Litchfield enquirer., 1869-04-29

IICHS d SHoy shall $eSpsfia sSAk RaSs,A AtulesS nanT cry outia 1hese days SM&fntresS ingforruptiSH R public lvifsdstS HiSGSe win alarm b sfarge pat of Ne>> >conalsfs Dlty-by all if fact, w6o paysHeSN6fYt 6fY tS S public affaifsg The city courSi& SaASnfe legislatureb 4nd. .Eongfess. srs Hl4aSES6s The expSsereAM daErant iSSSaaoss eecofSS ruptiop .prod1ces Iittle. .Se&eSS eH4i&ha- ton lSya.@ .@y q twos s3e s6e5.a new
 WSl-mAninE but S&S men have spent yeaS i4S Sne g6ntrivSnSsS Sof laws for the detecti0H ana punishaent of bribery and SGruption /but of what use are these? A man who tkkes bribe will not hesitate to aperture bmself; man who gives bribe is not likely to make himself publicly in- famous by confcssing it; and his unsup- ported evidence would not be trusted by jury if he did.
 What, then, can we do to save the coun- try from vice which is spreading, and threatening to extinguish public morality? The remedy is not far to seek, nor is it difficult. It is to prohibit all special legis- lation. Let any legislative body in this ing any but general laws, and we shall see an instant check put upon corruption, to "log-rolling," to the work of the lobby in that body.
 But are not special laws necessary for some purposes? No; they may be safely prohibited on all matters whatever. To admit them at all is to open the door wide to fraud and crime; the only safe way is to prohibit entirely, and without exception, allspecial laws; and demand that whatever must be done by laws shall be done by general laws, equally applicable to all citi zens.
 So far as this remedy has been tried, iD this or any other state, it has been found to, work, admirably. In New York we had once the habit of granting special charters toabanks- and this was source of endless corruption. Then any one was allowed to establish bank under 2 general law, ap- plicable to all alike, and at once the bank charter lobby perished. In many of the western States the constitutions provide that only general laws shall be passed on any, subject; and il is the testimony of western statesmen that wherever this reg ulation has been strictly observed, no bu- siness has suffered, and legislation has been kept pure. -ai4a1s'G !Etsa st. e<4
 We have had a general bank law for some years, and it has worked we'll; why not try general railroad law? We have a general law for the establishment of min ing and manufacturing companies; why not have general ferry law? Why not make Q general law under which all enter prises whose nature demands that to pro- tect life andproperty they shall be carried on under limitations may be established? ! 1t is abominable that in a republic. le- gislative bodies bodies should be permit. ted year after year to grant special privi- leges, to enact laws conferring special and extraordinary powers on certain favored individuals. Such policy is contrary to the spirit of our institutions. It creates constantly increasing body of favored men, an aristocracy of money, whose strength lies, in the corruption of public virtue.
 s.sWhat is the oMce-of government in free,country? It is to do justice between men, and to preserve the peaee That is absolutely allthe government of New York or of the United States has right to do, or can do with benefit to the people. As necessary incident to the exercise of it's powers, government has to collect from the people money sufficient to pay the ex- pepses of administration; and the charges on it's debt; and it is bound to do this in the way least oppressive to the people,
 But what do we see state legislatures and Congress doing? Seven-eighths of the fifns of our legislature is taken up with special legislation, railroad charters, ferry charters, and all sorts of schemes in which few men seek and obtain special favors and valuable privileges denied to the rest of the community. ..f...-xs
 In Congress, also, special legislation takes up the greater part of every session ]; sad the newspapers during the session, are filled with reports of the appeals of lobbyists representing now the copper, nowthe ireny now the woollen interest, now a railroad ring, and anon Q whiskey ring, beseiging committees of Congress to help them to advance their schemes for private emolument and advantage a |
 So fierce has become the struggle of e contending interests in Washington, that wise men have noticed with alarm the bit. ter feeling aroused, which arrays section against section, weakens the bonds of esbrotherly union, and makes Washington the scene of Q struggle in which not only the great interests of the country are sa- crificed, but, the very perpetuity of our union is threatened.
 Albany legislation has become bye aaword for corruption Washington legisla g tion istbuti little better If 2 the country sGcould knowwhat promises 8 Speaker has to make, before he can be. chosen; if it could see what influences preside over the choice of the most important committees in the House; if it could know what are the sources of much of the legislation of the5last. ten years in Congress, it would ex- ficlaim that Washington is mo better than Albany, exceptiE this,s that it more care- z fully coHceals its vices. ; oaa 51g aaaaa 2, la Governor Hoffman has begun most inn portant and necessary work of reform in this state, by series of admirably written vetoes of special laws. He has not been sustained in the legislature. for the most of his yetoes have been laid on the table; and the lobby-men and corrupt members are doing all they can to persuade igno- rant and thonghtless members that the Governor is wrong, and that special laws are Aeededy A There is reason to believe that desperate effort will be made to pass several, and these the worst bills, over his veto: We trust the honest members of both Houses will unite, regardless of par stY to s11f1nort the Gnvei.n csr in h;a ofeorA