions of
our country are t' be preferred? Must
every man, who il TO get an office from
the immediate hqids Of the people, buy
their votes by encouraging . vice that
has been more inRrious to society than
all the evils origi,ati0g from the schools
OF Paudemonium put together?
Tho manners ol all nations arc judg>
ed from the puritf of their public instr
tutlons, and thir happiness and the
permauency Of tleir liberties have de-
pended on the Nrtuous disposition Of
their rulers, as vel as their ability to
perform the functions to which they are
called. What must the historian Of
our times say of the consistency of our
councils and instintions, when they be-
hold man offer nlmself a candidate to
serve the people, as their representative
or otherwise, as ne case may be, riding
the district over DR. the express purpose
of making arrangements to make the
county drunk he 5 about 10 represent or
serve?
One OF those cl,ctioneering campaigns
will cost, modoraely speaking, In money
and loas of mmc,at least one hundred
and fifty dollars, enough surely, to dis
courage a prudnt man from suffering
his name to be nentioned in that way.
But this is not tie worst aspect it bears
it must show Qaat dcgoucracy IN the
peo; le to elect sch man, who has not
sufficient Observation-Disclosures to recom~
mend him to thor notice must resort to
the fumes of theinobriating influences of
whiskey to droah the enquiries OF sense
and reason.
That these hings have, IN reality
been realized il our district, to the full
extent here depD,ed, is not contended.
But surely it nust be confessed that
they are the seds Of corruption, and
that nothing Tevents thew ultimate
growth, but thalvirtuous citizens. But
they, undoubtedly, are some OF the
means which itriguers have used in
every age of theworld for their own ag-
grandizoment.
When men slow great interest to get
themselves eleded or chosen to great
public trusts, loces or cmployments,
for which they ro totally unfit, there is
great reason tofear the people are care
less OF their owl beat interests
Abilities are certainly OF great conse
quence in a pblc character. Virtue,
integrity and honesty ought to be united
but if no one cin arrive at the confidence
of his fellow clNcns without STOPPING TO
the most abieefelony, and in some de.
gree hiring the voters, then hgh>mind>
ed and honorable men will keep aloof
from the contet. More alter awhile,
VULCAN.